Lower block walls are now core-filled with a cement mix incorporating flyash, reactive magnesium and by-product silica. Steel beams to the front are placed in position and will soon take the recycled laminated hardwood joists for the floor framing above.The stone facade to the
western boundary retaining wall is underway. Initially, we wanted a true (local) stone wall with no blockwork as this is a truer form of construction and uses low-embodied energy stone. However, the construction would have used more concrete (higher embodied energy) than a more compact core-filled block structure and taken much longer. Due to space restrictions, to the east boundary, the retaining wall will be built without the blockwork so it will be interesting to compare labour time and volumes of concrete on the one site.
