Build it or bUST

[JustUsDe]

Well,
Like I promised I will show some things that we at M R S Professional Services have been working on. We started early this summer doing the excavation work at the new YMCA in Newark. Along with the site work we were awarded the landscaping package and building a 1.5 million access road. The site work went pretty much as planned the road required alot of undercutting, to a tune of an additional 700,000 in extras but all still went well until we got to the 4x6 culvert crossing and ran into running sand. Which required alot more engineering and change orders. We have a contract that road must be completed by December 15th 2007 or it's a 10,000 a day fine. I think we should still make it in time weather permitting but in case we cant I will have our office start filling out paperwork for exemption due to soil conditions and we should be able to not get fined. Here are a few pics of the post tension culvert we installed.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/cc1.jpg

[JustUsDe]

Each section weighed between 17000 and 20000 pounds.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/cc2.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/cc3.jpg

[JustUsDe]

No, We don't own the crane. We rented it with an operator for the day. We also had reps from the precast company there to show our guys how to set the sections and they did the post tension.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/cc4.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/cc5.jpg

[JustUsDe]

Heres the last 2 pics of the culvert being set. I will add the wingwall pics shortly. Yes, I know many of you are good on details and will point out not all my guys were wearing hard hats. They just think like their boss and figure 17,000 plus landing on hard hat is about the same as not a hard hat.lol.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/cc6.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/cc7.jpg

[snowplowjay]

WOW RAY!!!

I would say you guys have been a bit busy...

Keep the pics coming :)


Jay

[JustUsDe]

Jay,
Yes, We have been real busy the past couple years.
Like I said we hit running sand where theoriginal footers went. We had the design changed and each footer on both sides to support the walls were changed to 3 foot thick by 15 foot by 28 ft. It took 67 yards of class concrete for each footer. We also used number 9 rebar.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/1ww1.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/1ww2.jpg

[JustUsDe]

These pictures are of the first wall being poured. The footers were poured on 5 foot of of r4 rock (6" to 9") ballast. then one foot of 3/4 stone. The walls took about 40 yards of class a concrete pumped with polymar.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/1ww3.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/1ww4.jpg

[JustUsDe]

We did the first wall on monday. Finished forming the second wall and poured it on Friday. Here is the last pic of wall 1.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/1ww5.jpg

[JustUsDe]

We did the second wall from the other side of the deversion stream we built.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/2ww1.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/2ww2.jpg

[JustUsDe]

Last pic of wall two being poured. As you can see in the back ground we have our equipment ready and waiting to fill in the deversion stream we were required to build. Lets just say we enjoyed working with the corp of engineers and DNREC. NOT!!! But we had to get the permits and keep them happy.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/2ww3.jpg

[cat320]

Ray your crew built the forms for the wall or was that a form co.

[JustUsDe]

Cat,
My crew hand built the forms. I will show the pics of the design we had to put in the forms. Plus the next few pics will make you happy it will show some of our equipment at work. When you see these pics you will know why we build such a service truck.

Ray

[JustUsDe]

As the permit states once the northern headway was poured and stripped we could fill in the deversion stream.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/dd1.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/dd2.jpg

[T-Zab]

Ray, are you guys a Union shop ?

[JustUsDe]

Cat,
I know they are Deeres but I'm sure you like them.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/dd3.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/dd4.jpg

[cat320]

I like the Deere's too they have come a long way .So do you get to play in them too when you have that much stuff going on hard to be doing that and doing the boss stuff.

[JustUsDe]

T-Zab,
We run under a few different business names but yes I do use union operators and labors for our excavation side, landscaping and paving is non-union.
What gave me away?

