The Foundation: The Main Concrete Pours by Section *Completed*

 PREPARING FOR THE SATURDAY NIGHT CONCRETE POUR ON SECTION I

03.24.17 – 1
I arrived on site, the morning of March 24, 2017, just in time to snap a photo of two concrete finishing machines being lifted from grade to the pit.
Since the dirt ramp was removed, the only way for supplies, equipment, and material to be delivered to the pit is by crane.

03.24.17 – 2
One of the concrete finishing machines nears the bottom of the construction pit. The east elevator pit is seen in the background.

03.22.17 – 3
As if to mock the cranes and ropes, a Raven swoops out over the pit wherein two days would lower to equipment to the construction pad.

03.22.17 – 4
A stack (one of several stacks) of 4 by 8 plywood is lowered to the bottom of the pit. Some of the plywood will be used for
construction purposes, while the rest will be used to make walkways over the rebar. Notice the laborer below giving signals to the crane operator.

03.24.17 – 5
Looking down at the construction pit at section 1 (the western end), where the rodbusters and carpenters are finishing up the last minute items
before the big concrete pour. Note the Damper Pedestals, eighteen in all in section 1 and the Isolator Base Frames, forty-two total in section 1.
The bulkhead (covered in plastic) at the east end of section 1 runs the width (north-south) of the pit. The bulkhead retains the concrete
foundation as it is poured up to a level of four feet above the rat slab.

03.24.17 – 6
Auggie pointing to the reinforcing rebar surrounding the electrical and telecom ducting as field inspector Santos approaches to take a look.

03.24.17 – 7
While the carpenters (on their knees) finish constructing the Drainage Trench, inspectors check the distance between one of the Isolator Frames
and the rebar.

03.24.17 – 8
In the mechanical room on the opposite side from the above photo depicts the concrete plumbing vaults. Safety railings were placed around the
vaults to prevent the concrete laborers from falling in. Note the rodbuster between the upper and lower levels of rebar.

03.24.17 – 9
Some of the traffic signs stand in readiness to be placed out on Barton Road and Prospect Avenue Saturday night to alert the driving public to the
congestion caused by the flow of concrete trucks that will be turning into the construction site for over ten hours.

Section I: The Pour Begins

Saturday Night, March 25, 2017, at 10 PM

Being On Site Under the Saturday Night Lights Was A Surreal Experience!

03.25.17 – 10
Before the work begins a view of the pit looking to the east.

03.25.17 – 11
About forty-five minutes before the pour begins, the two concrete pumping trucks on the south side are going through their boom testing
procedures.procedures. Behind the booms and across Barton Road is the Faculty Medical Office “P4” multi-story parking structure,
which is still under construction.

 03.25.17 – 12
In front of the main entrance to LLU Medical Center, on the north side of the pit, the concrete pumping truck operators are running the
articulating booms through their paces.

03.25.17 – 13
Overseeing the concrete pour (from left to right) is Max Klingler, Superintendent of the project and Tim Bradfield, Fire Marshal for the
City of Loma Linda, California.

03.25.17 – 14
Wanting to get in on the big event, at 9:35 pm an emergency flight helicopter swoops over the southwest side of the construction pit as
it makes Hospital helipad.

03.25.17 – 15
Following their safety orientation meeting, most of the concrete laborers make their way down the forty-foot fixed scaffold frame stair tower.
to the pit where they will spend at least the next ten hours. Other laborers make their way to their various positions above the pit.

03.25.17 – 16
A view into the pit from the north grade. The concrete laborers are slowly making their way to the bulkhead deck.

(03.25.17 – 17
Before the work begins, the concrete laborers do stretching exercises on the rebar to limber up as it will be a long night under the lights.

03.25.17 – 18
The first concrete truck passes through the Barton Road gate at 9:46 pm.

03.25.17 – 19
A view of the construction site from grade looking to the west between Barton Road and Prospect Avenue.

03.25.17 – 20
The first concrete truck backing up to position at 9:55 pm.

03.25.17 – 21
Under the colorful Children’s Hospital logo, the work begins.

03.25.17 – 22
The first blast of concrete hits the rebar . . . . Let the concrete pour! The concrete will be poured from the center out to the sides.

