Ground Cement Collars at www.japanese-home-gardens.com

Erecting a free-standing arbor follows the procedure for a wooden archway. Individual arch frames are nailed together and set in holes in the ground cement collars with cement collars. When the cement has set, additional crosspieces and rails can be added to tie the structure together. You will need surprisingly few tools and materials to construct an arch or arbor using rustic poles. Although the construction must be sound, accuracy is not quite as essential as it would be with wood of uniform section. Slight variations in the sizes and arrangement of the frame's pieces are all part of the attraction of the final appearance.

The resulting cement, produced from the formerly discarded grappiers, was of much higher quality than that obtained from the unsintered material. This fact was firmly established by the English cement manufacturer L. C. Johnson in 1845, and the term "portland cement" has since been applied solely to the cement made from the sintered material. This period marks the real beginning of the portland cement industry.

On a large flight—more than, say, about 10 steps—it is advisable to cast a cement footing in a trench at the base to support the bottom riser and prevent the entire flight from sliding down the bank. Dig the trench under the position of the bottom riser, about twice the front-to-back measurement of the riser, about 4in deep. Ram rubble into the base of the trench and top up to ground cement collars level with fresh cement. Compact the cement, level it and allow to set overnight before building on the surface.