All posts in Construction

Construction equipment refers to all vehicles and machinery designed for the purpose of the construction of buildings or any other man-made structure, and it performs tasks that were in the past impossible or difficult for humans alone to undertake by multiplying the input force so that the force exerted is much greater.

Hydraulics is the most common method for the transfer of power in construction equipment, which in layman’s terms is the transmission, control and distribution of energy and signals via pressurised liquid.

Types of construction equipment

Most people will have seen, and are able to identify, common types of construction machinery on building projects around the country. Construction is big business around the world and the UK is no exception. The UK has a huge amount of new-build estates and, while the recession has slowed the housing market somewhat, building sites are still a common sight as you travel around the country.

Here is an explanation of common forms of construction equipment you may have seen.

The crane

The crane is a huge lifting machine that’s used to move objects and materials vertically up or down, or horizontally across. It creates mechanical advantage allowing the movement of materials that wouldn’t be possible by human strength alone.

Cranes are commonly used in the transport industry as well as the construction industry for the loading and offloading of freight.

The first ever known cranes were invented by the Ancient Greeks and powered by humans or animals capable of bearing weight such as donkeys. During the middle ages, harbour cranes became popular to facilitate the construction of ships, and also to help load and offload their cargo.

With the onset of the Industrial Revolution, cranes were fashioned from cast iron and steel, which was much stronger than the wood they had previously been constructed of.

Excavators

These examples of construction equipment is commonly referred to as the digger, and is used to dig trenches, holes and building foundations, as well as for demolition, forestry work and heavy lifting. Colloquialism for the digger is JCB which is the name of the main manufacturer of such machinery.

There are many types of excavator including the compact excavator, the long reach excavator, the dragline excavator, the suction excavator and the power shovel.

Although well regulated nowadays, the construction industry has in the past been a dangerous one with many injuries and deaths occurring each year through dangerous practice. It’s essential that before a person used any construction equipment, he or she must undergo the correct training so as not to put anyone at risk of injury.

If you are planning to build a new home, Construction Building is the best builder that you can get. To be sure that every step of the construction is being deeply analyzed, Residential Architects should be there during the planning. These just dont sound to be a great deal but also is a secured choice for the construction of your home. Building a home is an investment not only as a shelter. In time you might decide to sell it, the construction should be well done to get a good price from buyers. Construction Building makes remarkable homes with their engineers and architects.

Planning is the most essential part of the whole home building. The best manpower that made up Construction Building gathers around and makes severe brainstorming for the construction. Residential Architects coordinate with the design considering some factors that can cause a good and bad impact in the process. You have to be involved in this as well. This is about building your home so it is important that you know how your builders deal with your home building. Given that you have told them your budget, they will see to it that everything fits best and they are efficient enough to let all set according to what you desire. Construction Building manages your budget, materials and scheduling. In the plan, there is already an anticipated delay and what they would do when that happens. The environmental impact is also considered when they do the planning. All you need to do is to be aware of all this even if they will update you from time to time. It’s not like you don’t trust them enough but involvement is a positive thing especially with your investment. It makes a good difference in whatever you would do.

Construction Building covers not only new homes but also renovation. With the technology today, Residential Architects utilize the technique that is suited for your desired design. It should also be conforming to local authorities assigned of the regulations for building construction. You should check if they follow the codes of practice that is required for them by law. Make sure that they only not impress you in their words but with the way they do their job. Construction Building, on the other hand, sees to it that they will exceed your expectations. At times when what you want may complicate with some factors in the construction plan, they will show you the pros and cons and make things better for you. No matter how complicated, they will surely make you proud of your home.

For a creative design and sustainable home that you want, Construction Building will make it for you. They will make a comfortable home that gives us warmth and brings our family closer. Since we like the feel of a good space and that adapts to what we need, they will surely bring convenience to us. Construction Building values your sense of place and wants to be a part of such a good benefit for you and everyone whom they have touched the lives.

The construction industry is an area that is full of potential risks and therefore a thorough risk assessment is essential for any project. The construction industry is one that has the potential for a wide range of health and safety issues to rear their head, and carrying out a risk assessment is one way to ensure that the chance of any incidents occurring is as small as possible, protecting everyone involved with the project.

Risk assessments not only involve identifying potential risks of a construction project but also weighting these against numerous other factors, including contractual obligations, financial constraints and the requirements of the proposed projects. It is important to consider the health and safety risks of a construction project in conjunction with these other factors and not as singular problems that are not affected by other aspects of the construction project, doing this could mean leaving yourself open to other risks you may not have initially considered or prepared for.

There are numerous qualified health and safety consultants that can be employed to carry out professional and thorough health, safety and risk assessments and have experience in a wide range of settings, including within the construction industry. Having an expert carry out a risk assessment on any construction project is imperative, especially as construction is often considered a high risk area, and these risk assessments can highlight issues that you may not have even considered could be a risk or potential problem, allowing you to prepare for potential problems and minimise the chance of them occurring.

