Dingo

I hired a mini excavator (called a Dingo) today to fill up the bin. It weighs around 900kg so I put it in the back of my truck :) The rental guy was a bit dubious but the the ute is rated to carry 1.4 ton pay load. The ute sure did plunge putting it on and taking it off. After around 4 hours, I can definitely say I am getting better at it. I think I prefer a shovel and wheel barrow though - I don't get bogged. I topple over once and slightly injured myself - I have a huge bruise on my shin.

I started laying out the building today. My datum point is the south west corner. I marked exactly where the piers should be placed.

You won't believe this, but the engineer had called for 600mm diameter 1.8m deep piers to support the roof covered deck. I calculated the rated performance of the pier and it can support 4000 kN and resist 350kN lateral load. It is interesting to note that the post holders are rated at 25kN compression and 45kN tension. Not that I have a problem with over designed foundations, but it is ugly. I rang the engineer ans asked whether it was really necessary for such wide diameter piers. Apparently not - he had designed to to support a two story concrete slab building and told me I can reduce it to 450mm like all of the others.