Feb 15 Update
Rain continues to delay the pouring of the foundation for the sanctuary/multipurpose portion of the building. Our ground is saturated. Even now, work is hampered because the weight of workmen causes them to sink up to their ankles in the mud. Just imagine what would happen with equipment that weighs several tons. So, we wait.
The good news is that all of the prep work on the soil is paying off. During that seemingly interminable period that heavy machines seemed to ride back and forth endlessly, part of the effort was to prepare the soil for proper drainage and to enable it to remain stable once actual construction of a building began upon it.
Yet, in spite of the rainy conditions, we are making progress; there is a lot of work being done. This building is being built, according to design, on location, as opposed to it being prefabricated somewhere else and brought to the site. So, while we wait for the ground to dry out enough to pour the remaining foundation, other work is going on.
The preliminary electrical work for the sanctuary is about 90 percent complete. Also, crews have been laying the framework for light poles that will adorn the parking lots.
Perhaps the most exciting part of the current stream of progress is that about 25 of the 70 or so concrete panels, which will make up the exterior walls, have been poured. Every design in the concrete requires a form and ultimately the panels will be fitted together to give the building its “look.”
This is very exacting work and is very time-consuming. Once the forms have been built, they are laid on beds and the concrete is poured into them. After they are poured, the panels must be allowed to cure for seven days. It is a very meticulous process and, with the ambient moisture, it may take a bit more than seven days for the concrete to set up properly.
To give some dimension, the largest panel weighs about 117,000 pounds. With a bit of good weather, we may actually see some of the panels erected as early as the end of next week.
Published on Wednesday, February 15, 2012 @ 9:23 PM CDT
Feb 3 Update
Yes, it's raining. And, at this point in the process, rain continues to prompt delays. As stated a few days ago, we are awaiting the opportunity to pour the foundation for the sanctuary/multipurpose building. Once that is done, rain will have a limited effect.
For now, however, any amount of moisture adds to the saturation in the ground. The builder cannot move in the ultraheavy equipment needed to go to the next step until the ground dries out a bit.
Fortunately, North Texas has declared itself out of a drought condition. We need now to pray for the rain to cease long enough for us to get the next major pour in.
Here is an arial photo that is breathtaking. It will give you an incredible sense of the enormousness of this project. Note the columns lining the front of the building. Then look at the front view photos to the right of this blog.
That shows the entire front where our foyer/prefunction area is located. (The lobby picture also shows those columns from the inside.) That space is about 10,000 square feet!!
You can see the slab for the Children's building and, just to the left of it, the place where the sanctuary/mulitpurpose foundation will be poured.
Also, note the vast amount of concrete parking area already in place. This is truly humbling to see what God is doing. This is the view from Heaven.
Published on Friday, February 3, 2012 @ 5:22 PM CDT
