Sunshine is back

Sonam Wangchuk

22. September 2008

Yes, sunshine is back, the birds are singing again and the butterflies are dancing. It was heartening to see one of them blessing a mason with a kiss on the head.

But the last two days were very difficult, for the people around here more than for us. A house delayed is nothing compared to houses destroyed and people displaced.

Floods: Opportunity for some - problems for others

We reached the lintel level and laid the lintel beams which had been pre-cast with U blocks. From the outside these beams look exactly like any other layer of blocks but inside it is a U shape filled with concrete and steel reinforcements. After laying all the lintels of the doors and windows we cast the whole lintel level ring beam which goes around all the walls of the whole building.

Laying the precast CSEB composite lintel over the windows

Like other ring beams this one is also made of U blocks fitted with steel reinforcement and then filled with concrete. But before pouring concrete in the ring beam we also laid, in the same space, the electricity pipes with cables in.

Left: Electricity pipes are layed along the way, up through the hollow blocks. Right: Filling concrete in the U-shape of the lintel level ring beam.

Tomorrow another feature will be added and you should be prepared to see a pleasant surprise in how the school looks. Well that is assuming the rain gods cooperate. Touch...earth!

Tips for today...

I shall give two since last time I could not.

1. What is a U-block?
I told you that in this technique the block making machine produces various types of blocks with different functionalities. One such block is the U block. Thanks to the U blocks we are spared the pain of arranging shuttering (casting moulds) for all the horizontal tie beams. The U shape takes care of the shuttering function. Similarly the numerous vertical tie beams go through the hollow blocks which are laid in a way that the holes stack over each other around the vertical steel bar, making a small pillar of concrete, filled course by course.

2. How are electric and plumbing pipes fitted cheap and easy?

Even the electricity pipes and plumbing pipes have a dignified space as they sit in the hollow blocks vertically stacked as described above. During the design of the building all such places for vertical ties, electric and plumbing pipes are assigned with these special hollow blocks and then laid accordingly. Thus this involves minimum messy and expensive plumbing/electric fitting, during which normally plumbers and electricians break a quarter of what is built (exaggeration! yes but it feels like that, especially if the house is your own)