The Village Plaza level of our Midway Village senior apartment complex is being poured, starting today (September 19). A pumper truck delivers the fiber mesh-reinforced concrete from cement mixer trucks to exactly where it’s needed via a hose on long, hydraulically controled arms. The worker sticking close to the man with the hose is using a gas-powered vibrator. When the wand of the vibrator is sunk into the fresh, wet concrete, it’s vibrating action eliminates bubbles (called “voids”) from forming and ensures intimate contact between the concrete and the rebar and the blue-sheathed cable “tendons” that will keep the finished floor flat and strong. Workers near the top of the picture are busy smoothing the surface of the freshly poured concrete.
The blue “tendons” are the heart and soul of the “post tension” construction method, which is described in detail in the Fall/Winter 2013 issue of our At Home newsletter (https://episcopalhomes.org/dev/newsletters). All seven floors of Midway Village will be built this way. According to construction foreman Tim Johnson, they expect to complete a new floor every two weeks once the Village Plaza level is done. All seven floors of Midway Village should be completed by the end of the year.
The concrete floors will provide excellent sound control as well as being exceptionally strong. Episcopal Homes has been around for 119 years. Midway Village is being built to last for the next 119 years.