Masonry Magazine February 2004 Page. 17
I think the biggest misconception mason contractors have today is that simply knowing the masonry trade is all you need to stay in business.
Another challenge was to fix the movement of the walls due to cracking and spalling of the joints - bricks were literally cracking and exploding out of the walls. To cure the cracking and spalling, we installed control joints from top to bottom-this key factor was left out of the original design. In Washington, D.C., we have over 40 freeze-thaws a year, which makes control joints a must.
Masonry: Senate Masonry has completed many government projects over the years, including Andrews Air Force Base and Marine Corps Base Quantico. What are some examples of how these jobs differ from your typical residential or commercial projects?
Greenstreet: Government jobs are unique due to the simple fact that the specifications and inspection are much more rigid than any private-sector work. On top of that, 9/11 has changed the security climate on most government jobs. Work performed on any military base or high profile executive buildings is going to get more expensive for the government due to the time and paperwork it requires just to get your workforce on and off the base.
In 2003, our firm did work in a high security area on Fort Belvoir in Virginia. This job posed as quite a challenge for our crew getting to the work site each day. Just to get to the site, workers had to pass through two search areas where vehicles and persons are searched. On top of this, all non-citizens were required to have a citizen escort them on and off the job. This posed as a challenge for us because most of our workforce are in the United States on non-resident work visas.
I think that this security issue, on top of the inspection and rigid specifications, The Voice of the Mason Contractor
EasyScale SCAFFOLDING LIMITED Unique and Patented Four-Point Suspended Scaffolding System
Your productivity will grow!
Costs less to use than any scaffolding system in the market!
Very simple to rig without height restrictions!
Safety is uncontested!
Complete with fully engineered and laid out drawing!
The result of years of close observation and experimentation under actual working conditions, the Easy Scale™ scaffolding system is the best choice for scaling the sides of new and existing buildings, finding applications in bridge maintenance, glazing and specialized demolition.
U.S. Patent No. 4997062
Canadian Patent No. 1274562
Call, fax, email or write for a free informative Easy Scale™ video.
Easy Scale
Scaffolding Limited
10 Ragged Lake Boulevard, Unit 7
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3S 1C2
Tel: (902) 450-5026 Fax: (902) 450-5204
Email: remopizzo@easyscale.net
Website: www.easyscale.net
AUTHORIZED STOCKING
U.S. DISTRIBUTOR:
Swing Staging, Inc.
49-47 31st Street
Long Island City, New York, U.S.A. 11101
Tel: (718) 361-2861 Fax: (718) 361-2902
Website: www.swingstaging.com
CIRCLE 189 ON READER SERVICE CARD
February 2004 Masonry 15