A rant about road construction speed

[Dedpuhl]

That explains the 4 guys standing around the hole in the road while 1 guy was digging. I guess that one hole took a lot of supervising because when I came back hours later, the same guy was still digging and the 4 other guys were now sitting on coolers beside the road.

I used to think this until I became a Civil Engineer. Then, I started running construction projects and working as the resident engineer. One guy is probably a supervisor/foreman. The other two are laborers and waiting for their turn OR waiting for the one guy digging to get to a point they are needed. If a construction manager would allow them to stand around all day long while one guy works, then the CM is costing his company money...a lot of money.

The "non-construction" people need to realize that most of these projects are bid as either lump-sum OR Guaranteed Max Price (GMP; essentially time and materials). As the resident engineer on lump-sum jobs, I don't give a shit if 20 guys watch one guy dig. All I know is that they better do it within their budget. I remember these type of things when negotiating change orders.

 

[zinfamous]

It has taken 10 years to replace 1/2 a bridge and the entire original bridge took 3 years to complete.

this sounds strange to you?

:hmm:

 

[zinfamous]

In Canada the seasons are: Almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction

liar.

that's the common rant of the Chicago Taxi driver.

 

[Argo]

City of Seattle is expanding a highway ramp off i5.m. They started 2 years ago, and are still going strong.

In that period a private company built 6 buildings nearby.

 

[Tsaico]

I was also told there is a certain amount of time needed for the cement substructure to cure before they can have people driving on it. That is partially why pre-fab slab are becoming the way to build things so this can happen at the same time as the prep work.

But I do agree that it takes way too long. Most of it I blame on the city/county that requires the RFP's and the length it takes to rule by committee. Then the contractors are at fault because they put in their bid, start on the work, then hold the area hostage by saying they need "x" more to finish because the costs of material went up during the time it took to approve the work in the first place. (Riveside County had a series of overpasses, 91, 215, and 60, then the 215 60 both had this happen.

 

[Gibson486]

I was also told there is a certain amount of time needed for the cement substructure to cure before they can have people driving on it. That is partially why pre-fab slab are becoming the way to build things so this can happen at the same time as the prep work.

But I do agree that it takes way too long. Most of it I blame on the city/county that requires the RFP's and the length it takes to rule by committee. Then the contractors are at fault because they put in their bid, start on the work, then hold the area hostage by saying they need "x" more to finish because the costs of material went up during the time it took to approve the work in the first place. (Riveside County had a series of overpasses, 91, 215, and 60, then the 215 60 both had this happen.

Actually, in public projects, your bid is your bid. You can't hold a project hostage because your supplies when up in cost. If that happened, then they must have circumvented bid law somehow or the highways are run by a private company.

 

[Gibson486]

I used to think this until I became a Civil Engineer. Then, I started running construction projects and working as the resident engineer. One guy is probably a supervisor/foreman. The other two are laborers and waiting for their turn OR waiting for the one guy digging to get to a point they are needed. If a construction manager would allow them to stand around all day long while one guy works, then the CM is costing his company money...a lot of money.

The "non-construction" people need to realize that most of these projects are bid as either lump-sum OR Guaranteed Max Price (GMP; essentially time and materials). As the resident engineer on lump-sum jobs, I don't give a shit if 20 guys watch one guy dig. All I know is that they better do it within their budget. I remember these type of things when negotiating change orders.

You live in FL? You ever do projects in MA? The whole "sub bids" law makes everyone cry

 

[tonyac]

nice to come across you, Dedpuhl. i'll be doing my research on road construction and in connection to it, gathering possible info. on road surfacing and dust control. if you can, pls drop links to good references; I can go thru on web. http://www.soilsolutions.com/, http://www.londonsurfacing.co.uk/ are among the ones I liked.

 

[DaTT]

There's more to it than just road construction. Water mains, storm sewers, sanitary sewers, gas lines, hydro, phone, all may have to be relocated.

 

[rh71]

overtime pay