The Week of June 11, 2018 — The Podium: Creeping Toward Completion

The word “creeping” in the title of this post is not being used pejoratively rather it is used as a statement of fact. Since the first of June, the number of flatbed semi’s trucking in the heavy columns, girders, and beams have slowed dramatically. The economy must be booming as there is a lot of construction goin’ on, which has kept the steel fabricators working around the clock. This “creep” has allowed the ironworkers to catch up on the south side. Rumor has it that steel will be trucked into the yard tomorrow, June 14, and if this happens, the north crane will be hoisting iron by mid morning. With both cranes operating, the podium can hopefully be topped off by the end of June. The featured photo of this blog shows the podium as it is reaching the magic fifth floor, which with the roof will top out the podium. While the podium creeps toward completion work continues inside the structure.

Just over the fence: Caught between the crane’s boom and the steel columns.

Upon walking into the yard, I  noticed the concrete trucks in the east yard, It was then that I remembered that there was to be a concrete pour today. To my right, I noticed a semi truck with a load of steel. The crane operator was positioning the boom to lift the steel.

On Thursday, June 14, concrete was poured on the “A” level northeast quadrant. The pour began around 2:00 AM and ended late morning. With this pour, the concrete on “A” level is nearing completion. I got a kick out of the power trowel finishing machine, which is used for large pours. I wanted to drop my camera and take a spin. Note the elevator shaft to the left of the machine.

Concrete finishers clean their tools in a large tub filled with water.

Hand finishing at the end of the pour.

A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Job Site!

  One of the photographs that I took prior to the incident.

On Wednesday, my intention was to get to the job site by 9:30 AM so as to beat the heat. Before going to the job site, I decided to drive to the top of the Faculty Medical Office’s six-story parking structure. From that vantage point, I would be able to take a few photos of the building just north of Barton Road (the feature photo for this blog was taken from there). As I was trying to position one of my cameras, the door to my truck closed shut. After making my way to my rig which was only a few steps away, I pulled on the door handle only to discover that the doors were locked. . . With the motor running. You guessed it. . . The keys were in the ignition, along with my cell phone. I quickly assessed the situation and mentally bounced around possible solutions. I noticed that the driver’s side window was cracked about three-eights of an inch. I was able to get six of my fingers in far enough to increase the gap another three-eighths of an inch. Progress! Taking a curved tree branch from the bed of the truck, I ran the skinny thing down the inside side panel of the door. As I twisted and turned the object, it looked more and more like a twig. My so-called tool was too short to reach the lock on the armrest, and so it was abandoned. Now I was getting hot. There is no traffic up on the top of the structure. All the parked vehicles belonged to the construction crew working on the other side of Barton Road. With the traffic noise below no one would be able to hear me yell. The temperature continued to rise. Looking to the northeast corner of the lot, I noticed a call box. Quickly making my way over to it, I pushed the call button. The blue strobe light began to flash, and immediately a friendly sound came over the speaker: “Campus Security, may I help you? After sheepishly explaining my plight, the disembodied voice informed me that a security officer would soon come to my rescue.

   With steel columns and a portion of the fifth-floor decking in the background, Jeremy, my rescuer, stands by his truck on the top floor of the parking structure. 

Now, I was beginning to sweat. What to do? I needed to get out of the piercing heat! Slowly, I started to walk down the ramp toward the fifth floor where there was shade. As I made my way down, I looked up to the level above and saw what I thought was some movement. Naw, couldn’t be, I mused. Probably a bird or a piece of trash blowing in the breeze. But, instinctively, I took a few steps back, Yes, there was movement: a pair of work boots slowly moving in a zigzag manner. A few more steps back, I could see kacki pants that would naturally have to be attached to human legs. Could I be hallucinating, wondered? Despite getting hotter, I did a 180 and made my way back up the ramp, past my truck with the motor still running. Reaching the would-be rescuer, I breathlessly blurted out my tale of woe to the young man who was looking for equipment in the back of his service truck. Glancing at the logo on the door, which read “Baker Electric” I knew there was a good chance he had the tools to help me: After all electricians are skillful in getting into seemingly impossible areas. He cheerfully, replied that he might have something that might do the trick. After rummaging around, he came up with an electrician’s flexible fiberglass pull/running rod about four-feet in length. He handed me the rod, and I retreated to my truck. Sticking the rod through the crack in the window, I made a few attempts at stabbing at where I thought the lock was positioned on the armrest.

