Hello, everyone.
This is Enta.
Lately, I haven't been doing any structural engineering design at all.
Well, it's fine, I guess, but as a slope engineer, it's a bit of a problem because if I don't design retaining walls every once in a while, I'm afraid I'll forget how to do it.
I haven't even drawn a rough sketch of the legal framework yet, lol.
If someone asked me, “Can you really call yourself a slope engineer with this?” I’d be at a loss for words… lol
But that's beside the point.
Perhaps because weather forecasts have become more accurate lately, I’ve started to be able to tell when work will end early.
As expected, heavy rain is forecast for today, so work will come to a halt at sites all over the place.
From our perspective, it doesn’t really matter since we can work even in the rain, but from the general contractor’s standpoint, I think it’s an unavoidable situation when you consider the risk of being struck by lightning or caught in a landslide while working in heavy rain.
Slope construction work that can be performed on rainy days includes tasks that do not require mortar, such as lath installation, formwork assembly, and anchor installation.
Most construction companies don't like working on rainy days, lol
Back then, we almost always had the day off. I was the coach at the time, so I was actually happy when it rained.
However, not long after that, as unit prices kept falling, we found ourselves in a situation where we had to work even on rainy days just to make ends meet.
There's a trend toward rushing through the work and moving on to the next job site.
Basically, it was as if they were saying that shortening the construction period would translate into profit, and the general contractor kept that in mind while preparing estimates and negotiating.
As a result, there are so few people working in the slope maintenance industry these days.
Ever since the Koizumi reforms, wages have been falling steadily, public works projects have been cut back, and then came the Lehman crisis.
Even if you work hard at a physically demanding job, the pay is no different from what you’d earn at a convenience store or a restaurant.
I'm always traveling for work, but I don't get any travel allowances or bonuses.
It’s not hard to see why the construction industry isn’t very popular, is it?
But things are different now!
An era of massive price surges is definitely coming!
The reason is that this labor shortage shows no signs of abating.
Since the Japanese population is steadily declining, it’s not going to grow, so we have no choice but to rely on foreign workers.
On top of that, there’s a recession. It’s been a given since time immemorial that public works projects are the go-to stimulus measure during a recession, lol (not that I know for sure).
Well, at the very least, the annual budget for public works hasn't decreased.
With a series of bankruptcies among general contractors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems that the only option—given the need to utilize the national budget—is to raise unit prices and expand the scope of construction projects.
It is highly likely that there will be a series of unsuccessful bids for construction projects in the future, and it seems inevitable that construction companies will gravitate toward general contractors offering favorable unit prices.
To prepare for that, I went to speak with an expert on recruitment the other day.
We'll be posting tons of job listings at Entame so we don't get left behind during this era of skyrocketing rates (I know that probably doesn't make any sense, lol).
We also plan to put more effort into purchasing equipment and improving construction management, and we’ll work to help general contractors better understand the value Enta offers—which goes beyond just financial considerations.
Since the core drill and its unit that I purchased previously are still stored at the manufacturer's facility, I've set up a new storage area.
It's not very spacious, but it's big enough to do something with for now.
Especially during times like these, I plan to take a proactive approach and push forward with determination.
If you're interested in a company like that, feel free to contact us lol
See you later.
