By Jon Nirnberger, Pavestone Company

Proper job planning should include a visit to the site to determine scope of the project, capacity to perform the work with a long-range planner, and the overall calculated risk.

Proper project planning is an essential component of any successful paver or wall project. This is true for jobs of any size, whether residential or commercial. Improper planning can have detrimental effects on a contractor?EUR??,,????'???s profitability, and for this reason many contractors have implemented pre-job checklists to increase their crew?EUR??,,????'???s efficiency and help eliminate any surprises on the jobsite. According to Barry Wagner, Commercial Estimator at Timberline Landscaping, ?EUR??,,????'??Job planning can typically be broken down into a few categories: Pre-job site visits and job analysis; Verification of responsibilities; Crewing a job; and Utilizing the proper tools and equipment.?EUR??,,????'??

Some questions can?EUR??,,????'???t be answered by reading a set of plans and need to be addressed in the field, such as site access. It should never be assumed that site access will be a non-issue. Site access cannot only affect a contractor?EUR??,,????'???s ability to mobilize equipment on site, but also affect a vendor?EUR??,,????'???s ability to place product near the contractor?EUR??,,????'???s working area.

To assure maximum profitability and job efficiencies, it is important to use a systematic approach to cost-estimating an installation project. Among the factors to consider include: removals, base prep, product quantity, equipment and site-specific projects such as steps or utilities. The worksheets shown here, from the Pavestone Estimating, Design and Installation Guide, provide an easy checklist of the more critical items to consider. View full Size Image

If product cannot be placed near the contractor?EUR??,,????'???s working area, additional man hours and equipment time will be required to transport product. Product staging area is another issue that needs to be taken into consideration during a pre-job site visit. The size of the available staging area will determine how much product can be delivered and stored on site. If a contractor?EUR??,,????'???s vendors cannot deliver material in full-truckload quantities, it will likely result in additional freight costs which will need to be reflected in the contractor?EUR??,,????'???s quote.

?EUR??,,????'??I think communication with the designer, general contractor and owner is the key to the success of any type of construction project,?EUR??,,????'?? said Doug Hanney, Construction Manager, Nor?EUR??,,????'???Wood Development Group. ?EUR??,,????'??Use these people as a resource for planning and implementing the job and communicate, good or bad, the status of the project as necessary.?EUR??,,????'??

?EUR??,,????'??Site plans, especially on large commercial projects, can change frequently, and retaining walls are one of the items that change most frequently due to their high cost in comparison to graded slopes.?EUR??,,????'??

A pre-bid meeting to discuss responsibilities is an effective way for contractors to eliminate surprises during a project. Every general contractor structures their bids a little different, and has different expectations of their subcontractors. Some of the issues that need clarification are who will be responsible for: subgrade/foundation preparation and compaction, wall layout for retaining walls, supplying specified backfill material and drainage aggregates for retaining walls, and placement/compaction of backfill/base materials. Although it is typically the responsibility of the General Contractor to compact the base/foundation soils, the wall/paver installer should always verify this work and ensure the general contractor has provided them with an adequate foundation for construction.

Retaining wall staking/layout is usually provided by a survey crew on commercial projects, but the wall installer should always make sure that the survey crew has taken the wall unit?EUR??,,????'???s batter into consideration on their layout. If not, the top of wall elevation may not allow the desired space for guardrail or fence installation. This issue can be prevented by a simple meeting and/or phone call to the project surveyor. For residential projects, always require the homeowner to layout their patio and/or retaining wall with marking paint to avoid issues with paver/wall placement during or after construction.

Some jobs are much more intricate in design and installation, making it even more important to spend some time on-site in the planning stage. Remember to cross-train employees in all aspects of installation in the event that certain key crew members are not available for a project.

The biggest issue with installer/general contractor responsibilities has been the question of who is providing, placing, and compacting backfill materials for retaining wall construction. Some general contractors prefer to contract installers to provide block installation only, which is usually referred to as ?EUR??,,????'??stack and roll?EUR??,,????'?? installation. Other general contractors expect ?EUR??,,????'??turn-key?EUR??,,????'?? pricing from wall installers, which includes block installation, backfill placement and compaction. It is critical that the installer understands the general contractor?EUR??,,????'???s expectations when bidding the project since these two installation methods have very different responsibilities and costs.

The final component of job planning is utilizing the proper tools and equipment. Utilizing the proper tools and equipment is just as important as having the right crew and can help increase profitability and increase the efficiency of the crew. Proper tools and equipment are necessary in every part of wall and paver construction. For compaction equipment you always want to use the largest equipment you can for the job since larger compaction equipment will reduce required compaction effort and time. For example, a vibratory plate compactor will not be nearly as efficient as a vibratory roller compacting granular backfill in between 30 foot Geogrid lengths, but a vibratory plate compactor would be much more efficient than a vibratory roller if compacting backfill material in a 90 degree corner or around utilities where space is a concern.

Building Blocks

6:Inches, the areas of extension of the leveling pad from the toe and heel of the lowermost SRW. In addition, the leveling pad is typically six inches thick.

Source: National Masonry Concrete Association