Often to coincide with risk assessments many companies further this by employing the same companies to carry out air testing of the environment after project completion to ensure it meets and complies with UK building regulations. There are specialist risk assessments and air testing companies across the country that have experience in a number of fields including the construction industry. These often provide services locally, for example specialising in risk assessment in the Dorset area and air testing Bournemouth.

When undertaking any project, whether this is a construction project or any other one it is imperative to consult with experts and have a thorough and complete risk assessment carried out prior to starting. And by contacting the experts you can ensure that all the risk have been evaluated and health and safety measures have been put in place to reduce the risks to everyone involved.

Why is there so much talk about pond liners? Which ones are UV protected, or stronger, or last longer? I am by no means an expert on liner technology, nor have I ever used them in my 29 years of designing and building waterfalls. If you’re a “liner guy” disciple, I’m sure you’re thinking, “Oh no, here he goes.” To tell the truth, I have been minding by own business for over two decades, just watching, reading and listening to all the “experts.”

I’ve listened to how “pond liners are simple to install,” and “pond liners are inexpensive compared to concrete and steel,” and “pond liners are quick to install.” Or “pond liners last for 50 years,” “pond liners bring higher profits to pond construction and waterfall construction,” and “liners don’t contaminate the water with alkali as does concrete construction.” Yes, I’ve almost sold myself on listening to the facts of the “experts.” Well, not quite, due to a few facts of my own.

So, a pond liner is guaranteed for 40 to 50 years? I would have to agree with that, as long as you leave it in its box the whole time. Too bad a liner manufacturer’s warranty doesn’t include damage from gophers, ground squirrels, chipmunks, rats or mice. Or tree, plant and weed roots. Or from stretching and punctures in the liner due to heavy rocks and other sharp objects. Startling fact: a puncture only the size of a pin hole can cause a pond to lose one drip per second, or 5 gallons in just 24 hours. That’s a pin hole, not a hole made by a pair of buck teeth on a burrowing mammal.

Imagine along with me for a minute: You have spent $350 on a pond design and then $8,000 of your hard-earned money for a pond and waterfall. This water feature is impressive. They dug a big hole, piled up some dirt at one end, draped a large rubber liner over the whole thing, and placed giant boulders all around the fish pond and on the dirt mound. Smaller rocks fill in between the boulder and additional rocks cover the liner in the pond. Now, it’s two years later and you’ve just come home from a two-week vacation to find the pond half empty (or half full, if you’re a positive person).

There must be a leak! How did this happen? Where is it? No problem, you think, I remember the salesman’s pitch: “If you should ever get a leak, just clean off the area around the hole, dry it off, and using the directions enclosed in the patching kit, apply this patching material.” But there’s only one problem: Where is the leak? or leaks? How do I find them? And if I do find them, and I’m successful in patching them up, what’s to keep it from leaking again?

Okay, I’m going to snap my fingers and you’ll wake up: “Snap!” Surprise! That was only a mental exercise with a happy ending. It wasn’t real. Or was it? Yes, it was. The short story you just heard was true. One out of every eight projects we do involves replacing the leaky liner for an angry fish pond/leaky liner owner.

Why am I finally speaking up now, after all these years and waterfalls and fish ponds? Because I’m angry, too! Not at the “liner guy” who sells the pond liners, but at his disciples around the country who are bragging how much money they make in just one or two days. I’m not upset at the fact that they make in two days what takes me six to seven days to make in constructing my fish ponds of rebar and 3000 psi concrete.

My ire stems from having to charge $8,000 to replace a $6,000 liner pond that lasted only two years. (A pond liner with padding didn’t stop a tree root which traveled 25 feet to do its destructive work.) For only an additional 16% in cost, that client could still be enjoying his original pond, stress-free, for his lifetime and that of his children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The main features touted by pond liner promoters are simplicity, low cost, quick installation, and extremely high profits. In an article published in his catalog/magazine of liners and accessories, the “liner messiah” has obviously taught his disciples well, as you can read in this excerpt:

“If you hire us to install your pond, you get a choice of buying it with or without a stream. We offer no other choices! The pond we build covers an area of 11 by 16 feet, has a maximum depth of 2 feet, and a beautiful waterfall. We’ll build your pond in one day. The basic pond costs $5,100 and if you want to connect the falls with a stream, you’re looking at an extra $1,000. That’s it. End of story. No mas.”

That’s what Ernie Selles, president of Patio Ponds and disciple of the “liner guy,” said. Another quote from Ernie in the same catalog is, “I get out of bed every morning and look forward to going to work in a way that I never had before.” I noticed he didn’t mention how well he slept.

Let’s do the math on Ernie’s installation. The pond, stream, and waterfall cost is $6,100. The actual retail cost of the kit is only $1,000. $5,100 profit for only one day of labor. Notice: unlike our package, they offer no lights, no autofill, and the pond is only two feet deep. Yet three feet minimum are required for koi fish. A two foot pond affords no protection from predators such as raccoons and herons, and the shallow depth is affected easily by rapid temperature changes, causing undue stress on the pond’s inhabitants. They do not like to construct ponds over two feet deep, because they are more susceptible to cave-ins.

