Week 69 (Framing the North wall bond beam)

In construction photos by Michael Tiemann

The weather was quite cooperative this week, and so we were able to work at full speed!  The primary objective: preparing to establish the massive bond beam across the North wall of the Music Room.  Our starting point is this:

 

The columns are already fully grouted, but the shear wall is still only half-grouted.  That will be remedied by the time the bond beam is poured.

Here’s a top view of the half-empty shear wall:

shearwallhalfempty.jpg

In the mean time, progress is also being made on the South wall.  Another two courses of RPG blocks are now in place:

crwindowcourse4.jpg

Earlier in the week studio designer Wes Lachot visited the site to draw onto the slab the precise framing instructions that will give us the acoustic accuracy for which his rooms are famous:

crcenterlinemarkings.jpg

And more markings:

crredblocks.jpg

Note that these blocks are not visible inside the control room, which is why we used our ugliest “red” blocks (lots of chipped corners and edges).

Here is the stack of wood that’s going to become the framing to hold up the North wall’s long bond beam:

framingpile.jpg

Grouting the South wall shear walls and outer wythe:

southwallgroutcourse5.jpg

Did I mention that the walls take a lot of grout?

southwallgroutwheelbarrow.jpg

Finally, we’re ready for the carpentry to begin:

northwallframing0.jpg

Two frames in, two to go:

northwallframing1.jpg

Here’s the measuring stick with three marks, low, center, and high.  The marks are 1/16″ apart, and the top of the framing is within 1/16″ across its 34′ length.

northwallframing2.jpg

The measurements are taken using an automatic level:

surveylevel.jpg

Everything is measured three times by at least two people.  Keeping the floor clean ensures that the measurements translate to reality when put into place:

checkagain.jpg

Now we are ready to put up the bond beam:

beamreadyinternal.jpg

And from the other side (note the very thin straight line across the top–that’s a string pulled taut, which agrees perfectly with the wood):

beamreadyexternal.jpg

Hopefully we’ll have good weather next week!