Basement/Garage, Keel Mtn., AL

	My goal is to build a house with no wood whatsoever in the external or primary support structure of the house.  The weight of the house is supported on reinforced concrete walls using PolySteel forms and a central steel beam.  Steel floor joists and the steel I-beam are embedded into the concrete walls.  Steel roof trusses and hat-channel purlins support a steel roof.  Hardie board siding, facia, and soffits cover the exterior.  The pictures below document the building process. Rolling the steel I-beam off the trailer onto the slab, using ancient Egyptian technology!  Note concrete blocks holding down the PolySteel forms while the glue dries.  That was Grandpop's idea and it worked  well.
	Hoisting the I-beam into place, one end at a time.  Concrete blocks temporarily hold the beam in position.  Steel posts will later be bolted to floor and welded to I-beam.
	How much weight did you say this ladder is rated for? Editors Note:  This method not recommended by Polysteel, OSHA, Builder Bob, Bob Villa (any Bob for that matter), not even Tim Allen.  It is probably approved by Larry the Cable Guy (Git-R-done).
	TradeReady steel floor joists and I-beam held in place, ready for first concrete pour.
	Bracing the V-buck door and window frames.
	We're ready to pour concrete for the first floor walls.  We're actually standing on the second floor, which served as a scaffold for pumping the concrete into the walls.  (That's three generations of the Brown family you're looking at!).
	Pumping the concrete.
	Continuing on up with the second floor walls.
	Ready for pouring the second floor walls.  Note the temporary steel studs screwed to the top of the wall for screeding off a smooth, level, concrete surface to rest the steel trusses directly on the concrete.  A water level was used to get these perfectly level.
	Always measure the concrete slump yourself.  Never just rely on the concrete folks to “eyeball it” to be right.  We didn't do this on the first pour and ran into to trouble as a result.
	Pumping the second floor walls.  With lots of help this time things went much smoother on the second pour.
	Hoisting the trusses to the second floor using an extension ladder for a ramp.
	Uprighting the trusses and fastening down in position.  Trusses are tied to the walls with steel straps embedded in the concrete.  A bead of Liquid Nails provides a uniform contact surface between concrete and steel truss.
	Bracing trusses with diagonals to hold them in the proper position.  Use a string along bottom beam of truss to insure it is straight, then fasten in position with strongbacks.  Then use a plumb bob to set the truss vertical and tie down with cross bracing.
	Gables ready for third and final concrete pour.

Next Project Local Projects Page

Please report problems to webmaster@grahampolysteel.com