Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[tikay]

maybe only tony will appreciate this, but "cube testing" of concrete gave me my 2nd biggest sweat of my professional career!

As tony mentioned you test cubes every 7 days to ensure they have reached the specification. Its not often that you get past 14 or 21 days before confirmation.

I once had failed tests right the way up to 42 days (6 weeks)!  In the mean time superstructure was up, roof on, wall cladding complete and we were due to commence the internal fit out on the Monday! Oh, and this was of a 100,00sq ft industrial unit. The problem being that if the cube test fails, the remedy is to rip the floor out and re-pour. Now although the subcontractor would be at fault, as a project manager it isn't ideal!

Cube day 42 squeaked past and we cracked on! There wee many visits to the toilet that sunday night!

Wow, & sadly, been there, done that, with many a sleepless night. The longer the delay in confirmation, of course, & as you allude, the worse the problem becomes.

In what guise were you a Project Manager? For the Client? Some responsibility, that.

Have loved this concrete convo, so many memories evoked. Yup, I'm a genuine saddo.

Ok, back to A-K UTG, & interminable HH's, under the thread title "DISCUSS".....

[outragous76]

Yes, all my project management has been on the professional side (Employers Agent/PM/Contract Administrator rolls) - never for the contractor - my skills are not THAT practical to work contractor side

[tikay]

and Tom, to continue your concrete education, Im sure you are aware of how a traditional reinforced concrete slab would be constructed with steel mesh

well google "steel fibre concrete reinforcement"

Imagine the time saved on these huge steel portal frame sheds you see everywhere, and just marvel in the genius of it! (it is not without problems thou!)

Norrrrrrrrrrr!

Please say it ain't so?

I bet I've sold, or used, more Mesh Reinforcement than almost any man alive, I also ran a group of steel reinforcement companies, KB Reinforcements.

A393, (my favourite), A252, A193, A142, wrapping fabric, & that bloody heavy stuff, B1152. Believe it or not, I recall all of those without recourse to google.

And now they are no more? RIP, I feel I've lost some good friends.

[outragous76]

oh its still used, but with the advent of D&B, contractors can save time and money in the right circumstances  - although I believe that underlying ground conditions need to be very good for it to be utilised fully

that being said, with retail warehousing not having significant loading requirements, it is hugely popular

[tikay]

Yes, all my project management has been on the professional side (Employers Agent/PM/Contract Administrator rolls) - never for the contractor - my skills are not THAT practical to work contractor side

Oh dear - we would have locked horns, from opposite sides of the table, then!

Do they still have C-o-W - "Clerk of the Works", or is that role now redundant? Met some right bastard C-o-W's in my time.

[tikay]

oh its still used, but with the advent of D&B, contractors can save time and money in the right circumstances  - although I believe that underlying ground conditions need to be very good for it to be utilised fully

that being said, with retail warehousing not having significant loading requirements, it is hugely popular

The Group I was employed by - Bowmer & Kirkland - were amongst the pioneers of D & B, in fact they went a stage further - they usully owned the land, too. MBN to be John Kirkland, OBE.

We also did - & this was was my personal responsibility - the first PFI Police Station - Ilkeston. So many stories in that one!

[outragous76]

Yes, all my project management has been on the professional side (Employers Agent/PM/Contract Administrator rolls) - never for the contractor - my skills are not THAT practical to work contractor side

Oh dear - we would have locked horns, from opposite sides of the table, then!

Do they still have C-o-W - "Clerk of the Works", or is that role now redundant? Met some right bastard C-o-W's in my time.

Well not really, but yes kind of!

And yes, we would no doubt of have some interesting exchanges over a filthy table in a porta cabin with tea in an unclean mug and heat coming from wall mounted convector with condensation dripping down the windows!

But like the majority of projects once the final account is sorted a friendly beer usually sorts things out! Although I think the larger the project, the less that occurs (unless it went smoothly of course)

[outragous76]

oh its still used, but with the advent of D&B, contractors can save time and money in the right circumstances  - although I believe that underlying ground conditions need to be very good for it to be utilised fully

that being said, with retail warehousing not having significant loading requirements, it is hugely popular

The Group I was employed by - Bowmer & Kirkland - were amongst the pioneers of D & B, in fact they went a stage further - they usully owned the land, too. MBN to be John Kirkland, OBE.

We also did - & this was was my personal responsibility - the first PFI Police Station - Ilkeston. So many stories in that one!

oooohhhhh interesting - what year was your first D&B - i was discussing this with someone a few months ago

[tikay]

Yes, all my project management has been on the professional side (Employers Agent/PM/Contract Administrator rolls) - never for the contractor - my skills are not THAT practical to work contractor side

Oh dear - we would have locked horns, from opposite sides of the table, then!

