Dear All, Many thanks to Tony Moss and Brian Albinson for the most erudite comments so far...
Tony: I vaguely recall the constructions techniques used in Spitsbergen, namely very deep piles as you note. Here, of course, there is permafrost and one can rely on the ground being permanently frozen below a certain depth which gives stability. I am not sure how this translates when you go to not-quite-so-frozen latitudes a little further south! Brian: I am most interested to hear of your method (ii) for mosaic work. This sounds well worth pursuing. What kind of foundations did you have below the surface? How do you stop water getting into the ground beneath the dial and doing nasty things when it freezes and thaws? Frank King Cambridge, U.K. -
