Do It Right! Lessons from the field not to be repeated
General
Don’t pick rebar like this!
It will damage the epoxy coating and is not safe.
- Better to pick with a stiff spreader,
with more tie points.
- Looks like we’re going to get some
extra special texture — for free!
- Who knows why they put the chair in
backwards...
A cleaner job site is a safer job site.
- Tripping, slipping and snagging hazards abound on this project.
- Look at the smoke coming from the world's first wood-fired deck grinder!
Now dirt ends up on the wing walls.
- This is one negative possibility that
might happen, now that the barriers have been put on the approach panels.
- Don’t use ditches for storage areas. This doesn’t look good — and if an environmental reviewer saw this, we would likely be written up.
This scenario is not acceptable.
- The driver of this truck could be ticketed and the company owner fined.
- Use forms ties that are removable to a depth of at least 1 inch from the concrete face, without spalling or damaging the concrete.
- Make sure that the form tie holes are filled before the footings are backfilled.
- In this case, they weren’t and it led to project delays.
- I’m not sure if we can hold the contractor to clean this kind of mess up . . . but we can certainly bring it to the attention of their safety officer.
Try to convince the contractor that a clean jobsite is a safer jobsite.
- They’ve got garbage, equipment and materials all jumbled around — getting muddy and hard to find when needed.
- Anyone who has to traverse this mess is subject to higher risk of trips and falls.
- When removing a bridge with backhoe-mounted jackhammers, make sure the
contractor has an adequate method for
misting the concrete dust in the area. - This is to minimize dust blowing off the jobsite.
- Convince the contractor to listen to the weather report — and to prepare for rain events.
- Get all the rebar on substantial dunnage, and get everything out of the ditches!
- A bridge doesn't always end at an abutment.
- If the plans call for a surcharge, make sure things are performed in the correct order.
- All excavations and removals taking place before building the surcharge should be completed as called for in the plans.
- If you notice the contractor taking shortcuts that may damage property that isn’t intended to be removed, take a picture to document the action.
- Try to convince the contractor to do this in such a way that it reduces the likelihood of unintended consequences.
- Pile cut‐offs make great dunnage for holding rebar out of the mud!
- At least this washed out approach panel / wingwall allowed us to see how the sill will bind on the wingwall, and how the conduit will fail due to lack of expansion/deflection fitting.
- At least this washout allows us to see how they built this.
What's this?
- One conduit feeding the light on the wingwall, and one feeding the lights on the barrier parapets.
Be prepared for rain!
- After you’ve poured the deck and approach panel, and before the barriers have been poured and the drainage system is in, you’re especially vulnerable.
- Rain falling on a large surface area can do some damage to unprotected infrastructure!