first part of floor complete

 Completed about 1/3rd of the barn floor today; decided to do a small pour to allow everyone to get used to the process.  Sean and Carlos haven't done a slab of this size before, and pouring concrete is a complicated dance. 

 The first step isn't shown, where we screed the concrete -- get it to a rough level.  To do that efficiently, you need three guys.  One on either end of the board that is moved along the top of the forms, and a third guy with a shovel to move concrete in to fill in any dips or gaps that show up. 

Once the concrete is screed, you float it with a bull float to get the basic surface started.  In these photos both of those steps have been completed.

 We're cutting expansion joints in every 8' along the slab, so it basically breaks the concrete into 8'x10' tiles.  As it swells and shrinks due to heat or cold, the expansion joints allow space for it, and prevent cracks.  Actually, it'll probably crack at the expansion joints.  It's more correct to say it's going to crack, and the expansion joints direct that crack to a particular place. 

 Once the joints have been cut in, we bull float it again to cover them up.  The joint is still there; it's just covered with a thin layer.  We do that so that if the slab doesn't crack it provides a smooth, crack-free surface to make cleaning easier in the future. 

 We're building the floor absolutely flat, and it turned out really nicely, but...

 it started to rain pretty hard.  So we had to...

 Edge the slab, which provides a rounded corner on the edges, both looks nice and prevents chipping, and then...

cover the finished sections with plastic.  We'll pour the center portion tomorrow, and the final 1/3rd we'll probably pour on Wednesday.  Everything is closed on Monday. 

Good day today.  Got a lot accomplished. 

Todays task: Final prep for barn floor

Spent today doing the final tasks in preparation for pouring concrete tomorrow.  Here Red tests the level.  

The plastic does two things; one, it prevents the concrete from drying too quickly, resulting in a stronger floor, and two it prevents the movement of liquids either up or down.

The mesh is to provide reinforcement of the concrete when it's being pulled apart.  Steel works well under tension, concrete works well under compression, and when you combine the two you get a much stronger, more durable slab.  The mesh will prevent cracks from spreading, too. 

The total floor size is 80' x 30' -- we'll pour 8' x 80' of it tomorrow, which is about what a concrete truck will hold.  That'll give the crew a chance to learn their jobs and practice a little.  My brother Bryan and I have poured large slabs before, but none of the other people who will be working have, and there's technique that you have to learn and timing. 

Friday we'll pour the rest of the slab - 22' x 80', and it will be a long day. 

Ethanol subsidy ends!

The 30-year old subsidy on corn ethanol has been cut from the latest budget, saving taxpayers around $6 billion a year.  The total cost of the program is estimated at $45 billion dollars since 1980. 

I'm really glad to hear that.  Food should be for eating, not for fuel. 

You'll find the orginal story here.