[paramphoto]

We do things a little bit differently here vis-a-vis the West... the materials we use, the labor we employ and the techniques we adopt to construct are definitely low-tech, though cost-effective and quick!

On the other hand, in India, we adopt a very scientific and time-tested building planning technique called "Vastu" - centuries old, it clearly dictates ventilation, building orientation, position of equipment and even where the 'boss' of the setup should sit!

Watch as my 1200 sq ft space takes shape, ground-up. Project start date 7th November 2011... hoping to complete in 2 months. Will post more pics as the build goes on...wish me luck, folks!

 

[harrysin]

An absolutely fascinating build, I look forward to the next exciting instalment.

 

[gav]

This is going to be really interesting.
I think it might give some of the safety concious members a heart attack though.

 

[paramphoto]

This is going to be really interesting.
I think it might give some of the safety concious members a heart attack though.

Gav, I agree completely! However, there's an old-fashioned and time-tested way of doing things in India that the construction workforce is used to - if I even mentioned the very basic of safety gear - helmets, the right kind of footwear and industrial gloves, the workers (and the building contractor) would vamoose before you could say "safety!".

As it is, I'm going to have a difficult time getting safety in place at the woodshop - but believe me you, I've invested a good deal in dust collection and disposal, eyegear, ear and respiratory protection from 3M... so that's the way it'll be run when I'm in the shop and commissioned!

 

[paramphoto]

An absolutely fascinating build, I look forward to the next exciting instalment.

Harry, Many thanks for the words of encouragement!

 

[harrysin]

How long and by how many people did it take to dig the trench for the footings?

 

[papawd]

Looks like a lot work in that trench and walls, but it does look solid.... I bet a OSHA inspector would have a field day ....Hahaha...Please keep us posted

 

[paramphoto]

How long and by how many people did it take to dig the trench for the footings?

Harry, two men, three days... the trenches are two feet wide and three feet deep... the long wall is 46 feet, the width of the workspace 26 feet.... the math's yours now!

 

[paramphoto]

Looks like a lot work in that trench and walls, but it does look solid.... I bet a OSHA inspector would have a field day ....Hahaha...Please keep us posted

Papawd, I've explained to Harry the dimensions of the trench... just to give you a further idea, the walls are 6-inch thick concrete blocks (built on a base of reinforced steel girding and poured concrete), and after it's all plastered on both sides, will stand 8-in thick. The walls also go up to a height of 12 feet towards the sides... so with the sloped and trussed roof coming up, I'll have a max roof clearance of 16 feet inside...

Yeah, the methods might make an OSHA inspector gasp, but the result will definitely win the approval of the engineers of Fort Knox!

 

[paramphoto]

This is where we've reached today!

Some more pics of the progress being made... the roof's girder trusses are welded, deburred and ready, the walls are being built up to reach minimum height, and hopefully, the day after, we should see the framing for the roof and the poured, reinforced concrete for the flooring start going in.

 

[bobj3]

Hi Param

Nice job
I wish they would let us in the states do that but we have many codes to go by, by the way what is that pit for on the side of your shop ?

===

Some more pics of the progress being made... the roof's girder trusses are welded, deburred and ready, the walls are being built up to reach minimum height, and hopefully, the day after, we should see the framing for the roof and the poured, reinforced concrete for the flooring start going in.

 

[papawd]

Wow 8" thick walls add some insulation and a nice siding see if Ya can get 12" ... I yhink it will be a nice shop. Please keep us posted

 

[paramphoto]

Hi Param

Nice job
I wish they would let us in the states do that but we have many codes to go by, by the way what is that pit for on the side of your shop ?

===

Thanks, Bob... the pit, is in fact, towards the front of the shop... in the pic that shows the walls come up and the main 8-foot wide entry, you'll see the completed version clearly. It's an underground water storage tank that's good for, I reckon, over 9000 litres of water... 8 feet wide, 8 feet long and 8 feet deep, give or take a few inches. For safety, it will soon be covered with a one-piece reinforced concrete slab, cast in-situ.

 

[paramphoto]

Wow 8" thick walls add some insulation and a nice siding see if Ya can get 12" ... I yhink it will be a nice shop. Please keep us posted

Hi Papawd, India's a pretty hot place, though Bangalore, sitting pretty at a 3000 foot elevation is really temperate and gracious to humankind... we hardly have days when the temperature exceeds 28 degrees or drops below 18 degrees celcius - so insulation is really not a requirement at all!

