New House Construction

I'm experiencing some frustration at the moment trying to locate another source for mucus traps. The source I had can only deliver 10 by tomorrow and they didn't tell me until late last night. I need 40 of them to include in neonatal resuscitation (NR) training kits to be taken with us when we head to Jaipur on Monday to attend the launch event for the Government of India (GOI) Ministry of Health's new program to address the infant mortality rate nationwide. They have used IAP, the Indian Academy of Pediatricians, as a primary partner to prepare the program and for training material. Since IAP is a close partner with Latter-Day Saint Charities, we have been indirectly involved since the bulk of the NR training material came from LDSC. LDSC was listed in the GOI NR training manual's bibliography. It is a long story, but the net result was an invitation from the Governor of Rajasthan via the GOI for LDSC to attend the program launch so we head down Monday afternoon and will take a day to play after our commitments are completed. So to briefly get over the frustration for a while, I'm turning to the blog and will post a couple of movies from Duane'n Cindyberg Productions.

On Wednesdays, Sister Tanner teaches Institute and Sister Smith teaches Seminary at the Noida Branch. We usually have a Branch activity after. The movie below was taken as we walked around the corner to go get an auto. We had the camera with us so I had to stop and shoot some footage as they were busy with a concrete pour for the roof of the home under construction just down from us. I've also included a bunch of photos I've collected as the construction progresses. I've talked with the developer/contractor and it is what we would call a spec house in the US.



First thing up was a temporary building on the corner to be used by some of the laborers and their families who live on site throughout the construction.



Working on forms for the 2nd floor. Here it would be the 1st floor. What is called the 1st floor in the states is the "ground floor" in India.

Building code in our Sector allows 2 floors and a few rooms on the top (3rd level) for live in household help quarters.



Note everything is concrete with brick used to fill in the walls. The final cover is either plaster or stone. Marble is very common for floors and as a veneer covering outside on expensive homes.





The poles used to support the concrete forms are all bamboo.







See the video for this equipment in action.







All you need to make concrete - water, sand, gravel, cement, and a mixer. There was one house up the street that used a concrete pump for a second level pour along with ready mix delivered by truck, but I imagine that is much more expensive unless your concrete consistency and quality is important enough to warrant it.

See this device for lifting concrete up in action in the video.

There are 10 bricks in that stack as each row is double. Think disc compression ... and that is a little lady.

Hot, humid, and time for a break in the shade.

Watch concrete being made and lifted to the top of the second level, what will be the roof/terrace over the front of the house.