Raising a Timber Frame

On Saturday we helped with a timber frame pavilion raising at the elementary school in town. The school is planning to use the pavilion as an outdoor classroom as well as a community gathering space, and a number of teachers, parents, and community members came out to assist with the work.

The beams were precut and organized by the folks from the timber frame company, so the volunteers basically followed orders and provided manpower. We lifted the beams with looped straps and branches as shown in the image below, which turned out to be very easy and quick.

Once the pieces were laid out, we slid the notches together, then drilled and pegged the joints.

Next we lined the bases up with the foundation supports, looped a heavy rope attached to a tractor around the beam, then pushed the frame up while pulling the rope.

It looked a little something like this:

The timber bases were then tapped into place on the steel and cement foundation, and large bolts were used to secure them.

The whole process was repeated four times...

Until the site looked like this:

Next a ceiling and floor will be added. The space is already beautiful, surrounded by open fields and mountains, so I imagine it is going to be a remarkable spot when complete. I for one feel very lucky to have participated in the raising, and can't wait to see how it turns out!