I am currently trying to get the drainage passed and remedial work on manholes done for adoption of same. Problems are the main runs and manholes were done by other guys and the standard of workmanship is not up to standard in my opinion. Managed to get the get the air testing passed ( don't ask ??? )
Loads of work to do on channels, some missing, where there are channels some out of alignment, slippers were put in upside down and had to smash them to get a bung up, after chiselling concrete and grano out of pipe ends,( imagine what they left down/up the pipes? . Benching inadequate, or washed away, lifting eyes not filled, regulating brickwork not pointed and oversized joints. As you'd expect with such shoddy work a blockage occured resulting in 2 x 4metre deep manholes filling up and one overspilling onto the main highway resulting in raw sewerage going down surface water gullies. Got a soup sucker and jetter and we spent all day clearing the blockage. Looking down the manholes i can see 9heavyweight debris in the channels. A disinfecting unit was booked but my boss cancelled saying: will be to costly. Want's me to go down and clear rest out, which i will because my job. The back drop is blocked so the sewerage coming out the main run and free falling right where i would be standing. His solution fill the upstream with water and let the bung go. But with the amount of debris...bricks, the shite benching washed down there, terran pieces from manhole lid covering, half bats and snots from the 10 course of regulating brickwork ( yes 10 ) cleaning rags, not to mention the raw sewage, i reckon that to be a bad idea. I told him it needs a proper cleaning team with catchers at the channels for debris and jetted manhole by manhole or a blockage will occur somewhere downstream resulting in a costly road closure ( main fast by pass ) and dig down. Nope " get it done and cut out the step irons." He's obsessed with the steps being cut out before remedial works are completed. Anyway i had a argument with him about it all. I know steps have to be removed but i remember it being on manholes less than i metre deep ??? Our building control guy wants any regulating brickwork done with just bricks, no tiles etc: i'm watching guys cutting loads of slants by using one foot on the brick, surely that's not on? Anyway it is the worst workmanship i have ever seen in my 40 odd years as a drainlayer. Comments welcome :;):
I've worked on massive jobs where over 2000 guys grafting away but never seen anything like it. That's maybe not true, Crossness was bad to and we the taxpayer footed the bill for that. I was made redundant there for voicing my concerns. It's why i hate starying on jobs that have been going some time, most of the shit work is hidden until inspection days. OCD I s'pose :)
I'm getting that feeling now LLL, it being about money i mean. I also put it down the site manager not doing quality control. In my day if it wasn't done right the clerk if works would have it out at your own cost. Glad you and guys on here push for quality.
I did a drive on an 8 year old house David Wilson house a few months ago where the drainage was shocking.
None of the aco channels had traps, they just cut holes in the pipes than run about 150mm below finished level.
One was blocked with concrete and no inspection chambers where the pipes change direction.
The client was fuming as you'd expect him to be.
I've been on a few big site's where the ground workers just bodge it as they go. Most think they get away with it as it all goes unseen.
its easy to criticise these kind of bodges
but none of us know what pressure the men were under
how many times I have heard "just make it happen" or "get it done today" when a subby wants work done fast and doesnt care
LLL
I know what your saying Tony.
Makes no difference to most of us private/domestic paving business but the people that buy these homes brand new from big company's are getting there pants pulled down.
I'll bet the big groundwork company's are charging a lot more for the drainage work than we are too.
On the plus side, we get to put it right.
lutonlagerlout wrote:its easy to criticise these kind of bodges
but none of us know what pressure the men were under
how many times I have heard "just make it happen" or "get it done today" when a subby wants work done fast and doesnt care
LLL
Not as much pressure as i am trying to put it right and emptying manhole after manhole full of shite. It's sub standard work and i for one won't condone it. Adding an extra hour to a job when it's first done can save days of remedial work. Some manholes can take a week to seal the leaks and not kidding.
most jobs out to tender cheapest win its, not the best form so guys get taken on to do stuff dont know better no oversite checking shit work happens. no come back to the guys doing it, they dont get the phone call on a sunday night when something gone tits up
Giles
Groundworks and Equestrian specialists, prestige new builds and sports pitches. High Peak, Cheshire, South Yorkshire area.