We would build the same pond with a depth ranging from 3 to 3 feet, with no shallows for dining predators. It is constructed of rebar 18 inches on center with a shell of 3000 psi concrete (sidewalks and driveways are typically 2000 psi). This 7 sack, 60% pea with fiber mix is so dense that it’s waterproof. However, we still coat it with ThoroSeal. The pond is equipped with two anti-vortex bottom suction drains, a skimmer to remove surface debris, and an out-of-pond pump that produces 5000 gallons per hour at only 2.6 amps, compared to the liner guy’s pumps which are only 4200 gallons per hour at 7.6 amps – over twice the cost of energy! In addition, you have to pull his heavy cast iron monster pump out of the water to clean out debris.

We would also include a state of the art Aqua Ultraviolet filter and UV light – the best money can buy. The liner guy’s filter needs to be disassembled in order to clean it by hand. The Ultima II filter requires the simple turn of a handle to back flush the debris. This system has been operational in my water features for nine years with no problems. We include an ultraviolet light in our system that kills the bacteria that create smells, kills pathogens that cause disease and algae spores that turn the water green. This light has a wiper arm that cleans the internal lens without the need to open the light.

We also offer an automatic electronic water level control system, the “AquaFill” by Aquamedia Corp.com that keeps the water level of the pond constant. Pond liner installers use floats that are mechanical like the float in a toilet tank. Mechanical fillers can corrode and stick, causing overflows and even poisoning the fish with excess chlorinated water. However, the AquaFill does not stick or corrode.

Not only are all our ponds designed a minimum of three feet deep, we build caves for the turtles and fish to hide in. With pond liner construction, rocks cannot be cemented to the liner and consequently many are loose, creating a hazard if someone were to step on them. Kids will be kids and I promise they will eventually be running up and down the falls. We have no loose rock because they are all cemented in place with Aquamedia Mortar Mix, which is not only three times stronger than regular mortar, it is very dense. As a result, alkali will not leach out into the water and create a pH problem. Regular mortar mix is porous and water passes through the joints of the rock, carrying with it cement residue. This in turn creates stain trails high in pH, easily poisoning the fish.

In conclusion, as an educated customer, would you pay $6,100 for a rubber pond liner or spend the same amount or a little more to get a shell made of concrete and steel that not only would never leak, but would last for decades. So what are we as contractors looking for? Exorbitant profits or peace of mind with long-term, happy clients?

It is more enjoyable for me to get a call eight years down the road from a content client than to get a complaint of a leaky pond. What does the “liner guy” disciple say? “Sorry, we only have a one year warranty”? Or do they go back and remove all the rocks, pull out the pond liner, clean it, repair the leaks, and replace all the rocks and equipment at no cost? Liners or professional installations?

If you say pond liners are professionally installed, then why is the very same liner kit sold to homeowners and do-it-yourselfers? The reason is, it doesn’t take an experienced professional to install one.

All you need is “a garden hose and a shovel”!

Look before you leap, and ponder before you weep. Happy koi, peace and joy.

Unsafe working conditions continue to plague some construction sites, both locally and internationally, according to many news reports. Though several websites exist that offer construction accident information, construction accidents continue to occur frequently. Many times, these unsafe conditions can be easily remedied by a competent foreman on the job site. Sadly, there is a certain stigma against safety on some construction sites. Safety is often overlooked or it is thought that engaging in dangerous construction site behaviors is overtly masculine. Others believe that safety is a cost that can be cut to save money on job projects. This specific belief that money can be saved by ignoring building code safety requirements or using sub-par building materials has been the cause of two recently reported construction-related issues.

The first has been the widely reported problem of defective Chinese drywall present in recently constructed homes across the U.S. Homeowners have recently become aware that a large percentage of drywall imported from China between 2000 and 2007 may be releasing a toxic sulfuric gas in to their homes. This gas has been shown to corrode copper wiring in electrical sockets, copper duct work in air conditioning units, and tarnishing silver flatware. Additionally, it may present health concerns both from short term and long term exposure; many individuals have already experienced a litany of symptoms, including respiratory problems, headaches, and fatigue.

The contaminated building product has gone beyond creating unsafe working conditions for the construction workers that may have been exposed to the toxic Chinese drywall; it has now created a potentially hazardous living environment for many of the homeowners in which this defective product was installed.

Another example of unsafe working conditions came from an international incident in Shanghai. A 13 story apartment building collapsed almost completely intact, killing one worker. The collapse was apparently caused by workers beginning excavation on the underground parking garage, causing the river bank nearby to collapse and triggering a foundation failure for the complex. Preliminary reports have said that the Chinese government is holding 9 individuals connected with the building’s construction. This tragic accident shows us what happens when costs are cut on building code safety regulations.

Ultimately, the responsibility for construction site safety rests on the shoulders of those in charge of the site. When safety is overlooked in favor of cutting costs, it is the construction worker who generally is the victim of oversight. Oftentimes, this leads to the victim contacting a construction accident lawyer and developing a costly construction accident lawsuitfor the building contractor.