This week we dug the pile holes and started concreting them in. We had to make sure the piles were plumb and flush with the string line on the front. We put the non-cut end in the ground because if the cut end went in the ground the piles might rot faster. We put 100mm of concrete in the bottom of each hole before putting the pile in. We used a spirit level to plumb them up. We also worked out where to put the second row of piles and started to dig the holes for them.
We have changed the plans for the pile layout because we could not get long lengths of 100x75 for the bearers from Placemakers Huntly. They had cheaper 150x50 so we used that for the bearers and could span a longer distance between piles. This helped us by allowing us to dig less pile holes (there is now two less in the front and one less in the second row) and so it would make our work go faster than it would have. Also it works out cheaper.
Edge bearer span = 1.7m, span of joists = 1.67m
Centre bearer span for second row = 1.7m, span of joists = 1.67m
This is how it went.
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