Ric - You sure got that right With a beautiful 70+ degree 1st official day of Spring yesterday, I did manage to get caught up to the schedule. Once again Ric called it - there was a boat load of excavation work to do in order to fit my design in the cut. At the East End Deep cut is now 38 inches deep and 24 inches wide !! When originally dug was about 12 inches wide and 28 inches deep at the East end. I’ll have plenty of dirt to back-fill and cover the tunnel. [url=lsc.cvsry.com/Post/DeepCutTunnel-3-1200.JPG]
(http://lsc.cvsry.com/Post/DeepCutTunnel-3-800.JPG)
[/url][color=blue]Ready for forms - FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] I did a test fit-up of the components to be sure my CAD calculations were accurate… [url=lsc.cvsry.com/Post/DeepCutTunnel-4-1200.JPG]
(http://lsc.cvsry.com/Post/DeepCutTunnel-4-800.JPG)
[/url][color=blue]Tunnel Test Fit-Up - FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] The test fit used a block base, but in practice it will be a poured reinforced concrete foundation. With the measurements verified, I built up a form for the foundation using my outside frame box design… [url=lsc.cvsry.com/Post/DeepCutTunnel-5-1200.JPG]
(http://lsc.cvsry.com/Post/DeepCutTunnel-5-800.JPG)
[/url][color=blue]Form and wide view of project site - FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] In the picture you can see all of the dirt that needed to be excavated in order to make room for “the box”. My plan is to set the form for the end box just slightly higher than the switch pad at Pine Summit (in the right foreground), then use these two reference points to position the pipe and finally the portal sub-structure. Before the day was done, the forms were set and 240 lbs. of concrete was mixed and poured. The mixer I bought last Spring sure did save my back. Today I need to head North with the college kid, so no time for anything but clean-up. Heavy rain is predicted for tonight so it may be a few days before I can get back to it.