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A Thesis
by

THESIS

 

BUILDIfiG SUIERIHTEKDSN E.

The direction of Building Operations is one of the
main features in the erection of the modern fireproof steel
and concrete building. Inst is to be said concerning the
large modern buildinbs of teddy will apply euuslly well on
all structures.

in the large city the erection of sxyscrapers
involves many yroblems for the superintendent of construction.
In tne following raraérsphs some of these yroblems wiil be set
forth as well as the qualifications of a good suyerintendent
and some of'the more imyortnnt things he should Know.

The suyerintendent of a building hes charge of the
erection of the buildinb complete. He is employed by the
contractor and is the medium between the owner, architect
and the contractor.

The qualifications of a construction suyerintendent
are many. dome are hard to define, others can be stated
definitely. They are, a good business head, gractical enbin-
eering sense, quicx decision, diplomacy, character, address,
observation, loyalty, resyonsibiiity and persistence -- in
brief the qualifications of a manabing executive.

Construction is constantly culling for business

escox

-2-

judgment. To determine whether a certain action or an
alternative, will pay best requires seen business instinct.
Planning not only now to construct but how to construct in the
quickest and cheapest way depends on practical engineering
ability. Both business and engineering treblems often call
for quick decision and when emergencies arise yrompt action
only may avert disaster. it is the business of the superin-
tundent to bet along with the men who work for him, and for
whom he works. it costs money to be at variance.

in the end, houever, there must be more than techni-
cal and business qualifications. A truly successful suyorin—
tendent must be a man of hood habits, of good moral character
and have hibh ideals. is must realize that honesty is not
only the best policy but is right, and it pays to have a
reyutation of uOlug honest tors. The old idea tdht a con-
tractor in order to be successful mist be knosn as a good
fellow inclined to drink and 00 other tuinbs that he should
not, in order to entertain the engineers and Others, is Obsolete.
Any amount of drinking with a man or entertaining him will not
help in attaining success; but on the contrary, may have just
the Opposite effect.

A good address is a valuable asset. hhile ayjearances
are only on the surface sometimes tde first ingression made by
outward a,pearsnce is of vital imhortance. If practicable

‘38 bolllty to exPreSS one.s ideas clearly and forcibly in good

language is inValuable. Also to be able to talk convincingly

-3-
when on your foot. The ability to go on a Job and take it
all in is also important. The habit of observation snOuld
be cultiVated, as it is very necessary is the supervision of
construction work. Loyalty to the employer is of course
essential. If one is not in sympathy witu the pEOyle he worns
for, he should sees a Job somevhere else. The suyerintenuent
should oe constantly striving to widen his acquaintance “1th
engineers, Contractors and others with shun his Congany may
later have business relations. He must always keep his eyes
cash to see how tde Other fellow does his :ors, ever ready to
select better methods than those he is using. in doing this
he broadens his viewpoint and becomes a better enhineer.

Two qualifications which are yrobably the most imyortant
are, the first is a willingness to assume responsibility. It
is far better to do schething and net the work completed even
though it is a 1005C? and haruer way, than to do nothing. The
man who is always waiting for some one to tell him what to do
and non to do it, does not grogress vtry fast. Take respon-
slbility and put all there is in you to do ri ht want you have
assumed to do. The other qualification is "sticn-to-itiveness".
The quitter ShOlld never enter the contracting gene for there
is no niece for him in the business. that is wanted is the
man wno does the thing he starts out to do in syite of seem-
ingly unsurmountable difficulties; who does not know wuen he
is beaten; who does not snow how to quit. if tuere is a

quitting streak in a man he should nevtr start in a career

-4-
leading to that of a contractor's superintendent.

The training of a sun rintendent is for the main
part by exyerience.. A colleme education is desirable, though
not necessary. there are plenty of ,ood men who had no more than
a common or niuh school education. acmever, these men did not
Stup studying because they had no chance to ho to cullehe, but
they made the most of their opnortunities and grasyed eVery
Chance for new ideas and advancement. ihe college man too has
a hard road before him if he gets toe idea he has his position
cinched because he has a degree. A construction superintendent's
main store of Knowledge is from exyerience and observ tion.

it seems to be the Opinion of most construction firms
that the best way to train a man is inside the organization,
from the bottom up. Thus they become fwuiliar with the duties
of the men in the various steps of proaress unward; they became
saturated with the ideals of the organization; they become
familiar with its particular methoos of handling worh and its
system of Oust records, and they get to Know the men of the
organization.

A good construction suyerintendent not only knows how
to direct oyerations in the field, but he has to be able to
estimate quantities of materials, help mane plans and assist
in calculating the cost of an Operation in order that the firm
nay bid on a Job.

As soon as it is decided to mane a bid for any con-

struction Operation, a superintendent is tentatively assianed..

 

-5-
His first task is to make a field study and in this he is
usually assisted by others of the seneral organization of the
firm, who can bring exmerience and shill to the consideration of
tie various problems. ine site of the worn is carefully investi-
gated in detail and methods of planning and handling the work
are studied. available local supplies of buildins and other
material are investi;ated and then the possibilities of outside
material supyly and deiiVory are comparatively studied. Local
labor supply and waLes, local marxets and prices of materials and
SQpPIIGS, local transportation conditions by road and rail are
ascertained. Then the site is studied very carefully to deter-
mine plant lay-out and a plan of work.

Following the field study a cost estinate in detail
is undertaken -- each item of norm is considered and its cost,
includinb a lroper eruportion of OVernead, is estinated. Then
there is a conference of executives, superintendents, engineers
and others of the organizations in which each item of the
estimate is tuen drafted. The margin of yrofit desired is
added and the bid is formulated and Presented.

Thus when a contract has been secured it will be
observed tue suturintendent has intimate Knowledge of every
consideration reyresenteu by tie biddina prices and he proceeds
to orbanize his operatiOns with foreknowledge. The main items
as has to consider are yersonncl, plant, progress, records and
direction of work.

