When I asked Larry Bartlett about the size of the ICF blocks, he said, "Don't worry, we can easily cut the blocks to whatever size you want." I found out that yes, the blocks may be cut, but most of the other construction materials used were based on 2' and 4' measurements. So the concrete-wall-to-concrete-wall dimensions should have been based on 2' and 4' to make maximum use of these expensive materials.

Ryan Copeland prepared the forms for the footers, then he and Daniel Montgomery used a rotating laser level to adjust the height, then Daniel screwed the form to a metal support.

Chris Strode slid 6" plastic spacers into an ICF foam block while Daniel carefully placed the block into a metal guide that was screwed to the steel-reinforced concrete footer. 

The floor level at the front of the house was raised with a few courses of ICF. Adjustable wooden braces supported the ICF when it was poured. A friend examined the 6" steel-reinforced concrete wall. 

Footers were prepared for the inner ICF walls.

Andrzej Gutek checked the slope of the garage drains as he installs them.

Ten inch block (should have been 12" block for a sturdier ledge) was laid for an underground wall with a brick ledge just below ground level. The wall will be poured 6" wide aboveground.

Eric Harris and Doug Bos of M & D Electric (100 Mill Drive, Cookeville, TN, 38501, 931 520-8847; highly recommended) cut the PVC drain pipe to size with a reciprocating saw, then glued and set the pipes into sloped trenches.

The gravel was leveled, covered with a vapor barrier (6 mil plastic), a layer of foil-backed 3/4" foam (to cushion, insulate, and reflect heat), a layer of 1/2" extruded insulating foam and a grid of reinforcing rebar in preparation for the concrete.

While a truck dumped concrete into the hopper, Larry supervised the pour from the back of his concrete pump truck and operated the boom from a remote control strapped to his waist.

Daniel Montgomery covered the floor with concrete while Stewart Daniels, John Duck, Daniel Bos, and Fred Bellis smoothed and leveled the surface. A laser level was used to check the height of the floor from time to time.

The last load was dumped directly from the concrete truck and spread.

The surface was leveled with a gas-powered vibrating screed.

The slab was further smoothed with a concrete float.

A slick finish was achieved with hand trowels, with a little bit of water sprinkled onto the surface now and then, and gas-powered trowel machines.