[Nebraska]

Out here in my area contractors are bidding on walls that have not been actually engineered yet. They are providing bids based upon what they estimate that the engineering costs will be and guessing what the actual engineering specs will be.

I just got off the phone with ANOTHER home builder who told me that he will not, nor will his client (the new homeowner) pay up front to have an SRW engineered. This is the second home builder that has told me this.

I'm seeing this as an a*&-backwards way of doing business....

Is it just me?

[ianc]

The maufacturer should provide all engineering free - they have all different types of engineered plans available for most of thier wall applications

I agree - he shouldn't have to pay - phone the SRW company and have them look after it

~ian

[mrusk]

Here is how you work it.

Go take measurements of the where the wall will go. Call your block rep. He'll ask you a ton of questions and then do a prelim plan based off of worse case.

Then estimate off of that with a clause saying 'based of prelim plans'

Work engineer fees into proposal. When you sign the job have the engineer draw the actual plans.

Never tell the home owner to call a engineer to have plans made.

Just mention that plans are needed, but you handle all that so they do not have to be bothered with it.

[Matt Kulp]

In our area we deal with alot of different types of soil, and when constructing walls we always get the design first. It takes more then measurements to design a wall, 9 times out of 10 we have to do a full site analysis with soil samples moisture retention test, etc... I got into one last year that we had to pull probes for the design.

I am not sure how tall or long of a wall you are questioning, but anything over 4' for us, there will be a plan stamped. Too much liability swing if you don't. I have done the whole mfg. design thing, but they push all of the liability back on you, because normally they do not come to the site and do any test. They are taking your word for the conditions and in the fine print of there contracts you will see the sight unseen clause. Anchor used to do the prelim designs for free, but they stopped now and will only farm out any drawings due to liability issues.

We normally take pictures of the entire site, elevation readings and a description of the load on the wall and send to the engineer firm. They will be able to give you a pretty good idea of what cost you are going to run into with the design, as well as depth of base block and grid pulls. Build that in with a generous allowance, and have your contract include that the builder or the homeowner is responsible for all site testing.

[Paul]

I don't see much a problem quoting walls that need a stamp. Soils at the base and top give me a good idea of what it's going to take. Rarely here are real bad soils encountered and when they are better soils for replacement are close by.

Grid sizes might vary but compaction remains the same, a bit more excavation could be called for but most time it can be handled with an exception report from a soils lab.

[Nebraska]

This spring I've seen it with two home builders and one large commercial project. We don't market to this segment and they have just come our way through word of mouth. I haven't gone beyond talking on the phone with these people.

It must just be me......my thinking is that if I was planning on building a large wall I would want the specs first and present those specs to 3 contractors and get an apples to apples comparisons from those contractors, make the decision, and move forward. Otherwise you're going to have contractors all over the "board". In my mind it seems sort of like asking someone to build a house without meeting with the architect first.

Big walls are not our forte and are not the direction I want to head. Lawn and landscape maintenance and small landscape projects ($3k - $12k) are where we thrive - - profit-wise.

It just seems sort of backwards....???

[mrusk]

Most landscapes are not equipped to handle large walls efficently.

I have the oppurtunity to bid a 3000 face foot wall with max high for 11 feet.

I can't see how i can bid it any where near as tight as a excavator who can come in with big loaders and excavators. I think i would be wasting my time trying to bid that.

[Paul]

Proper equipment can be rented for next to nothing for large wall installs, spreading the cost out over 1000 sq ft or more gets easy, labor is where you get hurt. Most companies don't have clamps that lift 5 or more units into position.

[klaaar]

This might be slightly off-topic. I remember reading in a trade magazine that there are very large and heavy blocks available for building walls w/out grid. I need to bid on wall that will replace a deteriorating RR tie wall. The hill behind is extremely steep, mostly ivy-covered, but will probably collapse to some degree if we cut more than 3' back from the front edge of the proposed wall. This seems like a situation where very large blocks would come in handy. The wall is only to be 4' high.

Who manufactures the blocks of which I write?

[scott C]

techo bloc Millenium block ibelieve

[Lanelle]

Techo-Bloc Monumental and Anchor Vertica Pro may be used without geo-grid, depending upon your soil and site conditions.

[scott C]

techo bloc Millenium block ibelieve

[VoodooChile]

I just got off the phone with my supplier, among other things , a Unilock dealer. I asked him how I go about getting a plan from Unilock for a 60' long, 7' high maximum wall built out of Roman Pisa. A driveway would run on the back side of the wall, minimum 10' from the back of it.

My supplier told me that Unilock isn't actually the manufacturer of Roman Pisa, some Canadian firm makes the block and would draw up the plans.

They quoted me $1500-2500 for the plans!!! Without a stamp, which would cost me another $500-$1000.

This is the first time we have had to go this route, and I am completely in the dark about cost, but this hit me as astronomical.

Should I be looking at other manufacturers? Is this just what it is going to cost to get a stamped plan?

Any input greatly appreciated!

[uniscaper]

Voodoo the Roman Pisas are manufactured here in the states. As a matter of fact I've seen them produced in their aurora IL plant and I believe they are also producing them in the new Elkhorn WI plant.
Unilocks headquarters is located in Canada maybe that is where the mix up came from.

[Stonehenge]

I wonder if your supplier goofed up who is the engineer for that block (Risi Stone, who designed the system and licenses it and sells the dies to Unilock), and who makes the block. Unilock certainly makes the block.

Remember that baked into the engineered plan is Liability/E&O coverage (Errors and Omissions), so that if the wall they designed falls and kills someone, their insurance will cover the damages (possibly millions). The actual work part is likely pretty brief. It's the shift of liability from you to them, and a high level of assurance that the wall will be spec'd properly that is what you're paying for.