The Construction Thread

[thør]

Someone forgot what they learned in Statics

Four construction workers repairing a drawbridge in Florida had to be rescued by firefighters with ladders when the eastern half of the drawbridge rose to 60 feet in the air, stranding the workers. Co-workers from PCL Civil Constructors had shut down the bridge's hydraulic system, but there was not enough ballast to keep the bridge closed. "We've never had this happen before," said Bruce Trott, vice president and district manager for PCL's Tampa office.

 

[koalabear]

That would be kinda cool, if instead of having to sort through a giant roll of decaying prints blowing around in the wind to jump from the erection plan to the shop drawing for piece 3A, you could just touch an iPad screen or something.

Next thing you know, you will want an Apprentice to do all the work for you.

 

[rosco rathbone]

Next thing you know, you will want an Apprentice to do all the work for you.

That'll make up for the time I was foreman, signalman and shop steward all at the same time for 6 months.

 

[rosco rathbone]

A depressing encomium to that vile material, concrete:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/opinion/13brownell.html?ref=opinion

 

[Saint Peter]

it's easier to send out a mass-mailing of large specs & plans by email (for free, no less) to gc's and subs than to prepare a whole truck full of fed-ex tubes

plus, nobody needs a huge book of printed out specs anyway. it's easier to just print out only the pages that are needed. not so much an environmentally conscious decision as it is a matter of efficiency.

It is also a good way to miss something and make mistakes.

 

[pete]

mistakes will be made whether it's electronic or paper.

 

[rosco rathbone]

mistakes were made

 

[pete]

mistakes are part & parcel of construction. the key is to absorb and adapt to the mistakes or altered conditions in the field.

and hey, don't be hating on concrete. it's been around for centuries and still smells like awesome

 

[Saint Peter]

Understood. I have possibly made one or two in my time.

Looking for details in a stack of prints just seems easier than seeing the same drawings on the AutoCad. Having the specs on a searchable PDF can be a time saver.

In a perfect world I would like to have both available.

 

[rosco rathbone]

mistakes are part & parcel of construction. the key is to absorb and adapt to the mistakes or altered conditions in the field.

and hey, don't be hating on concrete. it's been around for centuries and still smells like awesome

Concrete must know its place.

 

[Saint Peter]

Concrete must know its place.

Nice.

 

[pete]

Understood. I have possibly made one or two in my time.

Looking for details in a stack of prints just seems easier than seeing the same drawings on the AutoCad. Having the specs on a searchable PDF can be a time saver.

In a perfect world I would like to have both available.

depends on your location. in the architects office it pays to have paper and electronic copies, referencing the electronics prolly more often.

in a construction trailer on site it's easier to have one huge CD set with ASI's, SK's, shop drawings, etc, attached, so that the endless stream of subs and contractors are all looking at the same set. plus, they're all smelly & gross, who wants them touching your laptop?

 

[pete]

Concrete must know its place.

ha! you mean EVERYWHERE?

dude it's a utilitarian material that's crossed over into an approved finish material. anything that can be reinforced and poured for the foundation, colored and stamped for driveways, polished for a countertop, formed for retaining walls or interior walls, or sealed for flooring, is pretty damn remarkable.

hell sometimes you can even see thru it!
http://www.seattlepi.com/dayart/20040708/226translucentconcrete.jpg

 

[rosco rathbone]

ha! you mean EVERYWHERE?

dude it's a utilitarian material that's crossed over into an approved finish material. anything that can be reinforced and poured for the foundation, colored and stamped for driveways, polished for a countertop, formed for retaining walls or interior walls, or sealed for flooring, is pretty damn remarkable.

hell sometimes you can even see thru it!
http://www.seattlepi.com/dayart/20040708/226translucentconcrete.jpg

 

[Saint Peter]

Makes a nice driveway.


You can keep the counter tops.

 

[Raidho]

Concrete must know its place.

*thumbs up*

 

[pete]

why hate on a material? :-(

i like being open to anything new, or any new application of an older product.


concrete sinks & counters have come a long way, baby
http://www.trueformconcrete.com/images/concrete-sink-20.jpg

 

[rosco rathbone]

why hate on a material? :-(

i like being open to anything new, or any new application of an older product.


concrete sinks & counters have come a long way, baby
http://www.trueformconcrete.com/images/concrete-sink-20.jpg

I hate concrete because it's in competition with my trade for big buildings. It's not really a zero sum game since someone has to tie the rebar, but I find reinforcing ironwork to be one step from stoop labor.

 

[pete]

dude that's what el salvadoreans are for

rebar!!
http://www.rebarpricing.com/Rebar-Cost-big.jpg

 

[rosco rathbone]

dude that's what el salvadoreans are for

rebar!!
http://www.rebarpricing.com/Rebar-Cost-big.jpg

We don't look too kindly on illegal scab labor in NYC, even for such a material as ignoble as concrete.

 

[pete]

who said illegal? hell here in dc central americans are all over the job site, they're awesome laborers

what's your trade, man?

 

[rosco rathbone]

who said illegal? hell here in dc central americans are all over the job site, they're awesome laborers

what's your trade, man?

The illegals are doing a lot of high-rise work now in Manhattan. It's all incredibly shady.

They do work hard. Let them get their papers, join the union, pay dues and sit in the hall like everyone else.

I'm a structural steel erector.

 

[pete]

nice!
what bldgs have you worked on?

 

[rosco rathbone]

nice!
what bldgs have you worked on?

Bank of America tower, Time Warner Bldg, Bear Sterns, Bloomberg HQ, Ground Zero path station, most East River bridges and lots of smaller stuff.

 

[Saint Peter]

You need some top secret government work for that resumé.