Forming the Columns - Rebar and Boxes

For all footings over 3 ft tall we place the stirrups 6" apart for the lowest 25% of the column height, then 8" apart for the middle 50% then 6" apart for the upper 25%. We use #5 rebar. The lumber is untreated, termite food, so when we're finished with it we'll take the 2x4 pieces not covered in concrete to our Maho Art Center to use in the Clay Studio wood burning kiln.

Pouring Footings

Geoff arrives (the shirtless one) with his son and pump truck. He's a terrific guy to work with. Always shows up when scheduled and works so hard, he keeps the whole crew on their toes (they're on their toes anyway but if they weren't..). It's getting tough to get concrete on St. John these days. Majestic Construction is the only show on island and they can't seem to get material here. They would only give us 9 yards ($265 per yard plus pump truck) when we needed 12. We'll have to pour the 10 12x12 boardwalk footings and EcoStudio deck footings when we pour the columns next week. Our Loft Duplex and Deluxe Studio units are in the background.

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Beautiful Salt Pond Bay view from Concordia

When we get tired of seeing rocks we look up and remember why we're here.






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Rebar going into footings

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The rebar has arrived

Jabuddha, Alfredo and Lennox are preparing rebar mats to be placed in the footing boxes.

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Materials & labor update

While the site work continues Margaret, Lyn, Maggie & Glen have been soliciting and reviewing competitive bids on all material orders over $2500.00, and are evaluating written bids received in response to our advertisement for same on carpentry, electric, plumbing, roofing, tiling and painting services.

Materials include HardiPlank Siding, Tekfoil, Tyvek, Homosote, Screws, Simpson brackets, Lumber, Plywood, Energy Star Rated Impact Resistent Windows and Doors, Energy Star Rated Metal Roofing, PV grid tie systems and Solar Hot Water systems.

Glen has signed off on the EcoPanels final shop drawings. They have started production.

Studio footings ready for steel - boardwalk underway

The footing boxes were completed on Thursday. Six 3x3x(min 18") and three 2x2x12" for each studio building plus two 2x2x12" for the decks. We had planned to install the #5 rebar on Thursday and Friday but ran into delays from local supplier MSI, it was promised for Thursday morning but not cut and bent until Friday and Monday and we won't receive it until tomorrow, Tuesday. If all goes well we'll tie the steel on Tues - Thurs, have a cushion day on Friday (will work on the boardwalk if we don't need it) and pour on Monday next week.

So the guys have moved onto the boardwalk. We looked at making the approach to these units a wheelchair accessible ramp but with the elevation change it would be so long it would be very expensive and would require cutting way too much vegetation. The original boardwalk design started out with a 10x10 deck, seen here.


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While that would be helpful for storing material during construction it was giving us a considerable elevation to change in a short distance to the studio pod deck, required cutting the large lower branches of a terrific turpentine tree (reducing the shade) and it was too large, inconsistent with the upper property boardwalk entrance and the entry to phase 1, visible across and just down the road respectively. So we reduced the size to same as phase 1, with a 6x6 entry deck and steps dropping down immediately so it drops under the canopy and meanders nicely to the studios. We'll build a temporary sliding deck for transporting material to the upper pod and store it on the deck there.

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View from Phase 2 site

Segundo and the view from this unit site. The VI National Park, Salt Pond Bay & Ram Head Point. The horizontal boards indicate the floor level of the lower unit in this building.

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Footing boxes in situ

Boxes are in place for 15 of the 18 footings, the tough rocky uneven spots are next as the crew build boxes incorporating those rocks. Steel goes in next week. This is day 8 for a 5 man crew.