Hello, everyone.
This is Enta.
The rain's been crazy this week, hasn't it...
It's really frustrating when there's spray paint—it just makes everything look so messy.
When we get delayed because of the rain, everything gets pushed back, and it becomes a real problem because there’s nothing we can do about it.
Slope stabilization and paving have long been considered ancillary works.
These "ancillary works" refer to,
"Other ancillary construction work necessary for the performance of the main construction work"
"Other ancillary construction work necessitated by the execution of the main construction work"
Simply put, these are construction projects other than the main construction work.
That's why every step is done at the very last minute!
During the main construction phase, the earthwork contractors will carry out the work as expected.
After all, since this is the main construction project, the general contractor isn't making a fuss about it, and
Since this makes up most of the construction period, I’m pretty much at the mercy of the earthwork crew, lol.
Is it just me, or are there fewer earthwork contractors these days? I hear some of them are making pretty unreasonable demands! (That’s what the general contractor over there said, lol.)
And then, right at the very end, the slope contractors and the paving crew show up.
When they bring that up, they’ll say, “We have to stick to the schedule and finish by XX days!” with a cheeky grin lol
Hey!!
Back when we were doing the earthwork, we were taking it easy with two days off a week, right!?
"It's so unfair—no time to take a sudden day off, and they just tell me to come in early and work overtime!" That's a common complaint, lol.
I guess slope engineers are always thinking about that, aren't they?
But that's what slope contractors and paving contractors are for!
We'll make sure to finish the work on time.
Once you become a major player, you can deploy Teams 2, 3, and 4 to launch a full-scale offensive all at once! (That’s the power of a major player!!)
The appeal of working as a slope contractor or paving contractor is that you can achieve a volume of work that would be absolutely unthinkable in standard earthwork projects.
That's the appeal of being able to go all out at once!
And then I head off to the next job site.
Even on sites worth tens of millions, the work is usually done in about half a year at most, so we slope contractors get to move on to new sites one after another lol
This is especially appealing to people who want to travel outside Iroiro Prefecture!
There are quite a few people who say they prefer their hometown, but once you're an old geezer, you can stay there forever, right?
For example, if you retire at 65, you'll be there for the rest of your life! Until you die, lol.
In that case, don't you think it would be great to travel around and work in different places while you're still young?
In reality, most of my trips are to nearby prefectures, but I can memorize any route!
Guys who know their way around no matter which prefecture they go to are really cool, aren't they? ^^
Let's eat and drink some delicious local food and drinks!
And when I retire, I’ll go visit all the places I’ve worked on in the past lol
That's another appealing aspect of it.
When you think about it that way, being a slope maintenance worker is the best, isn't it? ^^
It's not part of the main construction work (though sometimes it is), but it's a field that's so highly specialized that even people from other trades have absolutely no idea what's going on!
It’s easy once you get the hang of it, but doesn’t it feel like you’re entering a world that’s incredibly deep once you really delve into it?
It’s also a unique field where slope engineers can continue working even after turning 70. (Though this is common in civil engineering.)
The reason they can still work even at that age is that they hang from a rope.
When considering the components of gravity, imagine a 70-kg person hanging from a rope on a slope.
Let's assume that the slope angle is 60 degrees at that point.
The load on the rope is approximately 60 kg (F1 = body weight × sin θ), and
The force directed toward the ground is approximately 35 kg (F2 = body weight × cosθ).
What I'm trying to say is that it reduces the strain on your legs and lower back!
It's actually easier than standing on flat ground, isn't it?
It's better to let the rope support your body (I think that's right, lol)
There are times when things get tough, but ^^
There’s no doubt that technical careers will become a field where you can make a living for the rest of your life!
That's because, with a labor shortage this severe, unit prices are bound to rise.
In a sense, this means that now is the perfect opportunity for those who are able to change jobs.
If you're thinking of changing jobs in the civil engineering industry, I highly recommend working in slope stabilization!
So, with that in mind, I decided to write about the appeal of being a slope maintenance worker today? (Don’t say, “Is that all?” lol)
See you later.
