An engineer error

There was no error before the error, and there was never ever an error after the error, but it was an error, and it was done by Andersen.

As usual, there were no spaces around your building site. It was gradually becoming a new natural force in our universe.

It was a used office building with a centre elevator which seems to be our only chance to mount all the concrete elements if we managed to place our building crane on the spot from the beginning. I was in charge as site engineer an very vel train to used a theodolite and a level instrument and so was my concrete team leader.

There will be 1 cm between the inside wall and crane if it should be big enough to handle all the concrete element. It closed! very close, and how must deflection will it operate with?

For those who have learned me to know through this text will not be surprised when I tell you, that I decided to do it myself. It was an edge, and it was vital that it was done properly!

Man-hour is running fast with 10 to 15 concrete workers in action every day, and the wage office demanded hourly statements, and the work activity described, so they could keep an eye on the hour consumption and compare it with the estimate per. wage payment day.

It was early in the morning, my concrete team leader should deliver all the timesheets by lunch, and he began to circle a whole hour before he would go to the head office.

>>We have used so many hours to redo the concrete base plate, and I have any idea of what I shall tell them we have done.<< The standard procedure was to hide it, and it was never the site engineer there should be blamed.

The environment between the union and the industry was tough at the time, where most of the labour force voted on one of the many socialist parties we have, and a failure could easily cost the whole team their job. The truth was that the concrete team leader follows the concrete workers, and he had authority to employed new workers for his team if it was necessary. On the other hand, it means that the whole team have to leave if their team leader fails seriously.

Then I suddenly notice that he was afraid. Afraid to lose his job. Afraid to be blamed that he does not check out his site engineer before he poured concrete into the form and yes, it was expensive. They buried a half year salary of mine in concrete.

It was the first time I have such a problem, and let him and his team pay the price for my failure will never happen. Even if he has offered me such a deal, I will have rejected it.

I look straight at him, >>leasing carefully; You write that site engineer Andersen have done level wrong! And further, that site engineer Andersen have ordered you to write so.<<

I could see and feel the mental pressure leave his body and then suddenly a concern for me. He entirely convinced that it was the end of my time at Monberg & Thorsen Ltd. I will be fired. The whole way to the car he asks me, >> are you sure?<<;>> Yes, I am!<<;>> But Andersen are you sure?<<;>> Yes, I am, get it done.<<

And what happens? Nothing! Absolute Nothing. No one visited the site. No one calling me into the headquarter for an explanation.No one never ever asks a single question. Now he will probably not ask for a higher salary the next two years, must they have thought.

It was expensive Andersen, but we trust you!

There was no engineer at the time, were offered morning coffee in their trailer. I did! The event literally broke down the social boundary. Now I have also 15 concrete workers their trust my word. It was something at that time.

The failure taught me a lesson with I brought with me and never forgot, and when I 12 year later managed to operation as consulting engineer, it became a balanced risk parameter in my calculation.