  In my shop, I have a similar electrician’s fiberglass cable pull/running rod (above photo) to what Jeremy used to trigger the door lock in  my truck.

Suddenly, the young man appeared with another rod, and I gladly handed him the one in my hand and quickly made my way to the passenger side where I could see the door panel on the other side and give him direction as to the location of the lock. By then, I was sweating. Really sweating!  In less than a minute, he hit the unlock button, and the silver door lock pulls clicked and popped up.  WOW, he did it. I yanked the door open and out rushed chilled air (remember, the motor was running with the A/C on) soothing my sweaty face . As I was exclaiming how grateful I was, the security officers drove up. I thanked them profusely and explained that they had just missed the excitement and that the young man holding the rods had tripped the lock.

I thanked my benefactor again, introduced myself more properly, and described why I was on the roof of the parking structure. I learned his name was Jeremy and that he was an area general foreman for Baker Electric a company that has been in business since 1938. The company, I learned is based in the San Diego area and specializes according to their Website low voltage heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) controls, fire alarm and security systems, advanced lighting control, energy management systems (EMS), and other specialty low voltage systems.

The following day after my ordeal, I ran into Jeremy as he took a call near the yard where steel was being off loaded.

After exchanging cards and more pleasantries, I left him back at his truck looking for the tools and supplies to take to the job site. As I made my way down to Barton Road, Jeremy’s words to me echoed in my head: “Everything happens for a reason and I am happy to have been here to help. God Bless.”

To my friend Jeremy, I would like to say……

…… Je Vous Remercie!

Post Script: One of these days when I run into Jeremy again, I want to ask him if he had been sitting in his truck all that time or had he walked from the job site and climbed the six flight of stairs.

Down on the Site Sparks Continue to Fly

Squeezed between two pipes Todd welds an anchor, while his partner Brian looks away from the arc.

Spooky! Note the white hard hat of his partner who has his back turned.

After the welding comes the grinding and……..

……..some cutting.

Welding between the pipes and a hard place.

And then, there is a torch cutting and grinding duo that when they get going can make the sparks fly.

Skyjacked in the northwest side moat a lone welder applies his trade to a mechanical pipe support.

Bright lights and sparks from a welder’s torch.

“For whom the bell tolls:” There is nothing like the clarion ring of a sledgehammer striking steel. The sound reverberates from foundation wall to foundation wall and from the basement floor to the blue sky above.

Meantime, while the spark makers were sparking and the sledgehammer blows were ringing, Martin is once again stretched out (no not on a cadaver table but a chop saw table) taking his usual lunchtime siesta.

My Trek Up to the Fifth Floor

I was informed today (06.15.18), that I had clearance to climb the stairs to the fifth floor but I was not allowed on the decking but I could stand on the stair landings. For safety purposes, these are the rules laid down by the steel company who is in charge of each floor. The steel foreman informs the contractor (McCarthy) when the floors are released back for general construction purposes. I was more than delighted to take a trek up to the fifth floor. It is much easier walking down than walking up.

My route included walking up and down the white stairs, which are a permanent part of the structure. The yellow “X” is the landing where I stood to take the following photos. This photo was taken from grade on the west side structure between the existing Children’s Hospital and the new structure. The “X” is the general area where the tower for the Adult Hospital will rise out of the podium. I began the trek on “A” level. In the past I have viewed these various floors from the east by taking the man lift.

A Level…

…is where I began my trek. I am standing on the concrete floor that was poured yesterday looking to the northwest corner of the building.

The ground floor…