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Anderson Japanese Gardens

Anderson Japanese Gardens

Posted On: February 18, 2021

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West Waterfall Construction Part 3:


Photo 1:


In the Spring of 1989 progress continued on the construction of the West Waterfall. One by one the boulders were positioned to create the twenty-foot-tall lower falls. In total, there were thirty days of rock setting, all guided by master garden craftsman Hoichi Kurisu with the support of his crew in tandem with the Anderson Japanese Garden team. The first course of boulders was set upon a four-foot thick, steel-reinforced concrete slab. In total, 750 tons of glacial erratic boulders would be utilized on the project.


Photo 2:


To ensure long-term stability, four-inch-deep holes were drilled in multiple places on the backside of each boulder. Steel rods were then inserted into the holes with the opposite end of the steel rod welded to the steel wall. The image illustrates this method, as viewed from the top. The space between the wall and the boulder would then be filled with concrete.


Photo 3:


With boulder work on the steel wall nearly complete, the crew turns its attention to creating the spillway of the waterfall. Note the heavy steel reinforcement of the stream bed as the concrete is put in place.


Photo 4:


With the concrete still wet, Mr. Kurisu orchestrates the position of a boulder as it hangs from the crane. The rock shown is part of the small dam that holds water in the pond at the very bottom of the lower falls. The boulder will split the water cascading over the dam creating part of the dynamic, seemingly ‘made by nature’ form of the falls. Every aspect of the waterfall’s design is informed by patterns in nature.


Next week we will follow the project as it moves up the steep slope to the top of the hill!


#throwbackthursday




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