03.25.17 – 23
Like a good Sci-Fi movie . . . A GIANT spider stomps around in the construction pit . . . . by the size of its legs, it was impossible to fit the
body into the frame.

03.25.17 – 24
No Mabel, these two gentlemen are not playing video games! They are remotely operating one of the two concrete pumps located on the
north side (Medical Center entrance) of the pit.

03.25.17 – 25
With the main entrance to the Medical Center closed, concrete trucks are in a queue to back up to the pumps when the four trucks, two
at each pump, are emptied.

03.25.17 – 26
An eerie night view of the pit as seen from the northeast scaffold frame stair tower.

03.25.17 – 27
At 11:07 pm, the emergency flight helicopter takes off from the Children’s Hospital helipad.

03.25.17 – 28
Articulating hydraulic arms of a concrete pump.

03.25.17 – 29

Every Saturday night concrete pour must have a conductor. Assistant Job Superintendent, Jack Kay served in that capacity on March 25. High
on his perch atop a scissor lift, Jack monitors the flow of the concrete trucks as they arrive off of Barton Road and Prospect Avenue.

03.25.17 – 30

A view of the concrete pump “tentacles” as seen from the northeast corner of the construction site. At this point, the concrete pour is in its
second hour.

03.25.17 – 31

Cosmin Cosma, a member of the Loma Linda University film crew was on site to take a time lapse of the concrete pour.

03.25.17 – 32

(32) Cosmin setting up the video camera to take footage of the Saturday night pour.

03.25.17 – 33

(33) Walking the plank on the rebar of section 2, slowly making my way to the elevated section 1.

03.25.17 – 34

A view from the pit from section 2.

03.25.17 – 35

By 11:25 p.m. the concrete nears the bottom of the rebar.

03.25.17 – 36

Concrete trucks queue up waiting their turn to backup to one of the two concrete pumps located at grade on the south site of the pit.

03.25.17 – 37

The construction pit after a night of pumping concrete.

03.25.17 – 38

The cleanup begins.

03.25.17 – 39

A view of section 1 from the south. After wetting down the concrete it is covered with an impervious white plastic to aid in the curing process.

03.25.17 – 40

A southwest view of the foundation, where a few laborers are nearing completion of the finishing process.

 03.25.17 – 41

Finishing touches to the southwest side of section 1.

03.25.17 – 42

Looking down from grade at an isolator frame with pin sleeves, which are buried in concrete. Concrete still has to be poured on a small
pedestal surrounding the telecom and electrical ducting rebar.

03.25.17 – 43

A view into the partially installed Richmond Dowels and through the rebar to the rat slab four feet below. The dark spaghetti-like objects on
the rat slab are not worms but clippings from the rebar wire ties. The partially completed dowel system reinforces the damper pedestal, which
will be poured with concrete after the foundation for section 2 is poured. Note the wooden bulkhead near the top of the photo.

03.25.17 – 44

A top view of sixty-two Richmond Dowels that will when completed form a reinforced and an anchored concrete pedestal on which to
house the damper system, which will couple with selected isolator bases. In section 2 there are eighteen damper pedestals.

03.25.17 – 45

A cross section of the rebar system for the foundation. Number 1 is the four isolator pin sleeves. Number 2 is the bulkhead which separates
section 1 from section 2. Number 3 is the bottom layer of rebar, which sits closest to the rat slab. Number 4 is the isolator frame, which
elevates the four pin sleeves.  Number 5 (above number 2) is the top level of rebar. Section 2 is in the beginning stages of rebar
installation. When all the rebar is in, it will be very difficult if not impossible to see the bulkhead (concrete) from this angle.

03.25.17 – 46

The center of this photo, taken from the east shoring wall,  is of the same area a shown in the previous photo For all of the laborers still on the
job, it has been a long fourteen hours.

03.25.17 – 47

With the finish work complete, the rest of the foundation can be wetted and covered with the impervious white plastic.

03.25.17 – 48

After all night of pumping concrete, this fourteen wheel truck had an enough gumption to raise a little dust as it revved its engine backing up
to make a turn for the Barton Road exit gate.

03.25.17 – 49

A view from the LLUMC tower one of the foundation mat (first section), which was poured on March 25, 2017.

