Tinian construction

Several homes are being built on Tinian. The building construction here is very different than other areas of the world. In the house shown in the pictures, the following process is used:

1. A base layer of crushed limestone from the local quarry is put down and then tamped into a hard base.

2. After plumbing and electrical lines are run, a concrete pad is poured.

3. A concrete footing is poured on top of the pad, then the concrete block are placed on top of this footing (with steel rebar running from footing to roof).

4. Rebar is placed in every row of block at the corners, and every two rows of block the entire length of the wall. After about four rows of block are laid in place, the block wall is filled with concrete (so, by the end of the process, the entire wall is solid concrete).

5. After the block is laid, a concrete beam is poured on top of the walls.

6. The roof is of poured concrete. A wood frame is built to hold up the concrete while it is poured and sets-up.

I have provided a picture of another house that has the concrete roof poured and in place.

I have also provided a house that has a metal roof. The house is built in a similar way, but instead of a concrete roof, a metal roof is installed (this is not as safe in this typhoon prone area, but it is less expensive).

Concrete homes in the states are usually made of poured concrete: wood forms are used to create walls, then the concrete is poured into these forms. Once the wood is removed, a solid concrete wall is created. Special equipment is required for this work however.