Week's End

The trench for the pipe line is moving right along literally. One photo gives an idea of how deeply the excavator driver is digging. Seeing the arm of the machine disappear into the hole reminds the blogger of a goose thrusting its head below the water’s surface to make a catch. Of course, the catch in this instance is dirt. Another picture above takes the viewer to the edge of the shaft to get a view of the steel protector for the workers. The blue pipe at the bottom is barely visible, but you can easily see the ladder on the side. Pretty deep.
The trucks today have been called into service to help compact the dirt on the floor of the depression, as the photo shows. The workers are coming into the stretch now, and the difference in the levels—the floor of the depression and the upper north level—are getting closer and closer. Another sign of the progress of the work is the retiring of the scraper or skimmer on the site. The size of the machine, which has not been used for a couple of weeks now, is demonstrated by two kind students who were willing to be photographed with it. Two beauties and a beast? Later in the day a flatbed truck arrives and “whisks “ it away.

And In This Corner...

Much has developed since Tuesday. Serious excavation is now underway on the hill alongside of Hilton Drive and goes up the hill behind the garage building. The pipe trench is advancing toward the middle of the upper level of the future soccer field site, and two more areas along Dixie Hghy. are being excavated to create a new slope on that lawn. Trucks are again rumbling back and forth between that site and the field site, and the photo of the soon-to-be field shows how that area is getting closer and closer to leveling off.
The curious piece of equipment that was described in the May 27 entry has been identified as a miniature sheep’s foot roller, and is used for compacting the dirt in more confined areas such as the bottom of the pipe trench. (One of today’s photos shows the top of a concrete base for a man-hole lid. This connects the buried pipe with the surface.)
The supervisor mentioned in Tuesday’s blog is the overseer from the general contractor. He periodically tests the dirt on the floor of the depression (and perhaps other areas) for acceptable compaction. How many workers does it take to create a soccer field out of a gully? Many!

And In This Ring We See...

By noon today one can see four big operations going on. The trucks are rumbling in dirt from the excavation job in front of the Heights. The dirt goes, of course, onto the floor of the depression where it is immediately worked on under the watchful eye of a supervisor. Two excavators are at work digging a trench for more pipe laying, while on the other side of the academy an excavator is busy removing one more tree as well as some dirt at the east end of the theater site. The curious thing in today’s observations is one of the tools being used by a trench excavator. The usual bucket lies to the side, and attached to the arm of the machine in its place is a cylinder with cone shaped projections. This cylinder spins as it is lowered into the trench. Is it loosening the dirt down there so the other excavator can remove it more easily, or is it acting as a miniature compactor at the bottom of the trench, or is it doing some other task unknown to this observer? There is no one handy to ask.

The Other Parking Lot

Today, Memorial Day, a day of remembrance and relaxation. Since there is no activity on the excavation site, it’s a good time to look at the equipment being used there. (For the reader not too familiar with blog reading: click on the photo and it will enlarge somewhat. You do have to take some of this on faith! Click on the arrow in the upper left to get back to the blog.) In the photo you see four excavators, three bull dozers, two dump trucks, the scraper on the other side of the trucks, the compactor, and the disc-harrow. Another excavator is beyond the gym so not in this photo. A total of 13 machines--one can think only with horror of the cost of diesel fuel needed to keep these big boys moving. It’s interesting that at the end of most days the workmen (and occasionally a woman) park their vehicles on the upper level, most facing west, as you see in the photo. In veneration to the god of the setting sun that brings an end to the day’s toil? Perhaps.

Seriouser and Seriouser

Again very busy today despite the brief periods of rain. Excavation has begun in front of the Heights so the two dump trucks are trundling along the made-for-them road, taking turns in very orderly fashion. The drivers are dumping the dirt onto the floor of the depression where it is being spread and packed by the compacter. For this purpose two new paths have been cut toward the middle of the upper level down to the floor. Two sewer tops have arrived and by noon, one is in place at the east end of the depression. Blue pipes are also lined up at that end. Other trucks are arriving on the parking lot to carry off the tree remains that were collected from the Heights front a few days ago. By the end of the day the second sewer top is also in place and some of the blue pipes are gone, presumably buried. All, workers and site, are ready for a long weekend of rest.

Busy Day at NDA

Much activity today in the depression, on the upper level, and out in front. First is the moving of the tree limbs and trunks from the front of the Heights. The trucks and excavator with a claware now putting the yellow dirt road to the test. All the debris is being moved to the upper level of the large excavation next to the school. While this is under way the men begin
pumping water from one manhole in the center of the depression into another at the east end of the depression. This operation precedes the laying of a pipe in the area of the storm sewer at that end . (All very mysterious to this lay eye.) This is a hard hat business since men must work beneath a pipe being carried by the excavator.
While this task is being realized in the east , the project at the west end is developing. Imagine a path from upper level to the floor of the depression. Now imagine a ramp from the path to the parking lot above. That's what you see in one of the pictures above. (This blogger never knows where these pictures are going to end up.) All of this is accompanied by the spreading of dirt by a dozer and the compacting of dirt by the compacter. A tiring day even to watch!

Picnic Meeting?

Not much happening early today. This afternoon the bull dozer has been busy adding dirt to the yellow dirt road in order to prevent rutting when the big fellows begin rolling on it. One major big fellow will undoubtedly be the dump truck. This is not your average "I parked it in the yard, Honey," truck. With the tires around five feet in diameter, the top of the cab is probably about eleven feet above the ground.
This afternoon has also seen a number of men from one or more companies inspecting and evaluating the progress made on the floor of the depression (photo) and perhaps everything else. This is truly a test of trust on the part of the lay onlooker.

