Stacks of rigid Styrofoam insulation panels were delivered to the site and cut to fit neatly inside the footer walls. This foam serves a dual purpose: it reduces heat loss through the foundation, improving the building’s energy efficiency, and it also helps protect against frost penetration. By insulating below grade, the walls are shielded from the cycles of freezing and thawing that can shift soils and put extra stress on the structure. After the Styrofoam was set, the crew began applying a thick, tar-like sealant to the outer surface of the concrete masonry units. This material is an asphalt-based waterproofing […]

Out at the site this week, another piece of the project puzzle came into play: hydroseeding the freshly graded slopes. In these photos you can see the crew operating a specialized hydroseeder truck, blasting a vivid green slurry across the bare soil. That mix isn’t just grass seed — it’s a slurry of seed, mulch fiber, fertilizer, water, and tackifier (a kind of natural glue) that clings to the soil surface, protecting against erosion while giving the grass a nutrient-rich start. The mulch fibers hold moisture like a sponge, keeping the seeds damp long enough to sprout even under sunny […]

The blockwork is officially underway, and these photos capture a critical stage of the foundation coming to life. What you see here are masons carefully setting concrete masonry units (CMUs) along the perimeter trench, creating the footing walls that will ultimately support the entire structure above. The precision is evident: a taut mason’s line keeps each course of block perfectly level and aligned, while rebar reinforcement is being laid into the hollow cores, ensuring strength against lateral loads and settling. These steel rods will later be tied into vertical dowels and encased in grout, locking everything together into a rigid, […]

Today marks one of the most exciting milestones yet — the concrete for our footers has arrived and been poured. After weeks of digging trenches, setting rebar, and preparing the base with gravel, it’s finally time to put solid strength into the ground. From overhead, you can see the pump carefully laying concrete into each trench, filling in the network of rebar and cutouts that will soon cure into the foundation of the building. Known as a truck-mounted boom concrete pump, it uses a long, hydraulically controlled arm to deliver concrete with pinpoint accuracy across the entire footprint of the […]

The next stage of construction has officially begun, and with it comes a new look for the site. Rebar and gravel have arrived, marking the final steps before concrete is poured into the footers. From above, the pattern of the excavation cutouts is striking — a repeating series of trenches and squares that hint at the structure to come. Take a closer look and you will see that the rebar is already in place, especially around the corners where the building will need the greatest strength. These steel reinforcements will give the concrete footers the rigidity needed to hold up […]

After all the work to fill, compact, and level the site, it might seem strange to be digging back into the dirt again. But this time, the digging has a purpose: we’re preparing to pour the footers and pylon bases that will carry the entire weight of the new facility. The process begins with carefully carved trenches and enormous pylon cavities. Into these, crews will place rebar and then pour 8 inches of solid concrete. These massive bases will anchor the structure, distributing the load and ensuring long-term stability. If you look closely at the size of the pylon cuts, […]

One of the less glamorous but absolutely critical parts of building a facility like ours is dealing with stormwater runoff. Local building codes require that new construction capture and control a certain volume of rainwater on site rather than simply letting it rush into the city’s storm sewers. The idea is to prevent downstream flooding and to filter out sediment and pollutants before the water leaves the property. To meet those standards, our plans include a carefully engineered detention basin system that looks simple at first glance but is actually quite sophisticated. Instead of just digging a large hole, the […]

The big hole is no more. After 207 truckloads of soil, countless passes of the roller, and precision grading, the site has been filled, compacted, and rolled flat. Using a laser and receiver mounted on the dozer, crews ensured the surface is level to the inch — a crucial step in getting everything just right before the next phase. Building codes also required the addition of a compacted fire lane around the entire perimeter of the site. This ensures emergency access and adds another layer of stability to the build. With this step complete, the site is ready for what […]

Digging the big hole was only half the job — now comes the task of filling it back in. To build up a strong, stable base for the new facility, we brought in 207 truckloads of clean, high-quality soil from just eight miles south of the site. For two days straight a fleet of diesel drinking wagons of steel hauled fresh fill back to the boardsort.com site. Truck after truck rolled in, each one dumping its load before crews spread the soil evenly across the footprint. Once the soil was down, the compaction began. A massive vibrating roller — tipping […]