In picxing the field organization the superintendent

-5-
first, so far as possible, selects forenen, clerss, timeseepers,
etc., fron within the organization and secOnd, he should cuoose
men having particular exyerience in the Kind of construction
undertaaen. if he can, he gets his machine Operators and
sailled worsmen from the same service. in brier, men trained
inside the organization are utilized to the Lreatest extent
practiCable.

it is easy to see why men with the organization are
desirable, the surerintendent snows them, their abilities,
initiative, and What they are capable of doing. In picning his
men the superintendent should choose honest straightforward,
cayeble men, who have a reputation for doing things. One thinD
a superintendent must be able to do is to degend on his men
directly responsible to him. On a large Job there are too many
major duties of the superintendent, to be hamyered by men under
him wuo do not understand that they are doing, or how to do a
thing. if he has Capable men working for him, frequent insyection
trirs is all that is necessary.

aith the nucleus of his organization, tue superintendent
gets into the field, yicss his office site, puts things into share,
builds camps and storehouses, if necessary, and gets the plant
and naterials coming to tie job. Generally in gregaring the
bidding prices, the plant units and their arrangement have been
determined so that the size of units is not a yroblem at this
stage of the worn. The field task is assembly. Jnits in stocs

are utilized first and new units bought When needed. flant lay-out

-7-
and assembly are most carefully planned as in these days of
.machine Operations the success of the worn depends largely on
equipment effeciency and plant arranéenent.

The bi; duty of the superintendent is to get his
organization into shape and keep the were lined up. Among his
aides are proéress schedules and performance and cost records.
As soon as possible after ietting work started, a progress
scneduie is made out. fhis schedule is a good thina even though
contingencies may make necessary some revision of dates. In
order to mane out tue souenule, the superintendent must necessarily
plan the jobflthru and scuedule a tine table. This time table has
SeVeral advantages. it carries the uorx along so it will be
completed at the specified date tue contract calls for. it
tells the next move ahead so tmut subfcontractors are able to
snow weeds ahead when they must be on the job_to complete their
worn. furthermore, it is a pace maxer for the men. The foreman
Know Just what work must be completed at a certain time and they
Can hire men so it will be finished on schedule. :erhaps tue
greatest advantage of this time table is the harmony it creates
in the working force. Each group of men know just wuen the work
in a certain place must be complete for the next wornman to do
his work. if you have ever seen the confusion that sometimes
results from two different tradesmen trying to work in the
sane place, it is easy to understand no harmony exists tuere.
Tradesmen do not like each otmer in tueir way and uSually will

not tolerate it, so then one or the other must be idle till the

-3-
worn is complete. some organizations often try to pour
concrete before carrenters have finished their form worn.
Immediately dissention strings up and Liflé as not something
will be OVtrlooked from this undue and exasyerating hurry.

Besides this, the time table is a guide at the
main office. Office and field organization worn along together.
deceiving of Payments, outlays, borrowing of money and many
other details are ironed more easily.

rerformance and cost records are equally serviceable
tools. 00st neepinb to the contractor is very essential. Of
this tue superintendent has a duty in addition -- he has to seen
a personal cost cnecx. Eacn superintendent will naturally have
his own syecial plan of doing this, but in all cases it amounts
to some field method of rapidly detailing cost so that every
day's costs can be checsed up on that day, with every previous
day's cost, in all details. These cost records also are inval-
uable to the contractor. If the superintendent has each foreman
give an account of how much worn he did with so many men in such
a lenbth of time, then in the future estimates can be figured
mucn more claseiy. Concrete form work, concretinb, etc. are
itens thicu eacn organization has to warn out costs for itself,
under different conditions. There are no set rules as to
estimatinb costs for fora work and concrete work, and further-
more, there are no hood booss on the market today, tmtt live
this much desired information.

One thing that a young man who intends eventually to

-9-
become a contractor, should do when he enters the building
gane, no matter in what CapaCLty -- he should mane note of
the amount of work various tradesmen can do in a day. for
instance, under certain conditions, how much concrete can be
poured by so many men, or how many suuare feet of formuorx
a carrenter can nut up in retaining walls or floors, etc. in
time, such knowledge along with exyerience, gives the he:
contractor and superintendent the Jump over his fellow competitor.

Besides costs, a log of onerations is required. This
may well be a running history containins all orders or instruc-
tions exceeding the routine, WHlCh are received or biven, state-
ments of unusual OCCurances affecting the worn and accounts of
disyutes ov r any detail of the Operation wnich later may play
a gart of the final estimate.

In many other ways records can be made to play an
important hart in suyerintendence, but sithal the his duty of the
agterintencent on the job is the exercise of tust intangible
influence “hich neeys the work being along with a suing and
the client pleased nitn the results. Keeping the client's
engineer ahead with his plans and instructions, seeinb that
estimates are put thru and payments kept rebular, keeyimg
materials shipments prompt and regular, Keeping down waste
in effort as well as in time, Keeping harmony in the organiza-
tion, keeping good relations with the client and the public,
are a few of the duties which the good suturintendent is

reluired to Perform.

-10-

LIYJJ'I OF I’LAIIT biQ.jli-'-.'I:ZTT, IiAl‘fiilALS. etc.

engineers and people closely observant with the
erection part of the constriction game estimite that the
efficiency on the averabe large building is from 40; to so; --
tie lowest of all our mOdern industries, for we may call
building an industry as its volume in the United states unounts
to QVer sin billion dollars annually. Take tJiS six billion
and see the amount tlbt could be saved, would me but increase
our efficiency 10, vnicn is possible. A look at any large con-
struction joo buu the inefficiency at times is appalling. hetnods
are improvinb but not as fast as they should. ierhaps it is
oecause of the human element involved, but foreknowledge and
forethought in planning tne layout of plant equipment and
materials “ill saV: thousands of dollars.

