Masonry Magazine April 2004 Page. 16
Contractor
more cost-effective, although masonry designs are getting increasingly better. I think masonry will always have a market with those looking for durability and aesthetics in design for their projects, though.
Masonry: What do you feel are the most critical issues you'll face with future government regulations?
Thomas: I think OSHA regulation is a critical issue. OSHA regulations impact all of us in construction, but I think our industry should be proactively working with OSHA to resolve safety issues within our trade. We want our people and our job sites to be safe, as well as productive.
Masonry: Which group do you feel has the bigger impact on masonry's future: architects, engineers or general contractors?
Thomas: I would have to say architects. They design the projects and choose the materials. I believe the durability of masonry combined with the flexibility of design that some of the new materials afford makes masonry a favorite choice for architects.
Finding people who want to learn the masonry trade is not an easy task; even harder is finding people who want to excel in the trade.
Masonry: What do you like most about being a member of MCAA?
Thomas: I enjoy the access to information about what is going on in the industry, everything from new tools and equipment, to the problems and solutions of other contractors, and the opportunity to network.
Using large mixers keeps your job moving!
# MASONRY NEWS CONTRACTOR TIP
Have you studied how much time your employees stand around and wait on mortar? If so, you may be amazed at what you would find! I'll bet your employees are consistently waiting on mortar the first thing each morning and also right after lunch break. What's the easiest solution to this problem? It's simple...examine the size of mixers you use on your job site.
Among other projects, Lang Masonry is currently building two large schools. We have a crew of 20 on one school project and 40 on the other. On the school with 20 men, we mix seven batches of mortar using one mixer to start each morning. We disperse this load of mortar into three different mud pans (usually on different forklifts) and deliver throughout the job site to get the bricklayers started quickly the first thing in the morning. We could not do this without having a large hydraulic mixer on site. With this arrangement, hardly ever does anyone wait on mortar. Our bricklayers are productive from the time they arrive on scaffolding. On the other school where we have 40 people working, we will have 14 batches of mortar mixed between two different large capacity hydraulic mixers. The mortar is ready the first thing in the morning when the bricklayers arrive on the scaffolding. Although this requires several different mud pans to get the right amount of mortar to the right places, on a job this size it is important to disburse the bricklayers and materials to different areas to keep everyone the most productive (a topic I will cover in a tip in a future issue).
Why do these jobs require this much mortar at one time? Let me explain. On the first project, 20 men arrive on site in the morning: 13 of them are bricklayers who head straight to the scaffolding, What is the first thing these bricklayers will need? "Mortar." These men will not be productive until they get mortar on their boards. How much mortar do they need right now? 30 buckets (six batches.) Here's where it goes. If we have 13 bricklayers each laying 12 block per course, we need 30 mortar boards for them to work off of. With a bucket of mortar on each board we need 30 buckets. With the crew of 40, we need 60 buckets or a minimum of 12 batches of mortar just to get started! It doesn't take long for a large hydraulic mixer to pay for itself when compared to the lost wages you incur If your bricklayers are standing around waiting on another batch of mortar.
Consider this: 50% of the mortar used in a day's time is mixed in only two hours of the day. 25% is mixed the first hour on the job and 25% is mixed the first hour after lunch. The rest is mixed throughout the day. With planning, you can make sure your crews stay productive even in the first hour of the morning and the first hour after lunch simply by keeping mortar in front of them. Using large hydraulic mixers has truly made a noticeable difference in the profits on our jobs. Try them on yours and you can benefit from these same savings as well.
EZ Grout Corporation has recently introduced the Mud Hog® (14 and 20 cubic feet) mixers to the marketplace. You owe it to yourself to check them out. It may be the last mixer you will ever have to buy for your job site. Whether you give the Mud Hoge a second look or not, remember that large capacity hydraulic mixers are a must for you to get the most out of your crew!
Provided by Damian Lang, President of Lang Masonry Contractors, Inc. and EZ Grout Corp.