That's 48 feet of PSL (parallel strand lumber) one of 6 engineered beams in the Octagon house

The crane lifts it with ease.

This is one of the main supports for the big octagon. Each is 48' long by 4 inches wide by 17 3/4 inches deep. Supported at each end by a piling.

Here you can see the whole beam being moved into place...

Michael (my framer, Wayne's helper) holds the static line as the beam is moved over the big octagon...

Wayne on the scaffolding, guiding the beam end into place atop the piling...

The concrete block walls were left 17" shorter on the sides to accommodate the beams...

Wayne toenailing the beam into place....

A distance shot, showing the beam atop the wall.

Preparing to move the second beam into place.

It flys thru the air with the greatest of ease...

Second beam in place. Setting both beams took only about an hour and a half.

This is a real good shot of how the beam rests on the concrete wall and on the piling.

Wayne was able to get the connector beam (non-bearing) in place today, too. We may make up some time here!

We're gonna have to box that crooked middle piling!

Looking at the second beam from the west.

This gives you a good idea of how the beams are joined atop the notched pilings.

The "Stonehenge" look is starting to go away...