POUR ONE LAST ONE BEFORE WE HIT THE ROAD

Well on January 13^th the day for the last concrete pour on the south wall of the Quarry Visitor Center finally arrived. The weather was a bit uncooperative ---- the pouring of the concrete started at 7:00 AM and the temperature was a brisk -10^oF. When I arrived to take photographs at 8:00 AM it had heated up to whopping -5^oF!

As you may recall, the recently demolished QVC had a curved ramp running up to a second floor entrance. We will have a second floor entrance into the new building, but rather than being sinuous, the new ramp will be wheelchair friendly and run up and along the outside of the south wall.


The ramp will be supported by a series of short, north south oriented walls that come out from the long south wall. So for the last two weeks the crews have been tying together rebar and putting up the forms for these support walls. 

Cement was poured from a mixer via a long, articulated and flexible crane and hose. Parked at mid-length of the south wall, the long arm could swing and reach from west to east, and dump the concrete into each of the forms.

As with the main south wall, the cement in the support walls will need to cure properly and to do that the temperature of the concrete will need to be above 50^o. However, since we are still in the grip of winter, the entire series of support walls have been draped in insulating blankets and propane heaters will run for five days or so until curing is completed.

With the pouring done, most of the concrete crew that we’ve been following is heading off to work on other projects in Salt Lake City. I’m sure they are looking forward to those jobs where, I have it on good evidence, the temperatures are not only above zero but are rumored to sometimes be above freezing.

Photos: NPS