Paving the Yellow Dirt Road

Today's work--firming up the dirt road to the front of the Heights with...more dirt. This dirt is coming from the excavated area on the north side of the depression. That area still needs a little shaving off. The pictures show the dump truck dumping and the bull dozer spreading out the dirt (a little hard to make out). The area seen in the photos is a little forward of the Sisters' cemetery and close to the yards on Joseph Lane. This road runs all the way to the front of the Heights property and is being readied for the dirt from the grading that is yet to begin. As explained earlier, that dirt will go into the soccer-field-to-be depression. The rain in mid afternoon has halted the work for today

End of a Road

Today marks the beginning of the next big step. Nothing more can be done in the soccer-field-to-be since they've run out of usable dirt. The grading in front of the Heights has not begun yet, nor has the hill to the right of Hilton Dr. as you approach N.D.A. been disturbed. These are the two dirt donors. But the next step in the preliminary work for the two additions to the building is able to begin--the tearing up of Hilton Dr. as it swings south around the building. In the left photo above you can see the first bites, and in the second, the loading up of the debris at the end of the task. Since the theater will be a continuation of the building on the south side and there is no room for a road around the building, the parking area on the north side will become a two lane road that will go to the kitchen dock in the back. There will be a turn around area there somewhere. The summer will prove to be very interesting for the Sisters who remain in residence in the building!

Beauty and the Beastly Rain

Rain today and not enough sun to sun to dry the area gives us the fourth work day in a row without any change in the landscape. The blogger thinks she spotted a few ducks in flight the other day, but they must have been vacationing, not job hunting! One forgets the beauty of spring in looking at the excavation site, so today’s picture is one taken almost a month ago up on the hill above the garages. And there is still beauty on the grounds as testified by the honey suckle bushes and locust trees in splendid bloom in the back of the building. There is a brighter day coming for the excavation site, too, in the near future, provided an ark doesn’t have to be ordered beforehand

Ducks Don't Show & Star of the Day

Duck weather continues with some puddles having expanded to lake size for the ducks. None have reported for work yet, however, and we don’t anticipate any human workers either.
Now is a good time to tell about one extraordinary piece of equipment being used on the site. It is the scraper. Bob Wallace, the site manager for Maxim Crane, said that the machine is not made anymore—too expensive and of limited use. The one Maxim Crane has was purchased from a company that took part in the Mt. St. Helens clean-up after the May, 1980 eruption. The machine was filled with gray ash and was disassembled for cleaning when purchased. It was then transported to this area The scraper weighs 186,000 pounds. When it is scraping dirt it usually requires the extra power of a bull dozer, especially on inclines. In the photo of the blog entry for Ap. 21 you can see the dozer behind it. After the scraper has its bed filled with dirt it trundles away to where the dirt is to be spread. There it opens the bed and spreads the dirt. Fascinating to watch! What is even more remarkable to this lay observer is how maneuverable this big piece of equipment is. The operator can make obtuse angle turns-- almost breathtaking to watch especially on the coarsely crumpled earth. The above photo is a sort of portrait of the scraper.

Swimming Weather

Only ducks could work today, and a few puddles are possible work sites. The human team, only three or four drivers in the last several days, undoubtedly won’t show up. The end result of yesterday can be seen in the photos.

Smooth Operation

Good day for work until the rain begins in mid afternoon. Much is accomplished today in creating a smooth connection between the west end and the east end of the depression. (See photos 5/8.) The work is almost over for the day when the fuel truck arrives again and the workers bring in their vehicles. The bottom photo shows the dozer driver filling his tank with the help of the fuel man, and the top photo shows the scraper driver filling his while the compactor driver waits to fill hers.

The Other End (East)

What you see below is at the west end of the depression. Above is the other end. In the west end photo you see a bull dozer, the scraper, and in the background, the fuel truck from the company. One does not envy the fuel bill!

Up Comes Down, Down Goes Up

The workmen have returned this morning, a little later than usual. Some speculation that the work will be on hold until the dirt is brought up from in front of the Heights has proven to be unfounded. Work commences with the upper level to the north of the depression being dug lower while the floor of the depression is made to rise with dirt being carried from the upper level. Flagged wooden sticks on the outer edges of the excavation or fill-in are helping the onlooker to create boundaries in the mental image of what is to come. A soccer field and track are beginning to look possible, but it's obvious that much work is still to be done.

Official Ground Breaking

Today is the day for Ground Breaking, at long last and after looking at broken ground for over a month. The day is beautiful and promising. The ceremony which started with May Crowning has gone without a hitch. With dignitaries and students all in place, inspiration seems to be in the air starting with the crowning of the statue of Mary in the circle, and capped with the moving words of Sr. Marla, Provincial Superior of the Sisters of Notre Dame. After the dignitaries and the faculty representatives turn the earth, a line of students don the hard hats and perform the ritual. The student body has been very attentive throughout the ceremony, and the final act by their representatives seems to spur their enthusiasm even more. (See NDA website for pictures.)
The workmen on site have worked until about a half hour before the ceremony and pick up again afterward. They will work only until mid afternoon. Why they will quit early is open to surmise.

Fill 'er Up

The interesting happening today was the refueling of the machines. The red fuel tanker from Maxim Crane arrived and all the machines gathered around for their injection of diesel. Then, back to work.

The Depression

Today has been marked by a flurry, almost a frenzy, of activity in the gully. (Actually, the term “gully” can’t be used accurately anymore. From this point until the word “field” is appropriate, it will simply be referred to as “the depression.”) Progress in filling the depression is quite evident as scraper, compacter, and challenger almost fly back and forth, performing their various tasks. Dump truck and extractor are taking a holiday, it seems. Another new arrival, a small roller, appeared today near the south east end of the parking lot, just off the sidewalk.