A very CUFEfll study must be made of plant layout and
general organization in central districts of large cities, as
is usually tie case all materials, plants, etc., must be located
within the building. This necessiates locating the concrete
mixing plant and bins where unloading materials will not be a
menace to traffic and at the same time will be as efficiently
IOCated as pessible. Concrete plant arrahbenent is perhaps the
hardest to or5anise efficiently. The elevators and bucget hoists
mist 50 vnere conditions allow them, for only in rare cases can
Openings be leit for hoists and clOsed afterxards -- besides, such
a prOCedu e costs mOney. usually then, tie only alternative is

to locate tie hoist in the building in elevator Shafts. in many

-11-
buildinbs there is a choice in this arranbement, as there may
be several places left Open lor elevators, in different parts
of the buildinb. somet.mes two or more concrete plants are
mucn more desirable than one. A superintendent must be able to
analyze the situation and figure Which is more economical. This
can perhaps be easiest figured out by ssetcues of proposed eleva-
tors and the distance the concrete has to be Wheeled in buggies,
for this metnou is coming into use more than ever since the
water ratio theory in concrete worn is becoming recocnised.
A mixtire of small slump does not work very well in cnuting
facilities unless C10 lepes are very steep.

Another question that confronts the superintendent
is the amount of material to have on hand. In ClOSuly confined
positions txis is a Very important Question, especially when
the building is just coming out of the ground. Too much material
in this Case is a detriment as eVery incn of space is usually
occupies, leaving very little for MoFKinb room. Then if a big
order of lumber or abbrubute and cement cumes to the Job, it
means that it may be moved several times before it is used.
On the w-n buildinn in the 100p of Chica o, a large order of
lumber arrived;very little of it was used for a week, yet it.
had to be moved twice by laborers, piece by piece. To do this
it cost considerable besides valuable floor space.

In the large city there is no excuse for such a condi-
tion. Lith the present facilities, most any building material
will be broubht to the job within three hours after ordering.

hxcept of steel and material not carried in stocx in a large

-12-

city there is not need to worry about not laving enough
material on the job. A few hours' notice is usually sufficient
to take care of any emergency that is likely to arise.

There are three ma'n methods of brlnLing material onto
a job. zirst, by trucx and second, by rail, and then a combina-
tion of the first tvo. Trucs is used from the Central warehouse
to the place of censtruction at the present tine —— they Garry
loads of very large cabacity. Recently a fifty—ode ten plate
girder for tee midland Athletic Club in Clica;o, has brsubnt
from the raierad to the job on a e—nheel trailer. This shows
that almost any Seemingly extreme condition can be taxed care of.
The second method of rail is not so often used exceyt in the
industrial sections, as sich facilities are not available in
office building sections. sonetimes there are excegtions, as
the Tribune Tower, one of the finest buildings in the country.
A railroad runs by t1e building, un.trneath Licniban Boulevard.
Advantage of this transporation was taxen a.d practiCally every
bit of the material came direct from the factory to building.
In a case such as tiis, orders must be pieced several days
ahead so that the car will be spotted on time. if it is tires
or four days too early, provision must be made before hand to
taue Care of the material.

here are two different conditions and it is up to the
superintende to See that he knows and understands the VUTiOJS
stegs that material 5083 tirou;h before be can use it. Under
these conditions he must use his hood Judgment.

In handling steel there is a different yroblem to

solve. steel is made to order and each structural section fits

~13)-
in a definite place. if the fabrithion plant is several
hundred miles dietunt, tnere is den or in ueluy 0n the rniercd.
Tue methou tnnt is being used to eiim’nate any trouble from
ttet source is to rent some bround near tne railroue unu have
all steel suipwents made at least two weexs in udVd ce. On tne
monroe-Xeoash building no arrangements to oroer euecd WLPB wade.
anoubu some mistade a wrong S‘iptCJt of Jtfirl was nzde eno tne
cars tnet snould have been sent out were not loadeu. -robcbly
an error tnet d0cs not naggen once in a thousand times, but it
caused a complete lay-off on the more for three 6e54, vuicn
meant over loo men were eitucr not vorking and a guod nure
Hunted new jobs with tue rCSilt tie men taut did come back tnree
days later Were fer; they had to break in wew nen and acquaint
tnem vitn the worn, a smoo.h running organization had been dis-
ru ted and it toom nearly a weex to get it been where it SHDdlu
be. It is hard to make even a rough estimate of the Cash loss
from tnis, but one thin; is certain, it taxes sone tine to bet
a mechanic acquainted witn a new job, and a heavy labor turnover
means loss of money.

Tne layout of the concreting plant is probablv tne
most difficult froblem in layoet work. fhere are seven funda-
mental tyges of plant layouts:

1. mixer in a git. gand ant gravel is dumyed on the
ground on each sine of the mixer git. gne mixer is charged by
hand, using 6 cu.ft. carryalls.

2. sand and gravel are unloaded from back dump motor

trucks against a bulkhead at tne charging hanger. Laborers are

-14-
required to trim material in the bulkhead but wheeling is not
required.

3. dand and gravel are delivered to a storage pile end

re-handled from the storage bile to the mixer bulkhead by a stiff

\.{/ ‘

lef derricx with a clam shell bucket. The derrick may also be
used for unloading ears or seems and bundling to storsbe.

4. The mixer is above ground. sand and gravel are delivered
to the storaée yiles and re-nandied to a 100 cu.ft. bin over tue
mixer by a stiff leg derrick. The derrick may also be used for
unloadinb ears or scows and handlinb to storage.

5.. The mixer is on the ground and material bin is above the
mixer. sand and gravel are delivered in back dump trucks and
unloaded into a conveyor boat built into the ground. A chain-
beit—bucnet elevator conveys the sand and cravel from the
napyer to the bin.

6. The mixer is in a 3' pit to avoid Sheeting. There is s
-bulnhead against the Charging hyper. sand and gravel are oiled
against tuis bulkhead by a 24" belt conveyor from a conveyor
boot in the street. ,

7. The mixer is above the ground. sand «Dd gravel are
received by ear or scow and unloaded into a lOO cu.yd. bin by
a stiff leg derrick. The material is handled from the bin to
tne mixer in l yd. side tip cars drawn by an endless cable from
a double drum hoist.

The comparative costs on tnese different layouts are
as follows:

Jobs less than 5000 yards -- 5/4 yd. plant would be used,

50' wooden to er, s carryells and 303 feet of run yanels.

-15-
Jobs over 5000 yards -- 1 yard plant, tower 125 feet, l2
Carryalls and 400 feet of run panels.

