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Here are a few more pics and note that the vehicle is called a cement truck yet what it pours is called concrete HMMMMMMM.

cement truck

Yes I (mis spelled) foundation walls

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Posted by Bob Elliott (Chicago Property Inspection) on 05/08/2007 12:58 AM

Comments (4)

home construction, chicago home inspection, condo inspection, home inspectors, home inspection chicago, chicago condo inspection

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4 Comments on Build A House (am) (an)

MAY

2007

Hmmm. I use to be a concrete finisher when I was in high school. I don't miss that, but I was a hardbody! LOL Maybe I should do it for 6-8 weeks just to get back in shape.

Hey Bob,
Great Post! I have been following this series, good job.
A couple of additional notes:
In Illinois you need a minimum of 2 anchor bolts per sill plate, spaced no more than 4' apart and each anchor bolt needs a washer of appropriate size and a hardened nut. The sill plate cannot come in contact with the concrete, so a sill sealer should be used and the sill plate needs to be treated wood.
A drain tile needs to be installed around the perimeter of the exterior footing and cannot discharge into the public sewer system.
In your pictures you have shown "green" concrete. Make sure they allow the concrete at least 2 weeks to cure before back fill. It is recommended to not backfill until the floor system is installed to give the foundation walls lateral support.
Where is the rough-in for the water main?
I don't see any beam pockets, what is the span of the floor system?
Was there a drain installed in the window well?

Hey Bob,

Job is looking good. I'm guessing that the span is right about 22 feet. So with the right beams, spanning that should be do-able. How is the radon in your area? If they install a pvc vent now, it is such a cheap prevention for the future, should the problem arise.

I like the idea of what you are doing with this series. Right now I'm in the middle of three sin Manhattan. I do take pictures, some can be seen in my gallery. Next week, I'll post some new pictures. Some really fancy plumbing involving multiple Temperature and pressure valve, diverters, body sprays, rain tiles, etc, etc.

Rob's comments make a lot of sense too, perhaps consider them.

-Steve

MAY

2007

Just a quick clarification. Green Concrete. Once concrete is poured and becomes stiff enough to remove the forms, as seen in your pictures, it still has not reached its full structural strength. Concrete takes between 45 to 90 days to become strong or cure,( at least strong enough to even think about back filling ) depending on the temperature and the moisture content of the air. It also depends on the mix of the concrete. Was a sump test performed? Concrete shrinks as it dries, especially on long runs of foundation walls and this is usually when a crack will appear. If you backfill too soon the pressure of the soils will aid in the cracking and can even bow the walls inward. As a general rule of thumb, the slower the concrete dries the stronger it will be once fully cured.

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