There is no doubt about it building a new dwelling or in this case, two dwellings, in winter is a daunting task. This is the first new ground to be broken this year and on February 9th, right, Chupa Excavation began clearing the snow off the lot just kitty corner across the street from our house on 95th street.

The next morning (below) a crew from Strive Concrete and the general contractor were on the scene staking out the cleared property so that Chupa could bring on the track hoe and scoop out the area for the new building's

foundation and this (right) is the scene at about 4:00 in the afternoon of that same day, February 10th.

The following day, February 11th at noon (below) this little digging machine was busily drilling the large number of holes that were required for this type of construction. The building consists of a wood floor that sits on a foundation which is perched atop the piles that are being drilled in this picture. Even in summer this is a slow process because each one has rebarb put in the piles, is then poured with cement. In winter the whole area has to

heated as the cement dries otherwise it will freeze and crumble.

On February 18th (left) when this picture was taken the piles had dried and the foam forms set in place. They had been filled with cement which had to be heated 24 hours a day until dry and in this picture back fill gravel is being filled in with two BobCat units and a large front end loader.

This seems like a slow and tedious process but there is no other way to do it but follow the steps. On March 2nd the materials for the floor were in

place and work began constructing what becomes the base for the structure. As you can see on (right) on March 5th the floor was laid and the sheeting being put down.

This is when the ugly really cold weather struck. On Monday of this week the first walls were assembled but it was below Workers Compensation minimums for work on Tuesday and Wednesday. But this morning the crew was on the site and as you can see from the picture below and at the top of the page the walls of the structure are being assembled.