These are assumed as average equipment, derreciation
counted. An estimate of the labor reuuired for the Operation of
each plant, that is, mixing, hoisting and placing, has as a basis
of ,d.50 for 6 hours. The unit 00st Per cu.yd. for mixinb,
hoisting and yiacing, was estimated for the 7 fundamental layouts
as follows: .

l. $2.3‘ cu.yd. 2. ‘2.10 cu.yd. 3.?2.00 cu.yd.

4. g3.oo cu.yd. 5. $2.05 cu.yd. 6.;2.05 cu.yd.

7. $2.00 cu.yd.
ln closely confined positions, as in the business districts of
cities, the first and second methods are the ones generally used
and the second one gredominates. For not having a choice, the cost
is but very little more than the most economical method. In
Observing several layout plans, all of them seemed to have been
ylanned with a great deal of forethought to th layout of the
giant. it is tue minor thlflLS that are decidedly in need of a
Chanda. The placing of lumber materials, etc., is “here there
seons to be a Chance for revision; if it were possible to Live
the minor things more thought, it would be mucn better.

Cement hoists and chutes are of several different tyyes,
from the higfl towers with automatic dump oucnets to the wooden
toner and small sectional chutes. There is no doubt but that
sometimes they are great labor $aVcr3 and do an efficient Jib
if tue concrete is vet ensign.~ HOWever, with the water ratio

theory being accented all over tie country, chutes are not, and

-15-

cannot be used so effectively. Some companies even new claim

bughies are much cheaper or as cheap as chutes, and much more

dependable. Ratier than use chutes (eSpecially on buildinbs),
contractors are recommending elevators as near as pOssible to

the center of distribution and use tie Wheeling method of dis-
tribution.

A superintendent must look out for the passing of any
bad material tiat arrives on the job; it is up to him to protect‘
the contractor he is working for as well as his client. roor
material has more than one draw-been, it cheapens the worm and
may pOssibly cause rejection by the inspector. it lowers the
reputation of the contractor and suptrintendent for hood work,
and at times costs much more to get it into use in the structure
especially if it be lwnber. Poor, knotty, crooked lumber taxes
twice as much labor to bet it into position and then one is not
sure of a neat, satisfactory workmanship. if any material is
rejected, it should be marked so, put in a separate pile and
taken off the Job immediately, for if it isn't taxen away, it
is liable to be used unknowinbly, and since the contractor
pays for hood material the superintendent should see he gets
full value for his money.

On a piece of construction work where there is
plenty of land to put all the materials on the job at the
beainninb, it is an entirely different condition, than where
the location is confined. The amount of material to have on
hand is inlimited except for financial reasons as sell as the

fact it may be seVeral months before the material is used.

-17-

There is no limit as to the lentth of time to order ahead,
exceyt that the-material ue on the job in tine. However,
cement should not ceme much faster than it is used unless
bOUd dry storabe facilities are at hand. if all the sand and
gravel or crushed rock can be ordered at once, it means a
mucn cheater cost, uniform material and time can be saved in
unloading if from Cars or cartage costs will be cheaper if
delivered by trucx.

The type of concrete plant layout in Llaces where
tucre is much more syace may be much different than shere it
is so confined. The main factor in this case is cost, rather
than necessity.

Referring to the costs in the seven different layouts
we see that tybes 3 and 4 are tne cheayest, with tyyes 5 and 6
oytional. It is to he noted tnat derricxs seen to be cheayer
than a conveyor. Also a derrick may be very useful in un-
loading other material, thus saving in more ways than one.

One of tne first things in the layout and starting
of actual work is tue sizes of equipment to use. sometimes
the question has been definitely settled beforehand When the
bid was {rerared. Other thuss it is not completely arranged
till tne worn is ready to be started. There.a:e different
factors affecting the size Jf equipment and the amount.

(1) Tue size of jobt (2) She desirability of completing the
ears quickly. (3) Amount of space for equipment. (4) amount
necesSary to be investeu in equipment.

Contractors who do a Very large volume of business

-13-
do not adVOCate using concrete miners of over 1 yard capacity.
if work is such that one mixer will not handle it, they recommend
using tuo mixers rather than a larger one. There are seVeral
reasons for this: A larger mixer costs more, is more cumbersome
to handle; and is adapted to large work only. rurthermore, if
two mixers are used and one should happen to breau down, Operations
will not be completely stOpped. however, it takes more to Operate
two mixers. nevertheless, Observers state that the adVantabes
of the smaller plants of l yd. and under, outweigh any dis-
adVantages.

As to the nunber of mixers it depends on the speed
that is desired on the worn. Many contractors use two machines
where one might do; they have the second one for emergency and
also use it when a large amount of concrete is poured in a short
time. it is easy to calculate the numoer of mixers and size, by
reading the specifiCations. if they limit the mixinb to two
minutes per batch then a l yd. mixer will be capable of handling
frmm de to 240 yards of concrete in an 8 hour day.

Another factor affecting equipment is tue speed that
must be used to complete the building. if the owner is in a
hurry to occupy the building and the contract calls for quick
completion of the worn, then the contractor may have to buy
new equipment ‘4 finish the sork. This requires additional
investment in tJOIS and machinery and should be taxen into
consideration wnen mahinb the bid. if the Job is in closely
confined duarters then it may not be possible to use many or

large tools and machinery.

