DEVELOPMENT – FURNACE SIDINGS
PLATFORM TWO (STEP 1.3.1) – PAGE 2
Furnace Sidings Platform 2
– Page 2 (added 23 October 2008 )
With the brick front leaf approaching completion, it
was time to start on the slabs that formed the platform’s upper surface...
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The first
two shutters look clean and shiny before the first pour – they weren’t to
stay that way for long 1216, 1217, 1218 15 May.. |
The design
is complicated by the need to support a 12 inch overhang over the platform
wall |
Following a
successful pour of mass concrete for the
bridge foundation on platform 1, preparations are made for the second
foundation |
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Andy Knock,
Ian Longworth and Wayne Evans pour the first of the 26 slabs, in positions 4
and 6 1229, 1230 17 May |
First two
shutters just poured and trowelled, in positions 4 and 6 (the first three
slabs are on the ramp which is deferred till later). |
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The residue
from the first pour is poured into the mass concrete base for tower 2 of the
footbridge. 1222,23,24 17 May |
But
horrors! it was almost a ton short and the balance had to be mixed and poured
very quickly |
Phew! Andy and Wayne relax ready to trowel off
the top surface of the base |
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View north,
on 31 May, as the brick wall approaches completion. The first two slabs approach full curing
strength and are due to have their shuttering struck down. 1398,1399 31 May |
Whilst looking south it
is clear that one good weekend will see the brick wall finished |
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Eric
Edwards, brick benefactor to the tune of 2700 new bricks, lays the 3902th and
last brick in the wall. |
Immediately
followed by Ian Longworth attending to the final tittivation |
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With the wall
now complete, it was possible to march down the platform with the ‘outside’
shutters. The six images above attempt to show the sequence. For economy and manageability, the general
method was to build five shutters and to move these down the platform as each
slab was cured. The scheme was that once the ‘outer’ slabs were
complete, the ‘inside’ – and rather simpler – shutters were constructed from
the now redundant ‘outer’ shutters, and the ‘infill’ slabs completed. Pict 1489,90,91,92,93,94 No date |
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The Diesel
Gala on 25 and 26 July met with warm sunny weather. Each of the industrials lined up on
platform 2 appears to have a small platform to itself 1724, 1723 25 July |
At the
northern end, the second pour has already joined sections 4 and 6 to give a 10m ‘mini-platform’ consisting of
sections 4,5,6 and 7 |
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Flaming
August! Many, but not quite all, the
members involved in the construction, immediately upon the completion of pour
4 on 16 August (left to right). Back row: Andy
Knock, Norman Clymer, Charles James, Alastair Warrington, George Pope, Wayne
Evans, Peter Drummond, John Down Front row:
Arthur Llewellyn, Mick Parker, Dave Perham, Gary Pearce, Rhys Davies, and Ian
Longworth Others in
the Roll of Honour include Eric
Edwards, Ian Smith, Alex Drummond, the remainder of the Evanses,(Frieda,
Matthew, and David) – and not forgetting Colin and Mary Boor who kept the
team going with gallons of tea, toast, toasted tea cakes and even the odd
choccy biccy – Ooh! There’s sinful now, look you! 1768 16 Aug |
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On 16
August, a narrow window in the incessant rain allows pour 4 to be made, and
within an hour, its raining yet again 1769,1770, |
In an image,
perked up to make it look a bit brighter, we see the shuttering
supports. The effect of the downpour
was to give the panels a finish reminiscent of Terazzo marble. |
On the rare
dry evening of 22 August, the final tweaks have been made to the membrane and
re-inforcing ready for the following day’s final pour. The sun sets and fingers are crossed for
the dry weather to continue |
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The sun has
set behind the Coity, and the trees at Ty Rheinallt Farm stand silhouetted
against the sky. Will the weather
hold? 1780 |
A smaller
team than last week wait for the concrete lorry, a little before |
The deed
has been done, with just a bit of final trowelling and tweaking to be done –
but look at that blue sky. True to
form , it did not last long. |
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The evening
of Tuesday 26 August - time for the coup de grace – the final shuttering
strikedown. 1793,1798,1800 26 Aug |
The
Shutters are down and the results are near perfect – pity it took us five attempts
to perfect the technique! |
A few
minutes later Arthur Llewellyn had disappeared with the shuttering, and the
platform can be viewed in its unadorned entirety |
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From the
south, though we say so ourselves, the results are impressive 1801, 1803 26 Aug |
...and no
less so from the northern end, as yet another damp evening envelops the
valleys |
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