FAQ

What is a Rebar detailer?
  - This is the main question that comes from people outside of the industry.  All too often it takes an explanation which ties in the fact that concrete needs reinforcement, and the roles of the engineer, fabricator, placer, and myself.  It goes something like this....

"All concrete structures require reinforcing.  On it's own, concrete is not adequate to handle most loads...  Therefore, engineers determine what rebar (reinforcing) is required to support their design loads and create structural drawings based on that design.  Rebar is used like your skeletal structure or better yet, an armature in a clay sculpture.  It provides rigidity, adding to the strength of the covering.  Using the engineer's structural drawings I interpret his design and create placing drawings for all the rebar requirements.  These placing drawings are then used by the placer to install the rebar before concrete is poured.  From the same placing drawings, I also create material list for the fabricator to use in their shop."

Ok... Ok... So that's a little wordy for me..  especially after a 14 hour day of revising drawings, because the engineer's note was ambiguous, or the contractor decided to add "just a couple" of construction joints, or I just plain screwed up. 

Usually I say --- "It's like drafting" --- 
which I know - is nothing like detailing...  but hey, it was a long day!

When can you have drawings to me?
 -  One of my favorite questions (yeah right).  Usually this question is posed before I get any contract drawings...  (most jobs I take are sight unseen) Or, as if most fabricators and contractors have a 6th sense, the question comes shortly after I receive the drawings...  I mean within a matter of minutes.  I know everyone has someone else pushing them so I really don't mind when it's my turn to be pushed...  The only problem is I have no one to push. wah, wah.  

My typical answer to this question is: "when do you need it?"  
A little side stepping and jockeying for position, and a date is agreed on.  Typically, everyone is happy with the outcome...  I'm an insomniac anyway, so what's another late night?

Where are you located?
 - South Mississippi... About 40 minutes to the Gulf and the nearest casino (I rarely go "gaming", rarely go to the Gulf coast, mmm.. rarely go anywhere).  I am about 80 miles East of New Orleans.  It's a rural community, with plenty of elbow room.

View From My Office Window

The trees have grown a bit eh?