-19-
on the new Stevens Hotel in CthabO, which cost
;50,000,000. to complete, it was necessary to carry the worn
along as rapidly as possible. The interest charges aid other
fixed charges amount to $175,000. per month or ed,000. per day.
Here is a case where delay costs a breat deal of money. In such
a Case it pays to install means by which'worx can be finished
as rawidly as pOssible.
On foundation work, a different problem presents
itself. it is slow, tedious work. To double the speed would
probably treble the cost and the layout must be planned accordingly.
The amount of equipment and amount of’money invested
in equipment must be governed by the amount of worn that can be,
depended on in the future. A large amount invested in equipment
tuat is lying idle soon accumulates in overhead and fixed charges till
tue profit is reduced considerably. It may pay in many instances
to rent equipment rather than stocx up with new. There are many
concerns at the present time that rent construction equipment
at a moderate cest. One thind, be sure to have on wars, and
that is plenty of smaller tools, such as sleubes, wrecking bars
etc. and don't let them be tanen out of the tool room without
being checxed out. Too many tools figuratively taxe legs and
walx away, unless one keeps tab on then.
Besides having the preper equipment and enough of
it on the ground, the superintendent must act material to worn
with, lzmber, cement, nails, etc. He should let his fUFGfluu
give him tue orders and he check and 0.x. them. He is too

busy a nan to do all this himself. If he has trustworthy

-20-
men working under him, twere should be no trouble. Nevertheless,
he should keep a chaos to see that there is not a Shortage of
material, especially that which has to be made up special or
that wnicn has to be shipped from a distant point. On the
W-M building such a Case happened and men had to be laid Off
and the wuole worn was disrupted. such an affair costs big
money, both to the men laid off and to the contractor, As all
material ordered is already estimated by an estimator the
superintendent dees not need to both about asthmating on the
Job except in a minor way. He orders that “niCh has already
been estimated.

Before a superintendent starts work on a new
building, he should be thoroughly familiar with the building
code and rebulations for the city and for that particular
section of the city. In every city there are ordinances that
require certain materials in a b ildina. if the city inspector
has passed the plans and specifiCations everything should be 0.x.
Kevertneless, it is up to the superintendent to know about
these ordinances so if something has passed without being riLht
he can quicsly detect and remedy the trouble. Ihe most important
part of the Buildinb Code the superintendent should know is tue
safety precautions that must be tanen to protect tue public as
well as the mechanics working on the building. The requirements
of most cities are that traffic must not be interrupted, canopies
must be erected oVer sidewalus and prOper precautions must be

tanen that human life will not be endangered.

-21-

Lnen a canOpy is built OVer the sidesaix it should
be of heavy enough construction taat it will stand a very
severe shocx without breaking.

On higq structures Joists should be 3" A 18"
12" on centers and of 10' to 12' Span if made of wood, and if
possible it is much better to .se steel 1 beams. Decsing should
be of neavy planx and covered witu roofing paper to Keep off the
rain.

then bringing steel to the building all traffic should
be stOpped as it is being hoisted into place. There is always
one chance that a cable will break or a boom crunpie and cause
death and injury, to many. The superintendent should be careful
about allowiny men to "ride the steel" while it is beinb hoisted,
especially when heavy loads are tssen. ,SOme companies forbid
"riding" under all cenditions as it is all at the man's own PiSno
uhen he does this he automatically cancels his insurance. The
writer once saw a cable oreax when a load of steel was being
hoisted. bortunately, no one was on the load and the men below
had time to reacu safety before it hit tue around. The superintendent
should watch to see that everything is strong enough to hold its
load, and that hoists, der icks, elevators, etc., are not over-
loaded. On a large hotel in Chicazo, the hopper that aeld the
concrete after it vas dumped from the automatic elevator, was
situated on the fifteenth floor. The hep er was not supposed
to be lOaded over half full, or hold more than 1-1/2 yds. of
concrete at any time. anu some tie-up in the'concreting Operations

the man at the hOpper allowed it to fill to the top. As he was

-23-
a laborer he probably did not realize the consequences.

The result was that the nOpyer tore loose and fell, killing

three men and seriously injurinE others. Though not directly
resyonsible, yet the suyerintehdent is held responsible by the
contractor and the public for such a condition. in Case a

yerson is injured from falling material, the Comyany is liable

to damages.

Recently in dhiceuo, during a heavy wind storm,
larbe timbers used for SbefOldiU5 at the top of the éb-story
letuer building were blown down onto lacner Drive 47J feet
below. Hobody was hurt but it mas Jp to the suyerintendent to
see that the scaffolding was guy-wired and braces enoubh to stand
a heavy wind, as Chicago is subjected to heavy minds in the spring
of tie year.

There are certain ordinances and general safety gre-
cautions that should be used on all buildings. One comparatively
recent and far reaching law is the decxing of every second floor
as steel is erected, to yrotect the iron workers as well as
tradesmen working below. formerly, in some crties this did not
haveto be done but thru the efforts of organized labor it was
accomplished. Then there are general safety stays such as water
barrels at eve y floor to extinguish minor blazes. Lhe recent
fire in hew Yorh on the scaffolding several hundred feet above
ground outside the reach of the fire upberatus shows the need
for Slch yrotection as this.

education of the men to use safety deChJLlOud is

nlbhly recommended. rollowing is a list recently compiled:

-33-

l. rerSUnal eduCation amOug emyloyees in safety rules.

2. leriodical inspection of agyliances used daily.

5. insistence on Kart of contractor or suyerintendent
that all jobs he Keyt free from debris.

4. making compulsory the fencing of all floor Oyeniu58
and to boarding of sCaffolding Where bricklayers and masons are
working.

5. Advertisin3 by safety first signs and include proyabanda
in envelopes.

Even thou5h the s:prrintendent is hired by the contractors

and is workinb for than he has certain duties and obligations
toward the owner. He should try to do good work with the leat
amount of effort and sheila allow no faulty worn to base. if a
mechanic does sone worn slovenly and of.poor workmanship, mane
him remove it innediately. it may cest a little but you may
rest assured that for a wuile he will do much better work. For
a second or third o.fense it may be necessary to discharge a
man. it costs no more to do good worn and mane a neat ayyearinb
job than it aces to do yoor wornmansnip. If a mechanic doesn't
Know his trade and does not at least trJ to learn it, it is much
better to discharge him. Especially in riveting, alLAOuEn no
one exceyt the riveter an: inspector Knows whether a rcht is
"sound" or not, yet it is higflly essential that they are 0.x. as every
loose rivet weahens the building. In trim worn floors and decora-
tions, tue work should be the best Obtainable. TJG owner is
usually impressed more_by the appearance of the building than

anythin: else. then he comes around to look at the work, show

-24-
him nhat has been accomylished -- exfilain the good points
and 500d materials and workmanship.

