2000
Mad Dog extended our working hours to 8 pm, which means I’m now scheduled for thirteen and a half hour workdays. It’s especially crazy because there isn’t any work for me to do.
Two days ago my squad leader asked me for a list of tools and materials that I would need for the bridge and for a man-day estimate of my labor expended on the project. With a little help from my EA1 it took half an hour to figure it out. I submitted my requests and asked some follow-up questions:
I heard that the contractors do all the concrete testing in Cuba. Is that true or do I need to order cylinders?
Silence. He writes something down.
You should also ask who is going to break the cylinders. If it’s me, then we’ll need to be sure to order them – three per truck – but if not then the engineering firm that does the breaks should provide the forms as a part of the breaking fee.
I’ll ask. But if we do have to order them how many will you need?
It depends on the size of the trucks. Are you going to order the crete 10 yards at a time?
…I don’t know.
Well, once we know that we can count up how many cylinders we’ll need.
The prints say we’re going to blue top a small portion of the road leading up to the bridge on both sides. Is that all the blue top we’re doing or do I need to order extra stakes?
Uh… that’s one of the things I need to ask. I don’t know if we’re supposed to blue top anything or not. You think we are?
Well, it says we’re going to on the prints.
Confusion encourages smoke brakes, smoke brakes encourage coffee breaks, coffee breaks lead to gossip, and all that wasted time means nothing gets done. That’s why we’re doomed to an 8 pm closing time.
Two days ago my squad leader asked me for a list of tools and materials that I would need for the bridge and for a man-day estimate of my labor expended on the project. With a little help from my EA1 it took half an hour to figure it out. I submitted my requests and asked some follow-up questions:
I heard that the contractors do all the concrete testing in Cuba. Is that true or do I need to order cylinders?
Silence. He writes something down.
You should also ask who is going to break the cylinders. If it’s me, then we’ll need to be sure to order them – three per truck – but if not then the engineering firm that does the breaks should provide the forms as a part of the breaking fee.
I’ll ask. But if we do have to order them how many will you need?
It depends on the size of the trucks. Are you going to order the crete 10 yards at a time?
…I don’t know.
Well, once we know that we can count up how many cylinders we’ll need.
The prints say we’re going to blue top a small portion of the road leading up to the bridge on both sides. Is that all the blue top we’re doing or do I need to order extra stakes?
Uh… that’s one of the things I need to ask. I don’t know if we’re supposed to blue top anything or not. You think we are?
Well, it says we’re going to on the prints.
Confusion encourages smoke brakes, smoke brakes encourage coffee breaks, coffee breaks lead to gossip, and all that wasted time means nothing gets done. That’s why we’re doomed to an 8 pm closing time.
posted by Jessica at 12:49
4 Comments:
My husband John wants to know what grade of steel will you use and what PSI is the mud?
Are you having a 14 or 28 day break?
Are you using additives in the mud?
I needed his help as I don't have a clue as to what you're talking about.
We do a 7, 14, and 28 day break. The idea is that if one of the cylinders is geeked up we can count on the other two. But with only two it turns into a he-said-she-said ordeal.
I'd have to check the specks, but I'm pretty sure the design strength is 5,000 PSI.
We haven't ordered the crete yet, so I'm not sure about additives. However, it's hot in Cuba (I think last Christmas it was 90 degrees) so I imagine we'll add some sort of retardant which will prevent it from setting up to rapidly and will also give us a little more time, about 30 extra minutes, that it can sit mixing in the truck before we place it.
We contract out all of our concrete whenever possible but we are able to mix it ourselves (even with our little mixers it's a bitch). When we mix it ourselves the usual additive for a slow set up is sugar.
I see. (No she doesn't, she's lying)
Do you remember how the teacher sounded on the "Charlie Brown" episodes?
Without John as an interpreter, I'm clueless. But it sounds fascinating.
I'm with Becky. I love hearing about it (both from Jessica and Tyson...I'm going to start calling you my two Seabee Sweethearts...oh how cute!) but I am confused most of the time. it's the Mathiness.
on a related side note: When I talked to (drunk) Tyson last night he got very excited that I knew what spaces was. See? I'm catching on to the lingo ;-)
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