How To Form Concrete Steps
SLIDESHOW: Grindline Skateparks is dedicated to a timeless dream
Flying through the air with only cement below you is a surprisingly attractive dream for millions of people who skateboard and a West Seattle company is responsible for making many of those dreams, their own included, come true in what is today an incredibly popular sport and a $5 billion dollar industry.
Grindline Skateparks , is currently building a 15,000 square foot facility at the park on Delridge Way but they have been doing this work for more than 20 years having now built more than 170 parks.
One of Grindline's designers Jimmy Jehgers explained the meaning behind the name of the company. "In skating, there is a term known as a “line,” which is a chosen path of tricks a particular skater performs back to back in sequence. For example, if a skater hits a few impressive tricks back to back, one might say “ nice line.” The term “grind” refers to a skater grinding his or her “trucks” (metal part of skateboard) on a surface while riding in motion. Many people assume this is where the name Grindline originates. It’s actually not. To Hubbard (President and CEO), Grindline means “Riding on the Edge (Grinding),” a representation of actually living one’s life on the edge."
The process of building a park begins with a site assessment followed by a computer aided design often by lead designer Micah Shapiro at their headquarters near West Marginal Way. The company moved there from their original site near Pigeon Point about 6 years ago.
Led by Mark Hubbard the process moves to digging out and shaping the raw site. "The first thing pretty much is to put in the drainage," he said.
Then the crew builds a wooden form with steel rebar, creating the basic shapes.
A specially blended concrete called "Shotcrete" that can hold a shape is brought in and applied through a pressurized nozzle, filling in the basic form.
The crew refines the raw application, shaving it, patching it and smoothing it in a series of steps until it has an extremely smooth surface. Smooth enough Hubbard joked, "to rub your face on."
Every member of the crew is also a skateboarder, some of them with a lot of experience and it's never far from their mind. It's clearly an obsession.
Grindline has built skateparks all over the United States and in fact all around the world including Edina Minnesota, Herzliya, Israel, Okinawa, Copenhagen, Denmark and are planning the biggest one in the world for Spring Park Texas and in the process have won numerous awards and accolades for their work. But the site at Delridge is "one of my favorites because it's right by my house. When you can work it around trees like this one, it's beautiful. What I love about this is the street is right there and people drive by and their honking and waving.
How To Form Concrete Steps - News
Jake Pogue of Puyallup catches big air off the steps of Tollefson Plaza in downtown Tacoma during Tuesday's Go Skate Tacoma event. Skateboarders long have been banned from Tollefson Plaza, warned by signs and skate stoppers that they're not welcome in
A specially blended concrete called "Shotcrete" that can hold a shape is brought in and applied through a pressurized nozzle, filling in the basic form. The crew refines the raw application, shaving it, patching it and smoothing it in a series of steps
As many legislatures around the country have finished their work for the year, fewer than one-fourth of states have taken concrete steps to create health insurance marketplaces, a central feature of the federal law to
In part, my reply was “in order for renewables to be a concrete, lasting part of our overall energy mix, they will need to be self sustaining on their own merits. Not to some greater authority's view of who should win and who should lose.
So while there's no data proving that mosquitoes are on the rise -- as if anyone who has spent more than five minutes near a wooded or wetland area needs concrete evidence -- Makoski said complaints from residents as well as the health department's own
www.Expressions-LTD.com: Concrete Edge 7.5" Rough Rock Step Liner
Made of extremely durable polyurethane that can flex and stay strong. Can be used in pre-cast or poured in place concrete work. Cut to length easily with a utility knife. Join cut pieces using silicone. Fast and easy to place in a mold, and quick to clean after use. Good for hundreds of uses- Actually gets better with each use.
Product Specifications: Measurements: 89 1/2"L x 7 1/2"H.
Mold Setup: Place in mold and either silicone in place, or screw through a backing form into the Edge Form Liner (screw holes will disappear once you back the screws out). Silicone a bead across the full length of the bottom of the Edge Form Liner to create a water-tight seal. Use of form release is recommended, but usually not necessary. Form release generally will create a smoother finish on the concrete. Vibrate concrete well, or use fingers along entire length of Form Liner to remove as many air pocket voids as possible.
Edge Liner Removal: After the concrete is sufficiently set up (typically 2-3 days), remove the Edge Form Liner. Removal is simple- start on one end, and slowly peel the Form Liner away from the concrete. Concrete usually will have small 'bumps' which can be sanded off with a 200 grit sandpaper. These bumps tend to disappear the more the Edge Form Liner is used, as it becomes seasoned. Fill any air pocket voids with a slurry mix. Cenospheres (sold separately) make slurry fill voids more easily, and with less shrinkage.
Edge Liner Care: Clean with a stiff brush and water after each use. Any silicone left on the forms should be peeled or scraped off (the sooner the easier to remove). Any hardened concrete can usually be removed using a wire brush. *Occasional imperfections may be present on the Edge Form Liners, and can be altered using a sharp utility knife, or a very abrasive sand paper or resin-bound grinding discs.
Shipping Information:
Usually ships within 1-2 business days.
How To Form Concrete Steps - Bookshelf
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