The suyerintendent must also be on bOsd terms with the
engineer and inspector. if trouble is linely to develOp about
the cork it will we with the enéineer and inspector. They are
paid by the owner or architect to see that the building is con-
stricted as it should be and it is the duty of the superintendent
to play square With then for if they once catch you trying to
put something over tuej will be watching for you at every turn
and a hostile sugerintendent and eniineer do not increase the
syred of a job by any means. fine 6 gineer, if on 400d terms uith
the superintendent, will bive valuable sugaestions that nel;
mane the worn easier for the superintendent.

Lastly is the duty of the superintendent to the men
that emyloy him, the contracting comyany. It is for them he is
worsing and it is to them he should be loyal and do his best.
The PPint on a job deyends on the superintendent -- now well he
menh;U8 the worn and now ecsnocically it is done. It is his
duty to see a good standard of wornmanship is insisted uyon and
efficiency snorld be a byvord. Tell the foreman what your next
Step is, help them out in their planniné. In lumber see that
the mest economical lengths are used, every little bit counts.
In concreting build forms so they can be used oVer and over
again without altering or wrecking. Lany bdildlflé are oesianed
with that Eurgose_in mind and the suierintendent should tune
adVantaUe of it. uncsurahe the use or labor saving devices

sucn as Power hand saws, "hicu are coaing into use very exten-

-~5_
sively and many other easier metnoos which are cuttinb
down construction costs annually. hang of tfiede tuinbs a
suyerintendent learns and becomes acouainted with only after
years of ex,erience and seen observation.
The modern larae building is becoming more and more
a case of sgecialized contracting. One firn taxes the wors as

a whole unit and in turn re-lets the contract in sub-units.

1'3

'nst is, the electrical work, steel work, etc., is handled by
a sub-contractor. 0n Such a construction Job it is very
important that these sub-contractors he on the job at the right
tbue so the work will progress as a unit, as wuen it does not
tuere is trouble and the were is held up. if the electrician
does not lay his conduit lines before the reinforcing steel is
in there is trouble betveeh £3886 tvo sub-contractors and tuey
are Qisrdyting the whole organiZation. .t is us to the suyerin-
tendent to have each sub-contractor nave enough men t ere to do
his worn at tne yrober time.

The next problem of the superintenuent is to See that
each sub-contractor Knows just What he has to do and enat his
limits are. there should be a definite understanding in the
form of a written contract, telling exactly where each starts
and stOps. Lany a time tuere in confusion and discord as to
who is to Stt plates, bolts, etc., beCause there is not any
exact wording in the contract. The cement man blames the
caryenter and in turn the carpenter declazes it is the iron
man's job. since neitier is held down to it, the general

contractor usually has to set tuem himself. such a case ha__ens

time and time again and one has to be sure it is covered hi

the plans and specificttions given the sub-contractor.

 

If the Buyerintendent can inform the sub-centractor
a ween ahead of tine when he is needed on tie work, it is to
tie advantage of both. usually, however, on a big Job, 3 re-
Presentative is on hand and is in constant touch with the work
so as to inform his organization as to when men are needed.

in most of the buildin; centers at the Present time,
all of the building tradesmen are organized into labor unions.
They do not present any eyecial problem to toe suyerintendent
breviuinb all men on tee job are union and that union made
material is used. some unless have rules that they cannot worn
on a job vhure non-union men are emyloyed. This is but an
added safety code to the union men themselves, for union and
non-union men come to differences very easily and it is a poor
pelicy to employ union and non-union men at the sane time.

Tuere are certain Lurking conditions most unions have
and the surerintendent should be familiar with them.

The unions were pioneers in maxim; steel erectors
use decking every second floor, before buildin, codes inCiuded
such an ordinance. They have conveniences such as tool and coat
rooms where they may leave their tools and clothes without danber
of tueft, there are sanitary measures and drinking Water facilities.
Then each union his a reyresentative who meets the foreman and
auJust any grievance or difficulty. There are certain stipula-
tions Concerning working hours, overtibe, etc. most tradesmen

Worn 6 hrs. a day and begin at S o'clocs. For all overtiue

-27-
they receive double time. Lech union hes a business abent
who visits the worn and sees that the men ere union and nre
receiving a sducre deal. They have tae power to "bull" a Job
if everything is not on the square. 3y "pull" is meant to call
tie men off the Job and tie uy twe worn until the jon is satis-
factory t; the parties involved.

Drawing distinCtIOn between trades is not very hard
as it has been definitely settled in the past. Lacn trade has
its worning rules and limits defined as'well as the beneral
ideas as to tools, etc. One tradesmen may do a small Job of
another, Providing.there are not any of the otner tradesmen on
the Job. These rules are more or less local in their nature end
can be studied according to the locality.

There is still a big question in the minds of sons
,eoyle whether union men are alright and whether non-union men
are not better.

In tue :ast there H55 been mucn protegandn printed
caninst tie union; little faults were Printed in glaring headlines
and it seems that tee word union has become a word to de detested
by many. Perhnys if instead of un10ns they had been naucd asso-
ciations or clubs or something of that nature it would have been
better. The great economists of today base the high standard of
living conditions on labor unions. The rise in conditions of
prosperity of organized labor helps the non-organized man. some
of the very men who decry organized labor themselves belong to
orgenized unions. rue Chamber of Commerce, 3 nntion-wine organ-

ization, is one of the largest unions in America. The various

-sd-
trade associations all neve union IdfluaflLntulS in their
by-lcus, yet tress snnezuen Cannot see the selves as others
see them.