[JustUsDe]

We also have a landscape engineer we hired early in the summer. She is really good. My wife as many of you already knew is a civil engineer. She wasnt happy with where she worked late this summer so she now works for us. She came in real handy on this project alone with all the problems we had. I think our next quest will be to hire our own survey crew.
Last two pics of deversion being filled in.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/dd5.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/dd6.jpg

[JustUsDe]

Cat,
I rarely get to run anything fun anymore. I find it hard to make it out to all the job sites anymore. I really depend on my supers. Rob which many of you met in Erie is my eyes in the field. He was a union electrician and worked for me part time but a few weeks after Erie the company he worked for went out of business so it was perfect for us to strike a deal for him to come onboard full time.
Here is the last pic for now. This is what the site looked like last Wednesday. We havent worked since due to holiday and the big blue hens game. We will hustle this week if the weather works with us.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/ccselect1.jpg

[T-Zab]

T-Zab,
We run under a few different business names but yes I do use union operators and labors for our excavation side, landscaping and paving is non-union.
What gave me away?


Most jobs that size around here are union. Kinda figured you have to be.....

[CGSI]

Ray
How do you get by without making everyone on the site where the proper PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). I see some guys are wearing hard hats and safety glasses and some do not? How about flying the loads without a tag line? I also notice that there was no fall protection system in place on the form crew working on top of the forms which appear to be over the hieght where it is needed. Around here that would be enough for a citation or a cease and decist order until compliance issues are corrected.

[JustUsDe]

John,
Theres a number of reasons why we get away with what we do. Here are just a few.

When it comes to safety regulations in Delaware we dont have townships, or citys to deal with like many other states do. When it comes to OSHA we fall under the area of Philly so they are ussually busy with the Philly area and rarely do spot checks in De. Unless there have been accidents or complaints.
When we were working within the area of the building of the YMCA the general management company was pretty tough on safety issues. Once we vengured out into the roadway project we fell into a very big gray area. I am very familiar with roadway rules since I am retired state DOT inspector. I also have alot of contacts there. Another thing to remember this project is behind schedule, its very political project. It also helps to know when to buy certain people breakfast or lunch when you need to get things done.

[Pickering Snow]

Ray

Have always respected you and your buss and growth but have to ask how is buying someone breakfast or having grey areas is gonna save your behind when someone goes beyond Workmans comp and brings back a attorn that will eat threw the walls of Comp and take what you have worked your butt off for. In todays world bud your just leaving yourself wide open to risk all that you have worked for.


BTW iam glad and proud of your growth just dont want you to become a stat of a Amb Chaser.

[JustUsDe]

Fred,
First off it makes me feel real good that you respect my growth and business. I think very highly of you and your commitment to help others. I try as much as possible to do things by the book. I also value my employees and their safety. Some things in the real world have to be done and we all hope we do them as best as we can and hope things work out. Trust me when I say I try for my businesses to be profitable, safe and fun for me and my employees. But, I also must say I do take some educated chances and I also try to legally protect my personal interest with corperations and dozens of LLC's. Nothing is fool proof but I do try to protect myself and businesses as best as I can.

As far as updates on this thread I am sorry I am over a week behind. But due to the fact that northern Iowa doesnt believe in having proper de icing equipment I was stuck there until late yesturday afternoon. See that rant in the de icing forum when I start that rant.

Ray

[JustUsDe]

Bad weather but I have one operator, One labor, and one forman doing what they can with select material being trucked in.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/ccselect2.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/ccselect3.jpg

[JustUsDe]

More pics of another bad weather day
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/ccselect4.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/ccselect5.jpg

[JustUsDe]

Still trying to beat the weather trucks bringing in more select C borrow.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/ccselect6.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/ccselect7.jpg

[JustUsDe]

Heres what the culvert walls look like. I think the guys did a good job on the diamond pattern. Second picture is the inlet side of culvert
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/ccselect10.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/culvertin.jpg

[JustUsDe]

Here are pics of the outlet side. Both sides still need fabric and rip rap placed.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/culvertout.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/culvertout2.jpg

[JustUsDe]

