Over the course of the weekend of the big erection, we had somewhere between 8-12 people on site, depending on which day.
Something kinda cool about the people that showed up-with the exception of one guy that showed up for one day, nobody on our “crew” had any real construction experience. So it was kinda fun for them to get to do something new. And a little nerve wracking for me as we turned everyone loose with power tools, heavy equipment, scissor lifts, and heavy steel beams and I tried to make sure everyone was as safe as I could make it.
Here’s Phil, Eric, and Joel setting the first upright beam-always an exciting milestone on a steel building project!
Here’s @Yarder getting a crash course in big boy electrical, seeing as he normally only works on low voltage communications stuff-wiring up our temporary power station.
While 3 or 4 people were lifting the main uprights into place, plumbing and tightening them to the slab, others were getting a crash course in blueprint and construction BOM reading, and locating the correct smaller structural parts. Then those parts would be moved, often with our tracked skiddy, who several people got to learn to operate-to a location near where those parts would be ultimately installed.
By the end of the day, the main uprights were in place, along with a fair amount of the girts that tie them together and serve as the anchor points for the siding.
Day two is where the big changes would show.
Our , um, erection crew was now familiar enough with the tools, parts, and techniques that they were clicking right along.
The big spans are always exciting to see installed, and these were just big enough to be a little tricky and stressful.
While a handful of us were setting the big beams, others were setting the lighter end wall pieces by hand and kicking ass there, and suddenly this slab of concrete and pile of parts was rapidly starting to resemble a building.
It always helps to have a spare scissor lift around to act as a temporary beam support to stabilize the first span while the second is installed and some purlins connected to the pair.
Here’s some of the crew taking a much deserved beverage break under our “hospitality tent” set up.
Towards the end of the day, there were people with scissors lifts zooming all over the slab, attaching gurts and purlins wherever they were needed, the skiddy was bobbing and weaving around the reach lift out in the dirt as both of those machines and their newly minted “operators” retrieved and delivered and lifted parts to the building slab. Honestly, I’ve worked with a few local steel building contractors crews who weren’t this good or fast. 😬
By the end of day two, a good chunk of the red iron was up, and against all odds, I’ll be damned if it didn’t look like an honest to goodness building was gonna actually take shape here. It must have been a lot of work-even the dogs were exhausted. 😄😄
Now admit it, you’ve enjoyed looking at this erection. 😊