Section II: The Pour Begins

Saturday Night, April 29, 2017, at 10 PM

Being On Site Under the Saturday Night Lights, the Second Time Was Still A Surreal Experience!

04.29.17 – 1

Walking on to the site and seeing this panoramic view of the Loma Linda University Medical Center under the bright lights is still an exciting and exhilarating experience. The pump trucks had just arrived and the first concrete trucks will not arrive for another hour and a half. The early arrival of the pump trucks is necessitated by the fact that the long booms need to be tested. All during the night and until the pour is completed, two spare pump trucks will be on site in case there is a breakdown.

04.29.17 – 2

Walking up to the edge of the pit at the northeast corner one can see the area where the second pour will take place. When the night is done the center elevator pit (center left) will be surrounded by a foundation four feet thick. Earlier in the year, the center elevator pit’s foundation (also four feet thick) was poured.

04.29.17 – 3

Walking further west on the north side of the pit, I see the concrete pump boom flexing its long articulating arm, which in itself is an eerie sight. A waxing crescent moon hangs over the Medical Center’s cross. At the moment there are only a few people. In about an hour and a half, the area will be crawling with workers.

04.29.17 – 4

A 360-degree ground view of the two concrete pumping stations located on the north side of the pit.

04.29.17 – 5

A 360-degree ground view of the two concrete pumping stations located on the north side of the pit.

04.29.17 – 6

On the south side of the pit, one of the concrete pump operators wakes up the articulating boom of one of the two concrete pumping stations.

04.29.17 – 7

The waxing crescent moon dances above the articulating arm of one of the pumping stations.

04.29.17 – 8

Pumping station operator flexing one of the articulating booms.

04.29.17 – 9

About forty-five minutes until the pour begins, a small crowd of people starts gathering on the second floor to observe the activity down in the pit.

04.29.17 – 10

One of the articulating booms reaches out over the pit in preparation for the pour to begin.

04.29.17 – 11

One of the articulating booms reaches out over the pit in preparation for the pour to begin.

04.29.17 – 12

A view of the Medical Center, Children’s Hospital, and the Faculty Medical Office Parking structure (left) as seen from the construction pit. It is kind of ironic that the shape of this photo is the shape of the moon in the previous photo.

04.29.17 – 13

Steve walks the rebar giving section II one final check before the pour begins.

04.29.17 – 14

Behind Seve’s left shoulder, one of the laborers is spraying down the section where the pour will start on the southeast side of the elevator pit, which is in the center of the photo.

04.29.17 – 15

Last minute adjustments to the isolator base frame.

04.29.17 – 16

Another view of preparing the area where the concrete will be poured first.

04.29.17 – 17

A view of the pit, from the west end,  just before the concrete laborers descend the stairs to begin what will be a grueling 12-hour shift.

04.29.17 – 18

In this view of the pit, from the northeast corner, the pour area (section II) is clearly defined.  Some of the concrete laborers have arrived down in the pit area where they will spend the night.

04.29.17 – 19

Some of the laborers who had just completed a safety orientation meeting.

04.29.17 – 20

I think I can, I think I can: Kevin (left) contemplates what his life will be like for the next three days after the all night pour.

04.29.17 – 21

Center photo: A little before 10 PM, the first of the concrete trucks backs up to one of the pumping stations.

04.29.17 – 22

With the arrival of the first of the concrete trucks, Jack must be up in the “crows nest” (the scissor lift), where he will spend most of the night directing the concrete trucks via two-way radio.

04.29.17 – 23

The pour begins with Rudy controlling the nozzle end-hose with his left hand. His co-workers look on in wild amazement.

04.29.17 – 24

Before long, all four pumps were delivering concrete. To the right is the four-foot thick concrete foundation that was part of the first pour.

04.29.17 – 25

A 360-degree view as the concrete pour gets underway.

04.29.17 – 26

The 360fly camera, which was used to take the 360-degree photos.

04.29.17 – 27

By 11:00 PM, the level of the concrete in the west center section almost covered the rebar and will soon reach the final grade of the foundation as seen in the lower right corner of the photo.

04.29.17 – 28

On the north side of the pour nine concrete trucks are visible with two behind me.

04.29.17 – 29

The concrete finishers stand in a circle as they limber up before they begin work.

