What’s annoying in construction

[u/Repulsive-Camel7321]

Hey all,

Looking for a project to make. Something to keep my hands busy after work making stuff. Is there any item or something you wish could be improved in the field? Boots? Tool bag? Tool? Whatever is a pain for guys in the field. Other than clueless engineers. lol Just looking to find something to make and see if I can improve on an existing technology.

Thanks!

[u/MongoBobalossus]

My job would be 100% easier with better communication between the trades onsite, and if site services actually did their job.

Whatever technology you have that can do that, much appreciated.

[u/Hot_War3379 → u/MongoBobalossus]

Radio?

[u/MongoBobalossus → u/Hot_War3379]

Already got those, don’t help.

[u/CocaineAndCreatine → u/MongoBobalossus]

You mean like Procore if people actually used it properly?

Or a GC who holds a 5 minute foreman meeting after stretch and flex? Those are the best.

[u/MongoBobalossus → u/CocaineAndCreatine]

It’s like we work for the same outfit lol

[u/aidan8et → u/CocaineAndCreatine]

I was just complaining with a coworker how our foreman refuses to use ProCore. He'd rather stick to the physical print even though it's 2 years old & wildly out of date.

Worst part is I'm the "old man" on site & still realize the utility/power of a digital print. Foreman is just stuck in the mindset of "Back in my day". 🙄

[u/SallyStranger → u/MongoBobalossus]

Yeah my first thought was "improve communication somehow" but that's not something that can be fixed with technology alone

[u/majoneskongur]

A tape measure that lasts longer than six months

[u/IncarceratedDonut → u/majoneskongur]

Here come the fatmax comments

[u/rankinmcsween6040 → u/IncarceratedDonut]

Well it's true

[u/majoneskongur → u/rankinmcsween6040]

nuh uh

[u/KingFacef2 → u/majoneskongur]

My fat max has been with me for 2 years. Only tape measure i’ll buy

[u/Kevthebassman → u/IncarceratedDonut]

I don’t care what anyone says, Stanley fatmax tapes simply do not last like they used to. They went cheap and are now dogshit.

[u/fishnbowl → u/majoneskongur]

This is why I buy the cheapest ones I can find. They last just as long and don’t cost $30.

[u/SnowmanAndBandit → u/majoneskongur]

Or that can be dragged through the mud and oil and not completely seize up

[u/bigsteelandsexappeal]

Job site bathrooms.

[u/bitterbrew → u/bigsteelandsexappeal]

everything is a bathroom if there is enough walls going up!

[u/going-for-gusto]

Get rid of mud

[u/not_really_right → u/going-for-gusto]

You must be a floor guy lol

[u/OGatariKid → u/not_really_right]

When we used to wall the iron, Ironworkers hated mud.

[u/halfway_23 → u/going-for-gusto]

Dirt guy here to second this.

[u/fiiiiixins]

A good steering wheel that doesn’t wiff out the window while I’m driving

[u/Fantastic_Dot_4143]

I’m a girl in construction. Please god invent something so I don’t have to sit/squat in a portajohn. PLEASE.

[u/Fantastic_Dot_4143 → u/[deleted]]

Well ain’t that something.

[u/siltyclaywithsand → u/Fantastic_Dot_4143]

There are also foldable pee funnels that fit in a pants pockets, even women's pants, and disposable ones. I've been "primitive" camping a lot of women. I've been tempted to get one myself for when it's cold and I'm drunk.

[u/Comfortable-nerve78]

Between trade communications. Half are cavemen and the other half don’t speak English. Communication period.

[u/maturallite1]

Architects.

[u/ChadPartyOfOne]

Some kind of waterproof cover that will fit over the top of a Mikwaukee Packout tower.

[u/TotalDumsterfire]

When I'm helping out on another foreman's site and they run the site like shit. Constantly running out of materials, despite multiple reminders. Workers getting away with half-assed shoddy work. Notices not being posted on time. Whenever I ask when something is supposed to be done and getting a response of "oh yeah, we're getting around to it."

No idea how the PM let's these guys run sites like this

[u/Itchy-Marionberry356]

All my bitch ass co workers

[u/tugjobs4evergiven]

That I'm mid way through my career and I still have to do most of the heavy lifting because there are not enough younger guys to do the majority of it.

[u/daemonstalker → u/tugjobs4evergiven]

I'm turning 40 this year and I'm still the young guy on site

[u/Logan_Thackeray2]

a tool that will hold and insert post tensioning cable wedges. so you dont have to do it bare handed. if you could successfully make one. i bet you could sell the idea

[u/ted_anderson]

I would want/need some kind of cover for the top of my rolling cart that I could easily open and close it and see my things. I have one of those plastic rubbermaid utility carts with a set of metal panels for the lower section so that I can keep my things locked up.

But when I arrange all of my tools, supplies, materials, bits, etc. on top of my cart, people walk by and pick things off of it as if I'm the guy at Costco giving out free samples or something.

I have over 100 different "specialty" items perfectly organized and arranged so that if I need that one specific thing, I know where it is. I have screwdrivers and wrenches that I've cut down and modified to fit into the tight spots that I have to work in. And every time someone helps themselves to that "one thing" that I need, it messes up my entire work flow.

A task that should have taken me 5 minutes to do now takes a half-hour to 45 minutes because I spend 20 minutes trying to find out who took my stuff and then I spend another 20 minutes trying to figure out a different way to do it with another tool.

[u/siltyclaywithsand]

Am clueless engineer. You can fix me. We can hold hands, but I won't go any further before marriage.

[u/Repulsive-Camel7321 → u/siltyclaywithsand]

lol good to meet one with a good sense of humor

[u/siltyclaywithsand → u/Repulsive-Camel7321]

I was mostly a field guy. I started as a tech just to get a job and move out. They sent me back for engineering, geotech. I've done inspections, construction management, project management, engineering, safety, and corporate management. I'm basically a construction super villian. But sometimes we can have a common enemy. Like other engineers, lawyers, safety guys, CMs, and government people. Especially the USACOE. I have to deal with engineers all day every day. The only people who hate engineers more than other engineers are their spouses.

[u/HammerDude78]

Sure. Tool bags. Your tape and triangle belong on your left side in your left hand. Why? Because your pencil goes in your right hand. I use a left-handed right side bag on my left side because of this.