First pic is on Monday when we finally gave up due to weather. Second picture is Tuesday where we did no work due to it still being wet.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/ccselect8.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/ccselect9.jpg

[JustUsDe]

Like I said earlier in the thread completion date is December 15th, Then penalities start. Management Company asked if and how we could speed up. We told them if we switched to cr1 we could bring the lifts up quiker and still hold compaction but they would have to eat the additional cost for cr1 verses select cC borrow. They signed the change order and away we go.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/cr1.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/cr2.jpg

[JustUsDe]

First lift completed and being compacted
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/cr3.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/cr4.jpg

[JustUsDe]

Truck load after truck load of CR1 was delivered today and Friday. I dont have pics for Friday because I left for that frozen Tundra they call Northern Iowa. The management company came to us again on Thursday and inquired what it would take for us to work Saturday 12-01-07. We told them they would have to pay the differance for premium wages for all workers. They signed the change order and I had a crew scheduled for Saturday.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/cr5.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/cr6.jpg

[JustUsDe]

I forgot to take the camera with me when I did a site visit today. I'm just got a little busier than I want to be thanks to a certain little midwest town that doesnt know how to de-ice planes and held me captive longer than I wanted to be. Plus trying to make plans for the trip to South Ill this saturday.
Last Saturday the crew got all the riprap in on both sides of the culvert. The stone graded for the roadway. Yesturday it was too wet for any work due to the weekend rain. Today had a small crew cleaning up the site. My subcontractor who does our curb work was supposed to be out there this afternoon and string it up. My crew was gonna put blankets down over the stone when they were done stringing up due to frost tonight and the forecast for possible 1" tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully they will still be able to pour the curb, if not they can Thursday. I got to spend my evening loading trucks with salt and making sure we have a skeleton fleet ready just in case. More to follow this week.

Ray

[apgarconstruction]

good luck ray, looks good. hope you finish by the 15th, if not, is there a weather clause for excessive rain and setbacks? not sure how excavators work.

you guys south of us in NJ look like they might get 2-4. not sure if that covers your area or not, but south jersey for once is getting more than we are up north of trenton.
1-2 probably for us today, starting sometime after noon.

again, good luck with your project. i hope you don't get hit with fines. also, get all those guys wearing the right protective gear. i hear you with taking chances sometimes but when it comes to working on sites like that, in the public eye, it's better to look like you are very safety conscious.
i work in residential construction, so i know we setup many times that aren't osha approved but we don't get checked. i also don't set things up that are unsafe either. osha is more geared toward commercial work i think than residential unless it's a big development with a national company.
i don't see any contractors like me setting up picks on ladder jacks, or on pump jacks with railings and tether lines like they are supposd to. just can't make money that way. gotta trust the guys you have working for you to not be a moron.

[JustUsDe]

Dapgar,
We ended up with 4" of snow out of this. We do have previsions for weather and we also have all needed paperwork on the setbacks, engineering flaws that were out of our control. We don't want to submit anything until the last minute to show that we are doing everything possible to still complete on time.

Well, Here is the update. Looks like we pulled a hat trick on this curb. We went as scheduled.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/curb1.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/curb3.jpg

[JustUsDe]

Tuesday afternoon my sub did get to stake out and run his string line. My guys put poly on the ground and the sub put his blankets down over the poly so we could protect the stone from frost overnite. Putting it down trying to beat the snow.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/curb4.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/curb5.jpg

[JustUsDe]

The snow started when we were still on the first truck. We still had two more to go. I wasnt worried about temps because I paid an extra 65 a yard for chemicals, I just needed to beat the snow. I can't say enough about my sub and my employees they were determined to get this done.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/curb9.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/curb10.jpg

[JustUsDe]

Top picture shows that I listened to many of your concerns for safety and made sure my safety officer was on site. He is the one being protected from the large snow flakes with the nice pretty white hard hat. To make sure we had plenty of hands, I had my concrete crew there to work with the subcontractors crew.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/curb11.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/curb12.jpg