04.29.17 – 30

By 11:30 PM, this was the scene as I prepared to leave for a few hours of rest before I would return early Sunday morning.

THE FOLLOWING MORNING: THE POUR CONTINUES

(04.30.17)

04.30.17 – 31

The next Morning when I looked down into the pit, the crew was hard at work. The center of the section was completed but the north and south sides were still being poured.

04.30.17 – 32

After making my way down the stairs to the north side of the pit, I noticed Rudy (in the white)

holding the end hose waiting for more concrete. I could tell that the crew was ready to top off

the concrete as shown in this photo.

04.30.17 – 33

As soon as more concrete was poured, two men began leveling (screeding) the concrete at the foundation grade. Limbering up before they started their backbreaking work for the night is a very good idea.

04.30.17 – 34

This photo illustrates the most of the stages in finishing concrete. To the right, a laborer is troweling (floating), to left of him a laborer prepares to drag a concrete broom across the surface. In the background to the right two laborers are sweeping excess concrete off of the rebar. Surrounding Rudy (in the white) laborers are shoveling, tamping, and leveling the concrete as the concrete comes out the end hose.

04.30.17 – 35

As the project flows closer to the north shoring wall the working quarters become tighter. The pour slows and often stops while the finish crew catches up to the last pour.

04.30.17 – 36v

The work continues: The newly finished foundation is visible in the foreground.

04.30.17 – 37

The crew on the south side is making progress with two pumping stations still in operation.

04.30.17 – 38

The pour on the south side nears completion with the finish crew close behind.

04.30.17 – 39

With the concrete finished around the elevator pit (center right) and up to the first section, Chuck sprays the concrete with water as the crew behind him cover the concrete, which aids in the drying and curing process. The covering will stay on the concrete for about a week.

04.30.17 – 40

At my request, Chuck aimed the hose toward the camera so that the full effect of what was happening down in the pit could be seen. Don’t worry, the camera is waterproof.

04.30.17 – 41

After Chuck sprays the area, the tarp is pulled over the concrete to hold the moisture in as the concrete cures.

04.30.17 – 42v

CLICK ON THE  PHOTO ABOVE TO VIEW A 360 VIDEO OF THE CAMERA BEING SPRAYED WITH WATER.

04.30.17 – 43

Once the tarp had been laid, I carefully walked on the concrete to the edge of the elevator pit to get one last 360 shot from the pit while the four concrete pumps were still working.

04.30.17 – 44

The finish work continues on the morning of April 30, 2017, as the pour continues to the right.

05.09.17 – 45

The Foundation after sections I and II have been poured. Section III is scheduled for May 20, 2017.

THE AFTERNOON BEFORE THE SECTION III POUR

05.19.17 – 01

This video was taken on the afternoon of May 19, 2017, the day before the third and last foundation pour. The camera was placed on a surveyors tripod setup on section II, which was poured on April 29, 2017. Section III, which will be a smaller pour than the first two pours. It is estimated that section III will require 470 concrete trucks to supply 4,700 cubic yards of concrete. The pour which is scheduled to begin at 10:00 PM on Saturday night, May 20, 2017, and will continue until approximately 8:00 AM Sunday morning, May 21.

05.19.17 – 02

The 360fly camera captured this video when it was rolled on the concrete foundation? NOTE TO SELF: DON’T DO THIS AGAIN, YOU WILL CHIP THE LENS!!!!!!!

05.19.17 – 03

THE SAME VIDEO IN SLOW MOTION.

05.19.17 – 04

And what does one get when they stop the above video and extract a single frame? A Monetesque looking photograph, which is untouched and

unfiltered.  I was shocked when the frame was enlarged on the computer screen and revealed the above.

Section III: The Last of the Pours Begins

Saturday Night, May 20, 2017, at 10 PM

Being on the site under the Saturday night lights, the third and last time was still a surreal experience. An experience, I shall never forget!

05.20.17 – 01

At 7:49 PM on Saturday evening all is quiet on the construction site. By 8:30 PM, the site will be a beehive of activity. At the far end of the pit, tons of rebar lies in wait for 4,750 cubic yards of concrete.

05.20.17 – 01

Looking down into the pit from the west end of the construction site. All the activity on this night will concentrate down at the far (east) end. In the shadows the first two sections are visible. The first section (foreground) was poured on March 25, 2017, and the second section (center) was poured on April 29, 2017.