A union men is an BQuol of his fellow men, he bets a
living Wage. game crude a union men aces ot bet miet he is
worth sometimes. here is a fallacy, tie union wnues set are
minimum ethos sue the amyloyer Cnn pay'as much more as he Wishes.
Another tniny union men Know their trade, eyfirenticeshiy is
reiuired in most unions, in snich the men get out and see and
Ancw Wiut troy are doing. Irene dCRUJls help, but before any
JLH enters a union he must tune an exmnlnetion as ts his
ability in his trade. at yresent in uhlcaqo there is e gracinl
board of examiners in tit ccryenttrs' union that LPG ‘uid by
tie union t) exnnine briliduuts to see “lB‘JLr they are Cnynule
of tno torn. o.cn exnminetidns net.rnlly raise the utanunrd of
Kdrnmensxig. dsunlly union men are not "floaters" flying from
Jae place to another, line some men uo. $unc: “LLULULitr, tie
union man is better edii,peu to do a {Dad ylcce cf vorxn nsniy
t.nn t'e nun-unign mun. nu ind more self-C;nfiuenc}, undue he
i. going to get a decent living wane and is en eqanl Witi his
fellow sorhcrs. Iae state s: tne mind hns a lot to do with
the Kind of vernnnnsniy a man does and a union men has a better
0 &UUO to us free from rear Eda“ a non-union mun. nil in all
tie anion men scene to rmelee better more than a non-union man
she is i‘intln-u .nis any alone.

As all Jl:$ ere made With tic meaning of LNG ylens

and SUCleiCutiOLS in nine, tn re should be no deviation from

 

tnsn in any conuitiou unless the owner or his representatives
LJive their written consent. Jone contractors attemrt to Let
away with something but it is a very your policy.

some specifications are excusdinoly strict vuilu
others are cumieratively lenient. Floors, bolts, etc., for
scttinu mhcninerw and in pouer oases aid water orxs mist be very
aCCJrste. On one purer house in iliincis, elevation of bed
pistes nan to be witiin 1/32" and bolts within 1/16" of centers
on n iurce plOt. JiCfl a contract is card to fiii and FPOLCP
ailowctce must we made. Form work [or concrete closer tmnn
1/4" to 1/2" in much more exisnsivc Lian one supposes, Lots
of timus it deycnds on the engineer how mac: ans shit is
reasonsbi; close. if 36 has s grxd c it is easy for him to
find somethin5 to KiCh abast if he wsuts to force One to
live up to tie syeciric tions. «firever, the engineer has to
be on the alert to Sue Enat nothing is pit over and it certainly
is easy to pdt it UVUP on an inex,erienccd ins actor. hveu
tn: men who are exteriunced, are sometimes duped.

0n the 2.nd story of a 22-stqr; biiidino in UhiCth,
there was to no poured an extra Lcav; sins of concrete on
fidiCfl a lead of 45 tons was to me placed, waich was a Water
tans.‘ Tnis was the inst concreting on toe buildin; and tnc
suzyly of Cement has run short. The sgccificntions called
for a 4-0ah mix but the sancrintendent figired a 5-bag mix
Would just do it. svcrgtninh went fine, “non tad first few
batches were mixed the inspector was Laure and saw the: put

in 4 bubs bdt he also noted that the say_ly "cs low. Beinb

-30-
esperienced at tee game he wotcied towerd tie last few
batches from a piece weere no one saw him. Only tee and
three bags were LJoint; in at a mix. 1: Lanediuteiy Sfipred
tne mixer, saw tee superintendent and made him remove every
bit of taut concrete and your it right. it was estinated the
loss was at teast a thousand doilars, Just to try and save a
few bags of cement. Jouever, Just to satisfy himself, the
insyector drew on an ottionai clause in the centres and made
tne centrector iOed 45 tons of pig iron on the Siub and test
readings were taken for a period of tvo weeks to determine
if there was any settiment. Tnis Optional claise wadid
probably not have been enforced use not the superintendent
ueen dishonest.

many times the owner or architect orders Changes in
a buildine or ans extra work. Ihe sneerintendent should see
test the Comyeny hes comrensetion for this were end tnere snouid
be a definite understanding before tnis more is bepdn. Usually
a clause in the contract covers such e sitdntion.

Another condition thnt arises is wet“ the coutructor
wishes to change some meterini. This snozid be done only when
the owner hives his eonsent in writing. ;n a lnrge eyertment
hotel Cork fiaorinb in the dining rooms was being laid in 6"
patterns. Toward tne finish the supply of 6" squares was used
up out there were plenty of 12" sqtares that were being used.
for otuer rooms. Ede sneerintendent assed the owner if it was
ail ri5nt witn him to use the 12". He gave his causent in

writing. Later toe arcnitect inspeCted the Wore and was

-31-
indignant beCause tde Change had been made, as it was
not in harmony with the rest of the work. Tde centractor
And tse other's consent and nothing could be done about it.

The suyerintenUunt should be yarticular to see that
the brads of material that is Called for is used in all Farts
of the building, as it hives him a reputation for honesty and
fair dealing. '

Foundation work is the most uncertain of all
stricturel work. Tue problens that ore constantly arising,
that were unlocked for are numerous and One s ould be con-
stantly on the alert to 00pe with them. Test holes are usually
made before actual work starts, to deternine the cusracter of
tie soil underneath the strfsce of the ground. on tull buildinbs
t ese test holes extend to bed rock. if quick-sand is encountered
then a big problem confronts the superintendent. If a small
bookct, open caissons eon still be used as they are in clay.
But if a tniCk lager, then air pressure must be resorted to.
in the Chicago district fracttcauly all the work is of the onen
caisson tyne. Altn015d small yocsets of quiCk-sand are semetlmas
encountered, by careful work they can be handled without using
air pressure. The avers e depth in this district is from 100'
to 120', clay being encountered most of the way. 15' to 25' is
the deyth that can be dug in a day according to the size of the
caisson. The legging is 2" to 3" thick, 6" wide and from 3' to
6' long. An electric hoist is used and heavy manila rays. The
closed caisson is used in Larts of New York and in a problem

in itself to handle.

y-SS-

RemOan of material from the job is accomplished by
trucs.in mOst cases, although many'times if a tunnel is close
by tnis can be utilized to advantage. On a building on Lonroe
' Street, in Cnics 0, many tnousands of dollars were saved by
taking this tun.el which is oJ' underground and putting in a
steel ylpe so the dirt and material was dumyed into cars “thh
were run but a short distance to the lake front and emptied.

Many comyanies put in their retaininfi walls before
they excavate to the 1uil deyth. An advantage in doing this is
:tnst it is not so difficult to brnce the outer edbes while the
wall is being concreted, and the cost is but slichtly more.