[JustUsDe]

To keep moral up and keep the guys determined to finish the job today I offered a nice little bonus. I let everyone work on the job including the subs employees put their name in a hat after the pour was completed we pulled 4 names out and they and one guest gets to fly to Ill Friday nite with my group to see the Blue Hens play Saturday afternoon and Fly back Sunday morning all exspenses paid.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/curb13.jpg

[JustUsDe]

Here is what it looked like yesturday. We will keep the curbs covered until Monday. Weather permitting we will start forming up for sidewalks and final grading of stone in preperation of blacktop. Think my concrete crew works fast wait until you see the paving crew. We have heard other contractors say its like a circus came to town. We come in hard,fast,lots of equipment and employees, get done and go.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/curb14.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/curb15.jpg

[JustUsDe]

Two more pictures from yesturday. We have grown to be a company that many want to hire. We have bucked the good ole system that exsists in this little state. We have many that don't like us but we are one of the few in this state our size that has a back log of work like we do. We have chosen our employees very carefully and our subcontractors very carefully. Yes, we have made a few mistakes along the way and will make many more. But we believe although we run our business to a differant drum we can do anything and have fun at it too.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/curb16.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/curb18.jpg

[JustUsDe]

Well, Thanks to all the rain last night and today no progress to report. It looks like we need a few days to dry out. With the Blue Hens kicking Southern ILL butt we are making planes to go to Tenn. for the championship. We are leaving Friday morning. My accountants are upset with the money I am spending on all these games but hey that's how I roll.
GO Blue hENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cat320]

Hey Ray if that is what you like and you have the $$ and your paying your people ,subs and suppliers what harm is there you only live once.

[JustUsDe]

Well,
Last week was a washout. No work was done due to weather. Last Thursday we had our meeting and we submited our documentation for an extension. Due to engineering flaws, survey issues, soil conditions, and weather we calculated 48 days we lost. We came to an agreement of a 28 day extension before damages can be assessed to us. We also have a clause that we may need to use temp stripping due to temperture issues when using thermo stripping, until warmer weather.

Ray

[atgreene]

Looks good, great pics! Good luck!

[nedly05]

Lookin good, very impressive:rockon

[JustUsDe]

Last week we got a few things done. Monday was a washout. Tuesday I had 3 guys grading stone for the sidewalks. Wednesday I had my concrete crew start forming up for the walks.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/sw1.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/sw2.jpg

[JustUsDe]

Thursday and Friday they poured the concrete for the walk on the south side of the road and started forming up for the north side walk. I have my guys geared up to start laying the deep lift coarse and base course of hot mix on Wednesday. If that happens we hope weather permitting we can find a window to top coat the entire road. We need 40 and rising temps to lay the topcoat.

Ray
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/sw3.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc242/justus302/MRS%20LTS%20PICS/gww%20roadbuild/sw4.jpg

[JustUsDe]

I have a couple of pictures I still need to upload of the crew finishing the walks and putting down topsoil. The day after Christmas my crew paved the roadway section over the culvert with 160 tons of BCBC and 120 tons of superpave B. So now the entire road is ready for topcoat. I didnt get to get onsite for the paving because I spent the day with my son. Christmas eve day we worked on another project from 6am to 8pm putting down 1200 tons of superpave C.

[JustUsDe]

Well as many local contractors call my paving crew the circus. We are set to parade in today and lay the final coat of paving on the entire road. We hope to have the proper temps by 9am this morning. So hopefully this goes off without a hitch. Thanks to the temps being in the 60's this week if we get everything paved today I can have my subcontractor do all the stripping tomorrow than we only have a few small things to complete and we will meet all our contracted obligations. Of course we will get one of those final inspections and punch lists to complete. I have my camera on myside to take pictures today for everyone. I have a meeting at 9am at another site than I plan on spending my day with the paving crew.