American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 113 Construction Methods for Permafrost Foundations
Lin Yu'an immediately took action, put on his Arc'teryx down jacket, and started his Zongshen tricycle.

Stan rode his snowmobile, while David and George sat in the back, experiencing this vehicle from China for the first time.
The group formed a peculiar convoy and drove deeper into the town of Wiesman.

Old George's cabin was bigger and tidier than Stan's, and a well-maintained old Ford pickup truck was parked in the yard.

On the other side of the courtyard, under a huge canvas cover, the outline of a large machine can be vaguely seen.

An elderly man with a full head of silver hair, but still in good health, was chopping wood in the yard; he was Old George.

“Hey, George! I’ve brought a new neighbor to meet you!” Stan called out from afar.

Old George stopped what he was doing, straightened up, and scrutinized Lin Yu'an, who was getting off the tricycle, with sharp eyes.

"Stan, is this the Chinese kid you mentioned?"

Old George's voice was loud and clear, with a slight Texas accent, indicating that he had also immigrated from the mainland United States.

“Hello, Mr. George, you can call me Lin or Herman.” Lin Yu’an stepped forward and extended his hand.

Old George shook his hand firmly.

“Just call me George. I heard from Stan that you’re planning to build something big on that rotten patch of land by the river?”

"Yes, sir, we're just about to begin." Lin Yu'an smiled, without immediately mentioning borrowing the equipment.

He turned around and took two items out of a waterproof box in the back of Zongshen's tricycle.

It was a beautifully packaged pack of "Chunghwa" cigarettes and a bottle of Feitian Moutai liquor.

"Mr. George, it's a pleasure to visit you. This is a small gift I brought from China. I hope you like it." He handed over the cigarettes and alcohol.

Old George raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise and curiosity flashing in his eyes.

He took the heavy bottle of Moutai, examined the Chinese characters on it that he didn't recognize at all, and then picked up the pack of cigarettes, attracted by its bright red color and pattern.

He smiled; this direct kindness surprised him, but he wasn't offended.

"Oh, a gift from China? Great, I like your style of bringing gifts to my door. Come in."

He accepted the gifts without hesitation and then turned to lead them toward his cabin.

Stan gave a knowing smile.

Inside old George's warm wooden cabin, the fireplace was burning brightly.

Old George generously produced five sturdy glasses and opened a bottle of his treasured bourbon whiskey.

Lin Yu'an then opened the bottle of Moutai, and a complex and mellow aroma instantly filled the air.

Old George twitched his nose, leaned closer to sniff, and showed an expression of interest on his face.

The five men raised their glasses and chatted about everything from hunting to fishing, from their hard work in the oil fields when they were young to interesting stories about the Wiesman community.

Lin Yu'an didn't rush to get to the point. Instead, as a newcomer to the community, he shared his experiences and listened to the stories of the two tough old men.

After a few drinks, the atmosphere became warm and harmonious.

Old George developed a strong interest in this calm, polite, and heavy-drinking young Chinese man.

Finally, he spoke up: "Alright, kid, let's get down to business. Stan said you're in trouble? Is it related to your big house?"

Lin Yu'an knew that the time had come to get down to business.

He nodded and said sincerely, "Yes, George. I am facing two major problems right now."

"The first challenge is processing the wood. I want to process the logs into building materials with flat top and bottom, but I lack a portable band saw."

"The second and more critical challenge is laying the foundation under the permafrost. I'd like to learn more about the local solutions."

"I know you are an expert in this field with more than 20 years of experience, so I would like to ask you how to build a solid foundation under the permafrost."

Upon hearing this, old George's face broke into a genuine, heartfelt smile of pride.

Lin Yu'an continued, "Then Stan told me that you have the best portable band saw in town."

"Therefore, I hope to get your help to rent your band saw for a period of time. Of course, I will pay a rental fee that will satisfy you."

After listening, old George took a sip of his drink but did not answer immediately.

After finishing his drink, old George laughed loudly, "You've come to the right person, kid. Alright, pour me another glass of that... whatever you call it!"

"After you finish this drink, I'll take you to see my treasure, and then we'll have a good chat about how to deal with this damn permafrost!"

Inside Old George's cabin, the wine was flowing freely.

As the conversation deepened, a genuine smile frequently appeared on old George's face.

That's the kind of smile a seasoned veteran gives when they see a junior they're serious about.

George downed the rest of his bourbon in one gulp, letting out a satisfied exhale as the ice cubes clinked against the glass.

Then, he stared at Lin Yu'an with his still sharp eyes and said, "Kid, let's talk about this damn permafrost."

Old George leaned back in his chair, the old leather sofa creaking in complaint.

With his arms crossed, his entire demeanor instantly transformed from that of a boisterous drinking buddy into that of a meticulous and seasoned engineer.

"Since you have a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, tell me, in a place like Wiesmann, what is the average depth of the seasonally active permafrost?"

"Don't give me those rough figures from the internet; I need in-depth data that can be used in engineering and takes safety into account." This was a very professional question, hitting the nail on the head.

