Within moments of stacking the last row of blocks for the first floor pour of the Momplex, the blocks just started disappearing.

Hey, we might still need those!

Playing House

When these girls play house, they mean business.

All Business

I'm all business this morning too. The concrete is ordered and due at 1:00. The pump truck is on it's way. And we've got this checklist to check off on before walls can get poured in the Momplex. The installation manual came with the ARXX blocks.

Today's Task

To this point, we've stacked foam blocks that are hollow inside to just above where the second story floor is going to be. The hollow insides will get filled with concrete - 115,000 pounds of concrete on this pour. That's a huge amount of pressure and weight, so following the checklist is very important to avoid catastrophic blowouts or even just a stressful pour.

Checklist

Let's go through the checklist together.

Has all form support been installed?

Check. We supported the forms with the wall bracing system in this post.

Were elevation changes properly handled?

Does not apply.

Are all walls according to layout?

Check. Pays to build boxes. We'll make up for the lack of character with a pretty roof and some clever trim.

Is alignment/scaffold system installed properly?

Check. With a view too:)

Are scaffold planks secured?

Check. We screwed the scaffolding planks down in this post.

Are all openings installed?

Check. All openings are installed.

Has reinforcing been placed around all openings?

Check. All openings have been reinforced. We've also put together "window kits" that will be put in place during to the pour, and set under each window. This will further reinforce the window for concrete poured on top. We'll get to all that in the next post.

Have anchor bolts or nails been provided for buck anchorage?

Check. Each of the wood window and door bucks has been nailed to the hollow foam. When the concrete is poured into the hollow foam crevice, it will literally set in stone the windows.

Are all service penetrations installed?

Things like dryer vents and air circulation systems that vent through the walls are much easier to put in now, instead of chipping through concrete later. All you do is cut the foam with a hand knife, insert the pipe, and foam around the service penetration to keep it in place. Check.

Has the top course of forms been secured to the course below?

Check. We've secured the top course of forms to the course below with wire hooks.

Have all corner forms been secured?

Check. This really is overkill, but we bought 2x4s with the final intention of framing walls with them, so didn't want to cut them at this step. And why not brace the door at the same time?

Have adjustable forms been taped?

Does not apply to us. If you used the ARXX blocks that adjust you would need to do this step, but our corners are all square.

Has floor system anchorage been installed?

Check. We spent an entire day putting the floor anchorage system in, the little plywood boxes you see above. The plywood pieces will be removed after the pour and replaced with a ledger board.

Is reinforcing in place as specified?

Check. By the time we are done with the Momplex there will be three TONS of rebar placed in it.

Is wall straight?

Check. A string line is run around the entire Momplex as shown above. Then the walls are adjusted so they run flush with the string line using the adjustable bracing system. After we pour the concrete, we'll adjust walls again to ensure they are square and plumb.

Has top course been protected from sockets filling with concrete?

Check. Remember, we aren't done stacking block - we'll be going through this process (but only five blocks, and with much less complexity) for the upper part of the top floor. So the sockets need to be protected from the concrete pour. Gotta love Press-n-Seal.

Just found another use for it.

Despite gusts of wind in the 30MPH range, it stuck.

Is tool available for consolidation on site? (Internal Vibrator)

Check. It's on it's way with the pump truck.

Are strapping and screw gun available in case of a blowout?

Oh, you mean the "oh crap kit." A drill with a battery charged, some foam, spray foam, screws and boards. Check.

Not that we are going to need it, right? Here comes the pump truck!

Have a great weekend!

We are thrilled to be working with ARXX blocks to build the exterior walls of the Momplex. To learn more about building with ARXX blocks, you can visit their extensive website here.

Momplex