Year 2, Day 32: 29 November 2013

Today was all about tidying up, gathering building materials into neat bundles in preparation for the next stage in the construction process. The concrete facade is decidedly un-photogenic, so at this point i'm eagerly awaiting the beginning of the bricklaying although i'm not certain when that will be.

Year 2, Day 29: 26 November 2013

The clean-up continues as the site is made ready for the next stage in the building of the substation. This will probably mean a change in personnel as well, and i'll miss the current crew. I've gotten really used to seeing the same faces, hearing the same voices, over these last few months. I wish you all the happiest of holidays and warmer, more comfortable conditions when you move on to your next job!

Year 2, Day 28: 25 November 2013

The catwalk is coming down as this stage of the project comes to an end. This worker is tethered to the wall as she dismantles the safety fence. By the end of the day (bottom picture), only the last supports remained. It's been bitterly cold for the past several days, and at this point i'm sure the crew will be glad to kiss this job goodbye!

Year 2, Day 25: 22 November 2013

The substation is not terribly photogenic at this point in its construction, and it's harder to catch any of the exciting shots of the crew in action that i've been able to get at other stages in the job. But progress continues to be made and soon the ugly concrete walls will be covered with a brick facade. 

Here, a large hopper filled with gravel is raised to the embankment.

At the end of the day, the crew has gone home and the concrete substation looms over Glenwood Ave.

Year 2, Day 24: 21 November 2013

Chronicling this project has given me an answer to something i've wondered about for a long time: what is the purpose of the symmetrical rows of circles on the surface of concrete walls and why do those walls so often have a wood-grain pattern? I always thought it was just some weird decorative feature, but now i know that it's all because of those gang forms!  Live and learn.

The view from the other side of the tracks

Year 2, Day 23: 20 November 2013

The gang forms are coming down and the substation is beginning to look like a bunker.

Year 2, Day 22: 19 November 2013

The work continues, and the crew is making steady progress.

The retaining wall south of the substation.

Tarps cover the parapet on the southern end of the structure;
this section is much lower than the rest of the building.

The tarps and gang forms are coming off, revealing the concrete walls
of the upper levels of the substation. This picture shows how much lower the
south end of the structure (left) is.

Year 2, Day 19: 16 November 2013

Concrete is being poured for the parapet around the roof today. 

But the big story is:

GIRL POWER!

Here are the women working to build the substation.

Doggie Demeanor and i drop the veil of anonymity to pose for a picture
with this awesome group of women. I wish i'd worn my hardhat! 

I've written earlier about how much i admire and envy these women for doing the kind of job i would have loved to do in my youth (back when i would apply for a job and be turned down just because it was a "man's job"). 

Year 2, Day 17: 14 November 2013

The roof-level concrete was poured today.

The tarps were all rolled up in neat bundles this morning.

The knee-wall at the southern end of the construction
is several feet lower than the walls of the rest of the building,
allowing for this good look at the how gang forms are put together.

The tarps were brought back up to roof-level
and later in the day were spread over the concrete.

Year 2, Day 15: 12 November 2013

It was brutally cold this morning, especially for this early in the season. Remnants of yesterday's snow still clung to the tarps as the crew prepared for another day on the job.

There was a lot of housekeeping going on this morning, clearing extra building materials from the upper level of the substation. Here the crew attaches a large bundle of rebar to the crane so it can be lowered to the ground. 

Year 2, Day 11: 8 November 2013

Even though the crew was on the job for several hours today, at this point the work does not present very many exciting photo ops. The building itself is still shrouded in black tarps and is quite ominous looking. Here at the south end, materials are being organized, stacked, and put out of the way. 

Year 2, Day 10: 7 November 2013

Because of the torrential rains yesterday, the concrete work that was supposed to be done had to be  postponed until today. I was off fighting the good fight most of the day and wasn't here to get pictures of the actual pouring of the concrete; but honestly, if you've been following this blog for the past couple of months, by this point you should be well versed in the fine art of concrete pouring. So here instead are some before-and-after shots. The first five pictures were taken about 8:00 this morning; the last three late this afternoon. The last two walls--the south and east--were poured today. 

A glimpse at the interior of the substation

The new concrete is shrouded in tarps while it cures. The bottom picture shows that the inside of the covers is lined with reflective foil to keep the heat in and speed up the curing process now that the weather has turned cold.