David immediately perked up and gestured for Mike to point the camera at the two of them, at the table covered with whiskey and a map.

He instantly realized that this scene was no longer just simple neighborhood chatter.

It will be a collision of knowledge and experience, creating scenes that give the audience a thrill! That's the kind of high-quality content the show needs most!

Lin Yu'an did not hesitate at all. He didn't even try to recall it; the data seemed to be etched into his mind.

He calmly replied, "Based on the geological report on the Coyok River basin issued by the U.S. Geological Survey that I found, combined with past meteorological data models, we have reached this conclusion."

"The active permafrost in this area has an average annual thawing depth of between 1.5 and 2 meters."

"But this is an average. On some south-facing slopes that are inundated by river water, or in areas with sparse vegetation and more sunshine in summer, the maximum melting depth may reach 2.5 meters."

"Therefore, for absolute safety, the piles of any permanent foundation must be driven to a depth of at least three meters to be effectively anchored in the stable and reliable permafrost layer below."

"Good answer, it's clear you did your homework."

Old George's eyes lit up, and he picked up his glass and took another sip of whiskey.

He hadn't expected Lin Yu'an to have done such thorough research; it was clear he was genuinely serious about settling in Alaska.

Old George then posed a second question: "So, given this situation, what do you think is the best foundation option?"

"Many contractors like to dig directly into the frozen soil and pour a huge, thick concrete foundation. What do you think?"

"No, that would be a disaster. Digging deeper would completely disrupt the thermal balance of the permafrost below."

Lin Yu'an shook his head, his tone very firm in rejecting this seemingly straightforward solution.

"In summer, the heat from the outside will be continuously conducted down through the huge concrete foundation, causing the permafrost around the foundation to thaw irreversibly!"

Then he picked up the pencil on the table and quickly drew a clear structural sketch on the paper.

This action excited David and Mike, and the camera immediately zoomed in on them.

"I believe the best solution is an elevated, independent pile foundation, also known as a raised pile foundation."

Pointing to the sketch, he explained, “You should use a spiral drill to drill holes downwards at each load-bearing point, such as the four corners of the house or the intersection of load-bearing walls.”

"Based on the estimated total weight of the house and the local geological conditions, the anchoring depth should be at least four to five meters."

"This is to provide sufficient freezing force to resist the settlement and tilting of the house."

"Then, on top of these concrete piles, a platform at least half a meter above the ground is built using height-adjustable steel connectors."

"Then build the entire lower frame of the wooden house on this completely elevated platform."

He drew arrows for airflow on the drawing with a pencil: "In this way, the house is completely separated from the ground, and cold air can circulate freely under the house."

"It will neither transfer heat from inside the house to the ground, causing the permafrost to melt, nor will it be affected by the supporting force generated by the frost heave of the surface soil in winter."

After listening to Lin Yu'an's clear and logical explanation, the scrutiny in Old George's eyes completely turned into appreciation.

"You know your stuff, kid."

“You’re absolutely right. You understand this better than many contractors who come here to do projects and only know how to build according to the blueprints.”

"but."

"Theory can't solve the problem of doing it. Summer in Alaska looks wonderful, but it has its own troubles when it comes to concrete."

"The polar day here lasts for two months, with more than 20 hours of sunshine a day. Sometimes the temperature rises very quickly. How do you prevent the concrete from setting too fast and causing shrinkage cracks?"

Lin Yu'an thought for a moment and said, "The concrete surface can be covered immediately after pouring, for example, with a plastic film."

"Furthermore, after initial setting, continuous water spraying is carried out to keep the surface moist and slow down the rate of water evaporation."

"But I really don't have any local experience with what wind speed and temperature to start spraying water, and how often to spray it, which is exactly what I'd like to ask you."

"Good, kid, at least you know to moisturize."

Lin Yu'an's humble yet assertive attitude, which demonstrated both theoretical knowledge and frankly pointed out his shortcomings in practice, completely won Old George's respect.

In the United States, especially in places like Alaska, people respect experts, but they respect even more those who are willing to admit their ignorance and humbly seek knowledge.

"Hahaha!" Old George burst into loud laughter again.

He stood up and patted Lin Yu'an's shoulder hard, so hard that Lin Yu'an could feel his sincerity.

"Dude, you're great. You've done your homework. In Alaska, the worst people are those self-important idiots; they'll only get themselves killed. You're excellent!"

He turned to Stan and said, "Stan, the guy you brought this time is interesting."

"Come on! I'll take you to see my baby."

Old George led everyone out of the warm wooden cabin and to the huge canvas cover on the other side of the yard. He untied the ropes and yanked the canvas open.

A Woodland Mills HM126 portable band saw, which looked extremely well-maintained and was painted in orange and black, suddenly appeared before everyone's eyes.

Its track is nearly eight meters long and is made up of several two-meter-long standard parts spliced ​​together. Next to it are neatly hung band saw blades of various sizes and ages.

Not far away, there was also a small concrete mixer!

(End of this chapter)