05.20.17 – 02

On the south side, the pumping rig operators are bleeding the lines with air.

05.20.17 – 03

Just before the pour began a lifeFight helicopter flew over and slowly touched down on the north helipad.

05.20.17 – 04

Final adjustments are made before the concrete pour.

05.20.17 – 05

The pour begins: Everyone starts out with clean clothes. By the end of the next morning when the sun hits the bottom of the pit the workers blend in with the job.

05.20.17 – 06

This is how it looks from above the rebar as the concrete is poured through the rebar. Notice that the workers are clean this must mean the job has just started.

05.20.17 – 07

This is how it looks from above the rebar as the concrete is poured through the rebar. Notice that the workers are clean this must mean the

05.20.17 – 08

Now, this is how it appears below the top mat of rebar as the concrete is poured. When the concrete pour is complete, the thickness of the foundation will be four feet from bottom grade.

05.20.17 – 09

The concrete flow slowly makes its way over the bottom rebar mat and onto the western edge of the 04.29.17  Section II pour. The Section II foundation ends at the bottom of this photo. Kind of looks like a slow creeping lava flow.

05.20.17 – 10

This video illustrates the force of the concrete as it is ejected from the delivery nozzle. The chronicler and his equipment were safely out of range.

05.20.17 – 11

This 360fly video has a bonus feature if you watch the whole 36 seconds.

05.20.17 – 11

Full throttle ahead . . . . The last of the three pours is well on its way. In the background (center) is the new patient parking structure also known as PP4, which is scheduled for completion in late June or early July 2017.

05.20.17 – 12

About 11:30 PM, the crew began to crest the upper rebar mat around the north, northeast and northwest sides of the east elevator pit.

05.20.17 – 13

A closeup of the concrete cresting the upper rebar mat.

05.20.17 – 14

The exposed sinew section of a concrete pumps hydraulic articulating boom.

05.20.17 – 15

The concrete trucks will continue to deliver the concrete and the pumping stations will pump all through the night and into the early morning.

05.20.17 – 16

Jack up in the “crows nest” directing concrete truck traffic via two-way radio.

THE FOLLOWING MORNING: THE POUR CONTINUES

(05.21.17)

05.21.17 – 2

At 6:04, I received this text from Jack, the assistant general superintendent and

“official” spotter for staging the concrete trucks (see photo: 05.20.17 – 16).

I packed the truck with camera gear and was on site in 30 minutes.

05.21.17 – 2

6:34 AM: A concrete truck spilled concrete on Prospect Ave. just after exiting the north pumping area. The mess was quickly removed from the street.

05.21.17 – 3

6:36 AM: The chronicler casts a long shadow in the early morning after the all night pour. Concrete trucks are queued in the staging area

waiting to backup to the pumping stations located on the left of the photo.

05.21.17 – 4

In the early morning shadows down in the east end of the pit, the concrete was flat and smooth. On the far side (south side), the finish crew were all but finished. In the center, one of the crew was spraying water on the concrete before the workers covered the slab for a week of curing.

05.21.17 – 5

On the north side thirty feet below, the pour continued. Soon it will be crunch time when the finishers and the rest of the concrete crew compete

for less and less space.

05.21.17 – 6

Another view from above. Luckily, for the all-night crew three-quarters of the concrete have been poured in this final section.

05.21.17 – 6

No, Mable, binoculars are not just for bird watchers. Tom, project inspector of record, uses a pair as he keeps a close watch on the final push.

05.21.17 – 7

After making my way up one flight of stairs and down five flights (on an empty stomach, no less), I made my way to the south side of the pit

where the finish crew had made it to the shoring wall.  With a few more strokes of a float, a finish trowel, an edger, and one last drag of a

finish broom, the job will be done. Oh, I forgot.  In order for them to get out of the pit, they will have to–you guessed it–climb five flights of

stairs and go down one flight of stairs before they can walk on grade.

05.21.17 – 8

Upon arriving on the north side of the pit, I came upon these fine men who appeared to be statues permanently affixed to the rebar. On closer

inspection, I realized they were listening intently to their co-worker to the left of the frame. The workers bending over, they are screeding the

concrete, which is illustrated in the following video.