Do they still have C-o-W - "Clerk of the Works", or is that role now redundant? Met some right bastard C-o-W's in my time.

Well not really, but yes kind of!

And yes, we would no doubt of have some interesting exchanges over a filthy table in a porta cabin with tea in an unclean mug and heat coming from wall mounted convector with condensation dripping down the windows!

But like the majority of projects once the final account is sorted a friendly beer usually sorts things out! Although I think the larger the project, the less that occurs (unless it went smoothly of course)

Perfectly described! Jeez, the working conditions in construction were quite something.

Now I work with TV peeps, who are more precious than you can ever imagine, who throw a luvvy strop if the aircon is a shade too hot or cold. Honestly, I could slap them, but I just sit there quietly & sort of feel sorry for them.

[Dingdell]

He said that the stained glass in some 600 year old Cathedral was thicker at the bottom than the top, because, over the centuries, gravity caused the glass to move downwards. I think we can allow Gatters to call BS on that one, but who knows?

ooh, this one's easy

olde style glass manufacture wasn't as good as nowadays, you'd have thicker bits and thinner bits so obv you put the thicker bit at the bottom when you're fitting it. common sense really

got stuff to do now. can people hold off posting nonsense while I'm away?

Wooooah - That fits, for me, I'll buy that.

Whooooa hold on there old timer - don't forget that wonderful peice that Red posted a few years ago about the glass experiment. It shows glass moving over hundreds of years. Can't remember what it was called but that is never a problem in this place.

[tikay]

oh its still used, but with the advent of D&B, contractors can save time and money in the right circumstances  - although I believe that underlying ground conditions need to be very good for it to be utilised fully

that being said, with retail warehousing not having significant loading requirements, it is hugely popular

The Group I was employed by - Bowmer & Kirkland - were amongst the pioneers of D & B, in fact they went a stage further - they usully owned the land, too. MBN to be John Kirkland, OBE.

We also did - & this was was my personal responsibility - the first PFI Police Station - Ilkeston. So many stories in that one!

oooohhhhh interesting - what year was your first D&B - i was discussing this with someone a few months ago

Mostly "sheds" in Derbyshire, but a lot of Holiday Inn Expresses, Sainsburys, (including two Distribution centres with high-bay automated warehouses & super flat floors), JCB. I did a lot of retail, too, Pizza Hut, Sainsburys, Tesco, Aldi (most of their UK Stores), Rolls Royce, da de da.

[tikay]

He said that the stained glass in some 600 year old Cathedral was thicker at the bottom than the top, because, over the centuries, gravity caused the glass to move downwards. I think we can allow Gatters to call BS on that one, but who knows?

ooh, this one's easy

olde style glass manufacture wasn't as good as nowadays, you'd have thicker bits and thinner bits so obv you put the thicker bit at the bottom when you're fitting it. common sense really

got stuff to do now. can people hold off posting nonsense while I'm away?

Wooooah - That fits, for me, I'll buy that.

Whooooa hold on there old timer - don't forget that wonderful peice that Red posted a few years ago about the glass experiment. It shows glass moving over hundreds of years. Can't remember what it was called but that is never a problem in this place.

Yeah, but Gatters called bs on it, so I put up the white flag. What do you think you are, a comedian or something?......

[Bongo]

D&B being?

[tikay]

D&B being?

"Design & Build".

Cuts out a lot of intermediaries, & saves a whole lot of time.

The Contractor assumes total responsibility to design the building or construction, the whole thing, from cradle to grave. Less Management lines, much "cleaner" & faster.

[RED-DOG]

He said that the stained glass in some 600 year old Cathedral was thicker at the bottom than the top, because, over the centuries, gravity caused the glass to move downwards. I think we can allow Gatters to call BS on that one, but who knows?

ooh, this one's easy

olde style glass manufacture wasn't as good as nowadays, you'd have thicker bits and thinner bits so obv you put the thicker bit at the bottom when you're fitting it. common sense really

got stuff to do now. can people hold off posting nonsense while I'm away?

Wooooah - That fits, for me, I'll buy that.

Whooooa hold on there old timer - don't forget that wonderful peice that Red posted a few years ago about the glass experiment. It shows glass moving over hundreds of years. Can't remember what it was called but that is never a problem in this place.

Some interesting pieces here


http://engineering.mit.edu/live/news/1305-how-does-glass-change-over-time


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070809130014.htm