I just thought of this, but is a trip to the Yard needed for more ballards before this can happen?
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I just did some measurements. The bollards are about 48 inches from the wall about 32 inches from the air conditioner and support pipes.
I’m not of the belief that the space available between the bollards and the wall is feasible for a bicycle rack for anything more than two bicycles.
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I would think the space to the West of the bollards is where we would want the bike rack.
That’s the way Rustin sketched it, but we are waiting for a bike parking design that was already stated, in this thread, to not be available now.
As a bicyclist I see the existing space between the bollards and the wall as being useable as is for at least a couple of bikes.
Placing a bike rack as sketched by Rustin could invite damage when the dumpster is emptied.
I know that it’s easy to have an opinion, but difficult to have a detailed plan that pleases everybody.
I’m in favor of waiting for a bicycle parking design and just getting the expanded accessibility parking space going for now.
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I don’t recall seeing a sketch but the way Clayton (from Bike Walk Wichita) had explained it was for them to be close to the already existing middle slab that leads to the door, and for more ballards to be placed in between the bike rack and the dumpster. On top of that, the existing ballards would be moved foward, and the ac (in the case that it isn’t functional) would be removed. Is that consistent with the sketch?
That being said, I know our intention was to pour the concrete for the bike racks at the same time as the ADA parking, but if its going to slow the process down for ADA parking, I’d rather hold off on the bike racks altogether. I unfortunately have bit off more than I could chew and this month is full of Events’ related work that has caused the bike rack idea to go to the backburner. I gotta get through April before I can pick it up again 
so if it complicates things too much, please just move forward with the ADA spots! 
we really really need those.
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I think we’re gonna have to call off doing the digging tomorrow…
If we don’t get much of a storm tonight, we’ll probably still be dealing with the poor air quality tomorrow… and for me, poor air quality and intense physical labor usually doesn’t end well.
There have been two people who verbally told me they would be willing to help but I guess we’ll just be patient, get more thoughts figured out on the bike rack and ballards and hopefully have a better plan in May.
Thank you guys for your support.
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So, sounds like there have been a lot of people reading this thread and it has been a case of timing.
Two people have stepped forward now and offered to help with their New Holland tractors, and several others with pic axes.
Given this weekend is the renaissance Faire, and next the gem and mineral show the weekend after, do we want to try to excavate on Wednesday May 1st (May one day), and aim for doing the pour Friday May 3rd?
May the Fourth be with us.
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So I have to find Star Wars themed cookies?
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The weather is looking a bit questionable on the 1st, and not so great on the 2nd. We can still do the digging on the 1st, but if we get rain on the 2nd, it might be a bit of a tough call in a load for the 3rd.
How are you guys feeling about doing a concrete pour after more rain?
(Dean did do some testing, and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be too difficult to dig down 4 inches)
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If we pull the trigger and pour, do we have material to cover the slab(s) in case of rain or are we just gambling?
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I think Mike has brought up a good point.
This being Kansas and there being a 7 day period to fully cure the slab, how are we planning to shield it from the elements?
As a part time wheelchair user, I would use the handicap spots from time to time if I reasonably could actually get it out of the car when necessary. Right now, I’m just not going down to the makerspace when my EDS starts acting up which is super often for me.
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Concrete can withstand rain in a couple of hours after being poured. Hail, though, can create dents for a couple more hours if very large. A lot of wetness while still very soft creates a weak surface subject to spalling.
Older style concrete mixes benefitted from being covered in wet straw and maintaining a film of water for anywhere from a couple of days to a week. But, modern concrete is neither harmed nor helped by being wet after the initial few hours.
I’ve poured concrete many times in drizzle or mist. And except for expected heavy rain or hail, or temperatures below 25° F, it’s not necessary to cover concrete the way it used to be done.
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We poured 2 slabs in the sleet one time. Weren’t covered but turned out ok. Of course the day before when we were digging out for the forms, it was 90 something and humid.
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Various sources differ on how concrete curing is measured and the times to attain measured percentage of ultimate compressive strength. Temperature is a major factor, as is the depth of the pour.
For most purposes, when it’s staying above 50°F overnight and not exceeding 90° during the day a 4 inch slab has 40 percent of the expected strength in 7 days and 90% after 28 days, under real world conditions.
In extremely deep pours, like Hoover dam, the concrete is expected to reach 99% cure in around 200 years.
General rules of thumb are don’t walk on it for a full day and don’t drive on it for a week.
This all has little to do with being OK uncovered in the rain. See earlier post for that.
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So this sounds like we can go forward with digging the spot tomorrow then.
I am tied up with meetings tomorrow, but will be around in the evening. I should be able to respond to text messages though if you guys decide to get started earlier in the day.
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Of course it was 90 for digging! 
Welcome to Kansas.
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I can be down there at 6pm or so if any more help is needed.
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Sorry, left out that this was in Oklahoma, but the same weather.
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Things didn’t work out today, but Dean and I did some talking this evening.
He will try to get his tractor out here by 4pm Monday (5/6) with a Middle buster / ripper attachment to dig up where he can reach. He doesn’t guarantee that he can hit exactly 4in deep, but if there are a few people that are certified shovel operators, we can probably get it leveled out and framed in time to enjoy some cookies.
We wouldn’t be able to pour that day, but that would give us some breathing room to pour at some point in the week.
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Is the plan to do the whole area, including where the bike parking is planned at this time?