05.21.17 – 9

Watch the coordinated effort and precision of the two men who are screeding the concrete.

05.21.17 – 10

Another view of Tom looking down on the action in the pit.

05.21.17 – 11

Above the pit thirty-five feet above the foundation floor, the pumping truck operators are retracting their hydraulic booms.

05.21.17 – 12

With ninety-eight percent of the foundation pour complete, the crew find themselves in tight quarters along the north shoring wall.

05.21.17 – 13

By 8:15 AM, the slab was being covered by a tarp from the center out as the concrete finish labors complete their tasks along the edges of the

shoring walls.

05.24.17 – 14

Four days after the pour, the slab is still covered with tarps. Just prior to this photo being taken, the covering had been sprayed with water.

05.24.17 – 15

A view from tower 3 showing section still covered in tarps.

05.24.17 – 15

From the western end of the project, a view of the pit from top grade. Next stop, the pit below.

05.24.17 – 16

 Come with me as I navigate the flight of scaffold stairs to the pit below. With the camera lens zoomed in, we can see the stairs at the upper center left.

05.24.17 – 17

Are we afraid of heights? Can we all say: huff, puff, wheeze, huff, huff, puff, Gaaaaaaasssp as we get our cardio workout for the day?

05.24.17 – 18

After catching my breath, I made my way to the southwest side of the center elevator pit to take a look at the newly placed stairs.

10.26.16 – 19

While the pit floor was still dirt, even before the seventh and last layer of shotcrete was sprayed on the east shoring wall, I captured a man marking the soldier piles with a yellow marker. Upon closer inspection, I notice “* 4′ 10 1/2″‘. Later on, he told me the mark designated the top of the foundation grade. Shy six days of eight months, the last pour (section III) reached that mark. The completion of the foundation is a milestone in the project:  With the soldier piles sunk 90 feet into the ground and encased in cement, five caissons resting 50 feet below grade also encased in cement, anchor nails up to 90 feet running laterally into the side, tons of rebar, and thousands of cubic yards of concrete four feet thick, the project will soon be ready for the installation of the seismic isolator base pedestals and the damper pedestals all part of the engineering component in stabilizing the hospitals during an earthquake.

05.30.17 – 20

Cleanup on Section III: Most of the tarps were removed today allowing the cleanup crew to clean off the slab. All around the pin sleeves, the excess

concrete must be chipped away and the area swept. The center all threads from the pin sleeves, which held the cover over the pin sleeves and anchored

the lateral braces while the concrete was poured must be removed.

05.30.17 – 21

With the excess concreted chipped from the pin sleeve, Mundo removes the center all thread. Once it is removed a wooden plate (next to his left

knee) will cover the hole. This process was repeated after every pour.

05.30.17 – 22

A view of the third elevator pit, sans the guard rails, which was in the section III concrete pour. The four-foot foundation was poured earlier while the

sides were part of the final pour. Once the pit dries, work will begin cleaning out the debris and removing the center all threads from the pin sleeves.

05.31.17 – 23

Now that the foundation has been completed, Alex (right) and Frankie (left) can begin to square up the building lines.

06.01.17 – 24

Once the building lines were chalked on the concrete, Frankie sprays a clear inverted aerosol marking paint over the line to prevent fading and scuffed

off by boot traffic. With the building lines in place, all construction within the lines will key off of the lines

05.31.17 – 25

WE CAN’T PLAY IN THE DIRT ANYMORE! With the foundation completed and the crew move on to the structural walls, let’s remember what the

pit looked like in the late afternoon of December 8, 2016.

12.08.16 – 26

And so, it is only fitting that with this December 8, 2016, photo, we revisit the pit with its graded dirt floor. The next day, excavation would begin

on the west elevator pit just out of view and to the center right of this photo. Seven days later on December 15, the first of what would be,

 after the foundation was completed, thousands of cubic yards of concrete poured into the pit.

05.22.16 – 27

One day shy of the one-year anniversary of the groundbreaking ceremonies, the foundation was completed.

05.20.16 – 28

The night of the final pour with three minions overseeing the action as they peered through a fourth-floor window of the Children’s Hospital.

THE END OF THE FOUNDATION POUR