The Open-pit Mine

There was a huge cliff on the lot. Parts of it remain in the south-east part of the lot. Much blasting is required to fit the garage into this cliff located in the south-west part of the lot.

This image reveals that the north-east corner of the garage now is at a level of at least 55 meters above sea level and the garage floor will be at 51 meters. Under the expected floor level the blasters have to blast almost another meter reserved for drainage and isolation. Hence, the blasters drill five or six-meter deep holes. Normally they drill around ten holes before blasting. The blasting produces vast volumes of blasted stone expanded to at least twice its original volume. The blasted stones will end up in some 200 truckloads of material to be removed!

South of the garage is a cliff at the 53-meter level, and part of this cliff will remain. The blasting team says it will be difficult to save that wedge that we aim to keep. We hope that they succeed. Looking at the same drawing, you'll see that the house now has been moved a meter and a half north, right into the reserved area. The drawing also states a difference of a meter and a half between the garage floor and the basement floor.

This image shows the drilling on top of the midpoint, approximately, of the garage. The augers are some 2.5 meters long and need to be spliced to reach the six meter depth. The holes are filled not only with dynamite, but also packed with gravel. This is a precaution against the holes becoming rifle pipes and directing the blasting power sideways. The excavator continuously assists the blasters, providing gravel for the holes, removing stones and putting heavy stones on top of the blasting holes under the mats to assist in damping the blast.

Right in the middle of the image you can see the blasting mats properly folded. In the foreground there is a sign marking the north-east corner of the house. I estimate that this mark is a meter below the floor of the forthcoming guest and work room.

This is how it looked the other day: video

Despite being prepared for the bang, I was frightened and the camera was shook.

(I've spent hours trying to get the video into this post but have failed. It is displayed in the preview mode, but not when published, so you see only the white frame below.)


Here follow two pics from today:

This picture was taken from the south-east corner and shows some stones in the one to two-ton class. Six to ten of these make up a truckload.

In front of the stones you also see the electrical connection for site power, also powering the workers' cosy shed.

Again, you see the mark of the north-east corner of the house as well as a view of the working site. I would probably be quite concerned if the blasting team and the excavator driver would quit now. The plane surface with mud is probably half a meter above the intended basement floor.

This mess looks like an open-pit mine!

Finally:

Here, H at L M R has sprayed a height indication to assist the blasters. I believe this mark is on the rock close to the forthcoming north façade.