One Month Later, Excavation Day 4 Begins: April 23, 2008

One can certainly not have a beef with DOB's Excavation Squad. 4 weeks after the second SWO, it turns out our friendly neighborhood developer's plans were a bit deficient. After redrawing, meeting and a rescind of the SWO, the crews are back to work. But wait, is that shoring instead of excavation I see?

A quick Building 101: "shoring" is done by driving metal piles (in this case I-beams) into the ground then adding planks in between to create a brace to keep the dirt at bay. This gives protection to the workers (and adjacent yards from collapse) so that they may due a partial excavation, form work and foundation pour without fear of a cave in from the side-yards. If it is done correctly! The crews at Monaco seem to be doing it right (as you'll see in the next gallery).

No matter. While a bit more expensive for our neighbor, much more safe for us and the folks in 313 23rd Street. Let the digging and shoring begin!