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After just leaving an empty lot, construction finally started on Wind Sukhumvit 23. Mid June 2007 the first piling work by Seafco got underway. This is the first big 'metal tube' being inserted. Mid-June 2007. |
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The large plot in front of our apartment building has been lying empty since December last year. Finally in the middle of June, piling work has started at the site, and from what we observe is progressing steadily the last few weeks. You can get an idea of the work involved by going through the pictures below.
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After the first piling work, a religious ceremony was performed (one never has seen it all in Thailand!). See the remnants of flower garlands and still burning candles around the steel big pipe. Mid-June 2007. |
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After the insertion of a large metal tube, an endless process is started of drilling, scooping out the mud, pooring in water etc. This can go on for a few days just to finish one piling structure, before a steel wire mesh is inserted, and cement is poored in. |
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A wire mesh is inserted. This apparently is what makes the cement to be 'reinforced'. |
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We did not know at all what this was supposed to be. The metal long tubes are inserted into the piling structure, and connected to one another. About all of them will go in (we were told the structure goes down to a depth of about 60 meters). Then it is used to funnel cement being poored in to the lower levels. |
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One of the metal tubes used to funnel cement is inserted. The tube will be lowered and another one attached to the top, and so on. |
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Cement being poored in. Many cement trucks are lined up just to finish one piling structure. |
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During the process, 'water' starts being replaced by cement, and poors out. Actually this is not water. Chemicals are used during the piling work. Chemicals are apparently used to stabilize the soil etc. (don't know much about this, really). |
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Chemicals in the water are used to consolidate the ground underneath. |
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This image was taken at 1 A.M. on 13 July. The ground apparently is being prepared for work the next day. We figured out that piling work often has to be completed withing a certain time frame (like 30, 45 or 60 days). Possibly work is behind schedule.
Fortunately, we can report this was a one time event. Work goes on after dark, but seems to stop before midnight. |
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Early September 2007 :
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After a 3-week holiday, we came back to Bangkok. As expected, the piling work has now just been finished. There are few workers left, and they are cleaning up the place, and moving the heavy equipment elsewhere. Almost ready for the next step in construction. |
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10 October 2007
After a very quiet September, when only some preparatory work was done, proper construction of the building seems to have started. The construction company is Ascon Construction, listed on the Thai stock market (but without an English language website). Some additional piling is going on, and workers are digging holes in the ground, supported by vertically inserted metal beams. We observed that care is taken in getting proper dimensions of the structures.
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Work has now really started by Ascon Construction.
07 October 2007 |
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A hole apparently the whole length of the future building has been digged along the eastern perimeter. Care is taken to give it the proper dimensions. Also horizontal beams are inserted at the bottom (not yet on this picture). 07 October 2007 |
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