Page 1 of 2
Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 4:27 pm
by Ted
I have to pour a concrete slab tomorrow of approx 3.5m x 1.5m in area for a 2000kg generator to sit on.
The slab is not going to get poured till the afternoon tomorrow (weather permitting) as we need to do some preparation works beforehand.
The client then wants to put this generator on the slab the following morning and have it running for three hours that afternoon to test it.
I have told them they can't and should really wait seven days and at the very earliest they should leave placing and running the generator on the slab until Monday.
How long would you advise the slab is left:
a) before the generator is placed on the slab; and
b) before the generator is started up?
Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 10:30 pm
by Ted
After many beers, we have made some progress towards a Monday placement pf the generator!
I really wish they would appoint a project manager though. The govt are running this project and taking all sorts of cuts out of it. This shed has cost well over millions of dollars to build when the average wage (excluding expats) is only a one or two dollars an hour!
The Angolan taxpayer (many don't pay tax) is being ripped off - well their oil is being ripped off to fund the priviledged few...
Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 12:41 am
by lutonlagerlout
something like that you would have thought a week or 2 was minimum, any vibration could wreck the concrete
sounds like a right bunch of cowboys ted
is it warm though?
bleeding freezing here
LLL <brrrrr> 
Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 6:18 am
by seanandruby
i would of thought 24 to 48 hours be sufficient. is it permanent, or temporary works ted.? on large jobs, sadly you dont have the luxury of time to wait for curing as you already know a? 
Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 10:08 pm
by Ted
I built the slab today...
Having paid for it, the government has now, this evening, after a meeting, decided they do not want it!
They now want the generator inside the building so the building will be full of exhaust fumes as the building is not on the grid and so the generator will be on all day everyday!
I thought I had come across some bad jobs in the UK before but this is the most disgracefully managed job I have ever come across in my life and ever expect to! The so called senior manager (who I have not yet met - a very powerful man I expect - I doubt he checks this site though) has delivered a job well over budget (100s of thousands of dollars over) which is of very poor quality in many areas and he has not even delivered it on time now, yet he will stilll get paid handsomely for it, whilst his "taxpayers" live on around a dollar a day!
Anyway, I am starting to annoy the management now by meticulously filing CVIs and reports. They aren't used to this! Word of mouth is the norm here... I am moving to solely residential work next year so am not that bothered... I can't work for corrupt governments who can't, or won't, appoint professional project managers... otherwise I am back to Blighty regardless of pay!
Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 10:16 pm
by Ted
seanandruby wrote:i would of thought 24 to 48 hours be sufficient. is it permanent, or temporary works ted.? on large jobs, sadly you dont have the luxury of time to wait for curing as you already know a?
It is (or was) meant to be permanent.
In this case, they should have known about the need for a generator as the building is in the middle of nowhere (off the grid) and they have overlooked so many vital parts it makes you wonder whether the guy in charge has any relevant experience whatsoever.
I wondered why there was no drainage plans and mentioned this at the start of the project... we are starting drainage now... digging under the foundations as drainage was forgotten!
Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 5:05 am
by lutonlagerlout
generator inside the building?!?!?!?!!?
wont that gas all the occupants?
i expect corruption is rife there ted, it is in most of africa.
its ingrained in their psyche to look for a backhander all the time
cheers LLL 
Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 8:16 pm
by Ted
What get's me is...
The top guy could just work out he has X amount to spend on a construction project (let's say US$1m).
He gets a chartered arch or an engineer and says "listen bud, I've got US$1m to spend, sort me out this for less than US$1m and we will split any profit between the price and US$1m this way..."
If he did this his man (ie, the arch or engineer) would bring the project in on time and on budget and to a good standard; and the African in charge could still make a dime. Instead, the way it goes is that a number of the African's subordinates end up making a dime as well as ensuring the project is a disaster financially, timewise and qualitywise!
There is no other way of describing it, other that upsetting, when you are doing a good job for them...
Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 8:19 pm
by Ted
lutonlagerlout wrote:generator inside the building?!?!?!?!!?
wont that gas all the occupants?
It will, but the guy in charge won't work there so doesn't care!
And why has he not thought about this and ensured it goes out for competitive tender regardeless of where it goes???
He only cares about the greatest kickback he will get and if that means gassing workers so be it...
Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 8:22 pm
by Ted
lutonlagerlout wrote:i expect corruption is rife there ted, it is in most of africa.
its ingrained in their psyche to look for a backhander all the time
It is downright fraud!
Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 8:46 pm
by Ted
lutonlagerlout wrote:is it warm though?
bleeding freezing here
About 25 degrees most days...
I put a vapour barrier in (something unheard of out here) and was able to trowel it the following morning....
It turned out well and is the best bit of concrete I have seen out here...
Mind you, I was not impressed with some of my workers who seemed to think that just because it is five o clock you finish regardless... the concept of getting a job done seems alien out here!
It was the barrow boys who caused it though... too slow!
Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 10:41 pm
by seanandruby
Is it worth the hag ted? dont be the fall guy on that project. when so many backhanders are being handed out anything you say will fall on deaf ears. you will be banging your head against the wall and just get frustrated to the point of making you ill.
Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2007 12:33 am
by James.Q
best bit of advice i can give IS PLEASE COME HOME:)
Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2007 1:43 am
by Suggers
Yeah but James - that's the whole point, Ted, can never come home anymore; he was only, 24 hrs from T***ington - look up Ted in archive... - cool foties.
Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2007 10:43 am
by Dave_L
James.Q wrote:best bit of advice i can give IS PLEASE COME HOME:)
What, back to these cold climes?? 