Contemporary self-build progress video #4

Build update #5 (Video #4)
It's been a nerve-wracking week - after talking with the supplier, we've found that we couldn't install the foamed glass stuff at all in areas of high water table and the trench sides started to collapse dangerously (due to intermittent showers and the fact that they're pretty much wholly sand). We had to pour in a load of concrete to help stabilise the worst areas which luckily are along sections of the garage so the reduction in insulation here doesn't matter too much. We've had to re-design the detail for the footings, incorporating a load of hardcore which acts to bring the foamed glass level out of the water zone. The site looks a lot better for it though and we're cracking on with getting the formwork in for areas that can still use the old foundation design. You can see the setting out engineer's marking for pads now and get a sense of the spaces that should start coming out of the ground. The next step will be to start compacting the Geocell foamed glass product and also begin installing the retaining wall that runs up against the adjacent dwelling.