Pier and Observatory Project--Pouring the Concrete
Filling the Big Hole in the Backyard with Concrete
On November 3rd the Concrete truck arrived to pour the pier. The waiting was finally over. My load of concrete was part of the larger load for the patios at the house being built next door. The process started by filling the 3' by 3' base and about 6 inches of the sonotube column.
This base was allowed to set slightly--for about 30 minutes--while pouring continued next door. Then the truck returned and finished the pier by filling the sonotube to the top.
Once the tube was filled and smoothed, the j-bolts were embedded in the concrete. These bolts had been arranged and bolted in place on a board which allowed them to be embedded into the concrete straight and true. Further, the board will then serve as a pattern for drilling the baseplate on the pier itself.
The concrete was allowed to cure overnight before the supporting framework was removed. My daughter couldn't resist the opportunity to serve as a size guide!
The final step was to back-fill the hole, grease the bolts and cover them with some plastic tube to prevent rust. The steel pier has been purchased and awaits a free weekend for me to pick it up. So now I await the delivery of the Losmandy G11!
Observatory Designs
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