Typically, we plaster over the walls inside and out with a cement-sand mix (you could view this as a kind of permanent, weather and waterproof mortar siding) and then simply coat it over with exterior or interior paint - that does the job beautifully here!

Besides, one of the considerations for construction here is "Vastu- Shastra", a traditional, age-old science that ensures, in its most basic form, you set up a space to take advantage of prevailing winds and sunlight for ventilation, heating/cooling and light... so I'll not be conditioning the internal environment of the workshop much, except for a few wall-hung fans for the occassional, still day!

I sincerely hope it's going to be a nice shop... there's tons of work yet to be done... and tons of money to be spent... and I think the space is going to evolve only slowly as it starts paying for itself!

 

[papawd]

Wow that sounds nice 3000 ft above sea level I prolly could not breathe having lived all my life in south Louisiana at or below sea level..Except a short time I was in San Diego while in the Navy but I was in 20's then haha

 

[bobj3]

Hi Param

Thanks for the feed back , is the water for drinking or for other things ?, water will go bad in a hole in the ground in short order..if it's not a well type hole but I sure you know that.. when I saw the hole I though it was for water but not for drinking just a holding tank for the nasty type of water ;( we still do that in the states in some places, but we need to have it pumped out each year or so..

===

=====

Thanks, Bob... the pit, is in fact, towards the front of the shop... in the pic that shows the walls come up and the main 8-foot wide entry, you'll see the completed version clearly. It's an underground water storage tank that's good for, I reckon, over 9000 litres of water... 8 feet wide, 8 feet long and 8 feet deep, give or take a few inches. For safety, it will soon be covered with a one-piece reinforced concrete slab, cast in-situ.

 

[harrysin]

I think that you are referring to a septic system where a property doesn't have the luxury of deep sewerage Bob.

 

[harrysin]

Harry, two men, three days... the trenches are two feet wide and three feet deep... the long wall is 46 feet, the width of the workspace 26 feet.... the math's yours now!

This country wouldn't have a care in the world if the average Australian had your work ethic.

 

[paramphoto]

Hi Param

Thanks for the feed back , is the water for drinking or for other things ?, water will go bad in a hole in the ground in short order..if it's not a well type hole but I sure you know that.. when I saw the hole I though it was for water but not for drinking just a holding tank for the nasty type of water ;( we still do that in the states in some places, but we need to have it pumped out each year or so..

===

=====

Bob, on the contrary - the tank is indeed built to hold fresh water that's brought in on a regular basis by a truck-tanker. It's for use in washing, the toilets, watering the garden, bathing, etc - but not necessarily for drinking. Coupled to this, we'll also have an overhead tank of about 1000 litres and a linked, 1/2 hp pumping system to transfer water up... and then let gravity feed to the taps down below - so, pump up water in the morning for about 15 minutes till the overhead is full, and then use the water through the day without further electricity consumption.

And since this tank is completely sealed from all sides including the top, will be replenished at least once a week and follows the dictates of 'Vastu-Shastra' in the way it is positioned (NE side of the plot) and aligned to the magnetic axis of the Earth, you'll always have sweet, clean water from it... trust me, you could check for bacterial contamination months down and you'll find almost none! Cleaning it- yes, typically, we'll need to drain it dry once a year and run a bleach-wash through.

The nasty water gets a separate 'septic tank' behind the facility (SW side of the plot - Vastu-Shastra at work again!) , but this is hardly worthy of photographic mention, yes?! And this one will have to be pumped empty and sanitized once in about six months/ a year, depending on the quantity of 'grey water' my facility produces.

 

[paramphoto]

This country wouldn't have a care in the world if the average Australian had your work ethic.

Indians typically work hard when we have to... but believe me, we'd rather be easygoing if we had the luxury of putting our collective feet up and shooting the breeze!

It's just that when we have a lot to do, we usually have to get it done with threadbare resources - either machinery or manpower. And if you were to see photos and follow the thread of my kitchen build I've posted in the "Introductions" tab of routerforums, you'll see what I mean!

And this does not mean getting things done in India is inexpensive, as the world seems to think. We've got inflation that's fatter than the average person's wallet, and though there are many efforts being made to change things around, inefficient and corrupt government agencies and officials to work with and poor access to quality equipment. My workshop, on the whole, probably would end up costing me twice as much as it would you Down South... and with kit that's far leaner!