At the terrace end of what will become the new summit building the first of the galvanised steelwork has been erected.


Working on the stitcher J2 along grid line 13 in the
foreground.

At times, the site's constricted area can make working and moving machinery around problematic, especially with several jobs going on at once. Currently as well as trying to erect steelwork, drains are having to be put-in before the last stitchers in the foundations to complete phase one can be finished and digging-out the footings for the service wing continues.
 

Looking west along the busy Hafod Eryri site. The retaining wall can clearly
be seen at the far end.

John Craven was up at the summit today, filming how the work on Hafod Eryri was progressing for the BBC Countryfile programme that goes out on Sunday mornings. The weather has been very changeable of late and while work began in cold cloud with sleet showers it finished under a cloudless blue sky.


Work on Hafod Eryri starts to come out of the ground with the first piece of
steelwork being erected.

The contractors have made good progress over the last two weeks, losing only a couple of days work because of bad weather. Phase One is nearly finished. All the pre-cast foundation units, for the main cafe area and kitchen are in the ground, filled and with their lids fitted.


Steelwork on site that Carillion hope to start putting up by the end of the week.

A small mobile crane is now in position at the top of the mountain that will be used in erecting the steelwork at the summit. The next phase will also focus on putting in the foundations for the service wing running alongside the platform and containing the Stationmasters Office. The pre-cast units for this section of the building are currently in the compound at Clogwyn Station.


Setting out using an EDM (Electronic Distance Measuring) instrument.

For the workmen it has meant some long days starting with catching the train up at seven in the morning and often not leaving the summit until six-thirty in the evening.


Phase 1 is virtually complete. The service wing will run eastwards (left).

Just a couple of photos of the site before the weather changes to more unsettled conditions.


A view of the site at eight-thirty in the morning on the last day of the recent
exceptionally good spell of weather.


Moving reinforced concrete slabs to use as part of the retaining wall at the
south-west corner.

The exceptionally fine spring weather of the past couple of weeks has allowed the construction of Hafod Eryri at Snowdon's summit to stay on schedule. Only one day's work has recently been lost and that was due to high winds. Work is continuing apace to complete the foundations with the train ferrying skips of ready mixed concrete up the mountain.


Scooping concrete out of the skip and pouring it over the shuttered
reinforced steel framework of the stitcher.

Learning from their experience of the first delivery of concrete to the summit, the quality of the mix has been enhanced by Cemex, the World's biggest supplier of ready mixed concrete. They commented that this has certainly been one of their more unusual orders with unique challenges.


Workers ensuring the mix is homogenous using 'poker vibrators'.

A super plasticiser has been added, reducing the amount of water needed but still keeping the mix workable, together with a retarder to hold back the set. Added polypropylene fibres prevent the mix segregating and bleeding (too much water coming to the surface) while it is being transported. These fibres also guard against frost attack and make the set concrete more durable.


Filling the skips in the yard at Llanberis with ready-mix prior to being loaded
on to the train.

Last Wednesday the first delivery of shiny galvanised steel-work arrived in Llanberis, all numbered like a giant Meccano construction kit.


The freshly galvanised steel framework of Hafod Eryri.


Yeti, the name of the engine pulling the flat-bed truck
up to the summit and is "Dedicated To All Creatures
Of The Mountains Living And Legendary".