Day 14: Spreading gravel and laying out the first course of block

We started spreading the pile of gravel today. There is no maneuvering room for heavy equipment inside the walls, and a gravel pump does not exist, so we moved it by hand. We first placed some gravel around the pipes close to ground level. Then we loaded the wheelbarrow and moved little piles around the subgrade. It was harder work than moving APEX block the day before. My appetite has increased.

We also started laying out the 1st course of APEX block. This was fun and challenging. It is rewarding to see the blocks fit well over the rebar and have dimensions match what is on the plans. The corners present little puzzles. My walls are not an exact number of blocks long, so the last block must be trimmed to fit. Horizontal L shaped corner rebar must be placed. We will probably try several different methods before we come up with a solution that works best.

Here is a pic of the site from the East.

Green comment for today:
Consider manual labor now and then. It does take more time, but it has some advantages:

• It’s quiet, so you can and hear the tunes playing on the solar powered radio. If you are working with someone else, you can have a conversation.
• It saves fuel.
• It’s great exercise... if you don’t throw out your back.

Thanks for reading. Post a comment if you like.