I’ve written about the three reasons why public works companies aren’t profitable, from the perspective of a slope contractor
Hello, everyone. This is Enta. “Why can’t public works companies turn a profit?” That’s something I’ve been constantly wondering about after 30 years on the job, lol. I recently had the chance to read an analysis of the construction industry’s structure on social media, and it finally helped me put into words the uneasiness I’d been feeling. Today…
Let's Talk About Collapse Prevention Measures During Construction! (Part 3)
Hello, everyone. This is Enta. This is a continuation of my previous post. Why Do Slopes Under Construction Collapse? (Part 1) Relieving Pressure and Draining Injected Water Before a Collapse (Part 2) In Parts 1 and 2, I explained the reasons why slopes under construction collapse and discussed draining injected water as a countermeasure. This time…
Let's Talk About Collapse Prevention Measures During Construction! (Part 2)
Hello, everyone. This is Enta. This is a continuation of my previous post. “Slope Collapse During Construction: Water Is Almost Always the Cause (Part 1)” In Part 1, I wrote about how the safety factor (Fs) does not reach 1.2 during construction, how water tends to concentrate on the weakest points, and how sheet protection is only a temporary measure…
Let's Talk About Slope Stabilization Measures During Construction! (Part 1)
Hello, everyone. This is Enta. A slope collapses during construction. Every slope contractor has had that moment of panic or disappointment at least once, right? This time, I thought I’d write about the causes and countermeasures for that lol. There are basically only three types of slope sites. Slope sites…
Water came out of the PC steel strand!!! What should I do in a situation like this!? (Part 2)
Hello, everyone. This is Enta. Water came out of the PC strand!!! What should you do in a situation like this!? (Part 1) This is a continuation from last time. For some reason, water started coming out of the head of a ground anchor. The most likely causes are probably something happening nearby, a change in the water table, or an earthquake…
Water came out of the PC steel strand!!! What should I do in a situation like this!? (Part 1)
Hello, everyone. This is Enta. When installing ground anchors, water sometimes comes out of the head, right? From between the PC strands, lol. You’d think, “It’s surrounded by grout, so there’s no way water could get in, right!?” Of course, manufacturers use epoxy to prevent water from getting in…
My back tooth is loose… Maybe the skills of a dentist and those of a slope engineer are actually one and the same!
Hello, everyone. This is Enta. I’ve been going to the dentist for treatment since last month. My back tooth has been ravaged by gum disease—the bone has dissolved, and it’s loose now, lol. Take a look at this CT scan—you can see half of the root of my back tooth, right? lol. This isn’t something to laugh about—it really does happen out of the blue! …
A pay stub from 30 years ago for a slope construction supervisor!
Hello, everyone. This is Enta. The other day, while I was organizing some papers, I actually came across some old pay stubs from my time at a major corporation. Now 50 years old, I found myself thinking about all sorts of things as I looked over the stubs from when I was 22 and 29. March 1998, my pay stub at age 22. First up is the one from when I joined the company…
Material supplies have dried up, wages have fallen, and people are breaking down. This is the reality of the construction industry today.
Hello, everyone. This is Enta. Right now, construction companies are being pushed into a corner more and more. Material supplies are drying up. Unit prices aren’t rising. Companies are struggling with cash flow. When things get to this point, there’s one thing that’s bound to happen next. Construction companies are currently being pushed into a corner more and more…