A trench is dug where the wall is to be, heavy ylanns held by
jacss are put in place as the trencn is dug, the fomns for
concrete are then put in and tie wall youred. duca walls are

of reinforced design and are Aeld in place by the columns of

'the building. in the mouern building there are from 3 to 7 floors
below street level and one must make a personal study of condi-
tions before starting SJCh work.

On the superstructure work in uncertain conditions
tint ere encountered on foundation uork, will not be encountered.
One can Ceuerally be pretty sure Just about shot :roblems will

arise and cun c0pe with them in the prepor way. in“ one main
thing is to have a smooth running organization that gets the
mOst morn acvomplished mith the least amount of effort. If the
superintendent can rely on his forenen, and see that they are
wornins tobethtr, then he has a great deal of his hard vork

finished. is must made out cost bnu time reCorus and should

-55-
see tdut eaCu ierson in Charge holis him no this in the
rrOpLP way.

some years ago very little building was done
durin5 LJB inter in the Northern climate; recently, hosuver,
his has changed some, the advantages of all season construction
oycrations are raridly being recognized and the cost is only
Slightly more in the larger builuian. statistics recently
COmyilcd show the increased cost on large buildinbs is but
3} to 4; for Zinter construction and_b_ to of for smaller
buildings. douever, the contractor will usually bid with less
margin of profit for Linter work, so his machinery will not be
idle anu also to keen his dependable men so the cost may actually
be the Same as ouumer cost. Lintor work cuts dovn the OVUrheud
exyense on summer worn by Keeping equipment busy the year round.
It teuos to stabilize the trace, keey txousands working the
year round and it does not mane a dull season in the tinter and
a rush season in the summer.

The problem of tinter construction is not a difficult
one, the main one bcinb concreting. The suyerintendent SHOJlu
be thorouunly familiar Wltd [inter Operations and J.rotection
for 00ncretin5. following are some things that should be
re embered in Lister construction:

1. Always be yre;ared to enclose the worn and supply
heat wnenthr aura that may run into cold weather is be5un.

2. Aggregates are heated to best advantabe by steam oiyes
(say l-l/2"d) laid as a brill under £40 piles or by a 6'

length of ,erforated steam pipe inserted into the pile of

-34-
apbregtte.

3. tater is weated by running a steam l,ipe into a
water barrel.

4. A 50 1.1). boiler carrying; 5:0,} to 60;; Of steam is
required for a large job but an 18 to 25 H.r. boiler is
sufficient for jobs not more than 5000 Sq. ft. of floor area.

5. One salamander is usually suffiClent for 300 su.ft.
of floor area.

6. Columns should be concreted at the same time as the
floor and column tamping continued an hour or more after the
floor is concreted.

7. Bases of exterior columns are mest difficult to
protect and in extremely cold weather a salamander should be
placed on each side of the exterior columns.

6. For unusual speed or exceitionally cold weather or when
monolithic walls are carried up the lower floors shbuid be our-
tained and salamanders placed at exterior columns.

9. Apply fuel frequently and in small quantities, to
minimise smoke and provide uniform temperature.

10. Later barrels should be provided to extinguish fires
and care taken to Keep canvas from blowing against salamanders.

ll. A detailed and accurate temperature record should be
Kept showing date, hour, outside temperature, temperature at
bottom of columns, underside of slab, under Canvas OVer slab,
temperature of concrete as deposited and eSpecially temperature
at bases of exterior columns on windward side of building.

12. Ain at a minimum temperature of 60° F. within the

-35-
enclosure for five days. During protracted cold weather
keep the tarpaulins up and maintain a temperature of not
less than 40° F. for ten days additional.

la. Do not remove permanent sheres until t e strength is
shown to be 3/4 the design strength of the concrete.

14. Do not depend on antiéfreezina compounds instead of
protection and neat. Accelerators do not furnish neat to start
the hardening process but once started accelerators will cause
the concrete to gain strength faster if it is Kept warm.

No accelerators or anti-freezing compounds should be
used that will decrease the final strength of the concrete,
causinb rusting of steel or producing effloresc‘nce. Tauperature
above 50° will be 0.K. for concrete but 70° is better.

Care must be tauen in using salamanders after fine
finished floor is on or the fumes, etc., may injure the floor.
some contractors put in the heating system as fast as the
building is put up, installing temporary radiators at eacn
floor so as to aeep a fairly even temperature.

On many construction Jobs, the superintenuent must be
both superintendent and engineer, as the work is not enoubh to
keep an engineer busy, so if a man is capable, as he should be,
of engineering, in a general sense, using the level and transit
it will bive him a big boost upward. On buildings up to £100,000.
1. cast, one man can usually hauule both superintendence and
engineering to good advantage, especially unere the work is slow.

The superintendent should be in close touch with the

laws of the State re ardina WOPchn'S compensation and he should

-35-

live up to them. He should also have a place to whicn he

can send men that are injured and have mediCal treatment

given them. Always keep a first aid kit on the Job and educate
the men to tane cure of the slibhtest wound. On construction
worn it is easy for even a shin abrasion to become infected.

Do not leave boards with nails in then lying around; pull them
out or bend over the nails.

Another thinp to loch out for is adjacent preperty; if
too much excaVating is done under another buildinb it is liuely
to cause trouble. On ChiCa;o Ave., excaVating was carried on
next a 4-story building, the building collasped, probably due
to settling. This will cost the execavating company a great
deal to cover the cost of damages.

efficiency on the Job is very mucu needed at the
present time; sitn the cost of labor rising faster than building
material, the superintendent must take care to see that every one
is doing his best. Not necessarily a rusher, but do and mane
every step count. Put material “here it requires least handling
and carrying, plan your work so it goes along smoothly.

There is a large field in building superinteh ence
for men who Can do the work and the remuneration is ample for a
good living. A good superintendent can earn from $5,000. to
310,000. yearly. However, it is not the money that should count
but the spirit of achievement; to see a building grow up and
up is fascinatin;, but to direct the Operations thet make that

building grow is accomplishment and success.

 

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