Getting Up in the World

After about 3 months, the first of the steel frame made its appearance above ground and we were able to start in a small way. But before we started, I was told that the contract we had signed was for “Time and Material”. The general contractor would pay for all costs, plus our profit. And that special arrangement had been made with a scaffold contractor to supply us with any scaffold we desired, all for one price.

At the time we started, the general contractor had a workforce of over 200 men, 134 carpenters and the rest were laborers; the most carpenters I had ever seen on one job. And although we started with a small crew, maybe half a dozen men; the GC told me that he was going to “give me” two laborers and that I could have them do anything I needed. Not to worry…they would remain on his payroll. He indicated that having a clean worksite was more important than a few dollars for labor and he was glad to spend it! To top off his generosity, he gave me the keys to a forklift and said it was mine to use. He had rented it for the duration of the job anyway and it was just sitting there. Better that I should use it than for it to get rusty.

We started our work in the lower levels, building fireproof cable runs, while the iron workers kept adding to the height of the building. My two laborers were there every day, brooms in hand, just waiting for one of us to drop a piece of scrap metal or drywall. And they were diligent. At the end of the day there was no evidence of our having been there except for the completed work.

After a couple of weeks, the second floor was decked over and the concrete was poured. A special Robertson decking was being used that allowed for cable runs beneath the floors and these required a great deal of fireproofing. Our plan was to use rolling scaffolds, linked together in groups of four and in enough quantity to do half of the floor space at one time. And since the working height was over 20’, these scaffolds were huge. It would take about 8 men, including the two laborers, to move them about the floor.

Now I had a use for “my” forklift! I would take full units of framing material and lift them to the top of the scaffold. And do the same with the drywall when we were ready to install it.

My crew increased till I had about 36 men working on top of the scaffolds. My job was to drive the forklift and supply them with material. That way I could monitor progress quite easily. And since I was right there, I could answer any questions that the crew had concerning what kind of fireproofing was needed for their portion of the work that day. Of course I couldn’t help but organize some competition and pretty soon the scaffold teams had names and were doing their best to outdo one another.