Concrete Mars Bars

Nothing shows that you’re out of your depth than the use of industry vernacular.

You can read all the documents you like but when the guys on the ground talk a different language, you’re stuffed.

I’ve spent all my career in education. This brings with it no end of in-house terminology: SEN, EHCs, SATs, WTFisThis?

Sorry about the last one but if you’re a teacher you’ll know when this is used - it’s the reaction to some minister who thinks every child should learn to parse text and recognise a subordinate clause. Now balance the time spent by highly-paid officials with the social and economic benefits of acquiring that knowledge. 🙄 I rest my trowel!

But…you really know you’re out of your depth when your groundwork team require 100m of 100mm chairs and half a pallet of concrete Mars bars.

So, thinking that the guy was taking the piss, my reply was “Yeah. I’ll order them with the tartan paint and the rubber knives.” I am SO witty.

Only to receive the reply that he wasn’t joking!!

Apparently, chairs are the things that support the mesh in the slab and the “Mars bars” are actually spacer bars that spread the load over the frame.

M-bar-assed!

So, where are we at?

Not sure, really: the prep for the slab is taking longer than expected and the cost of steel and concrete are far more than I’d thought.

But my hero-builder is sorting stuff.

Watch this space - the Mars Bars have been eaten! The chocolate variety, of course.