Live and In Person

September 30, 2019

In Moundville, the last few weeks have been focused on securing the structure. This time gave the team the incredible and unique opportunity to experience the scale and space of the pavilion live and in person to test future design decisions including paving, benches, and ceiling cladding. And a new semester brought new students and some much needed and appreciated help to Moundville! This August, instead of participating in neck-downs, the team got to meet some of the new 3rd-year and 5th-year students as they worked on site for the week.

Neck-downs came at the perfect time in Moundville; with the structure raised there was plenty to do to secure and brace the structure and move into framing and testing design decisions. Throughout the week, over 200 pieces of 2×8 lumber were moved from various barns in Newbern to Moundville, X bracing was constructed in each truss bay, the columns were bolted to the trusses, columns braces were removed and deconstructed, the last two columns forming the “A” were installed, and both the wood shop and site were cleaned of all debris. The Moundville ladies could not have asked for better help or a more productive week! Here are some images of the fabulous workers that came out to Moundville and some of the tasks that got done in the past couple of weeks:

3rd-year and 5th-year students went to Moundville during neck downs.
Once the height and level of the steel base plates were checked, rechecked, and rechecked again, the plates were grouted to the concrete. Luckily, these bad boys will be hidden below gravel so they didn’t have to look too pretty!
Truss boxes ensured that the columns were placed accurately within the trusses to keep the correct slope and helped hold the trusses until bolting could be completed. The scissor lift was instrumental in being within reach to bolt the columns to the trusses.

Bracing the columns in three directions was structurally necessary to ensure that as the trusses were placed, the columns didn’t shift or collapse under the wind force with the truss weight. However, they also caused a huge impediment with moving within the structure with the scissor lift. As soon as the columns were secured and bolted to the trusses, bracing was installed between the trusses with 2x6s securing the top and bottom chords and forming an X in between. Once the bracing was completed for each bay, the columns could be freed (except for the braces securing the smaller trusses, to maintain stiff corners). This provided much needed space for the scissor lift and a chance to see the delicate profile of the columns in real life.

Installing x bracing allowed us to remove the columns braces.
X bracing connecting trusses 2 and 3.
X bracing on all truss bays.
The first opportunity to see the delicate profile and touch of the columns within the framework of the space.

Stay tuned for updates on how the team took advantage of “design-build” to test bench mockups, ceiling cladding, and paving schemes using the scale of the built structure. Here are some sneak peaks!