Monday 11th September 2006
0630 Start. A weekend phone call has increased the work for today but it’s not a problem as the first 2 jobs wouldn’t take long anyway. First job after a brew is to load 2no 2m x 250mm Lead augers from the Klemm drilling rig. Only having the Kitten rig and its augers means tons of space so it’s a two minute job to get them on before leaving at 0700. Out to Waltham Cross and pick up the M25 to South Mimms and nip down the A1 to first job in Stanmore. Arrive at the address bang on time at 0800 but I suspect there may be a problem. The address given was 77 Whatever Rd, usually on these jobs if there is a house standing there is evidence of work going on or more commonly a big gap between 75 & 79. There are cars on the drive and the curtains are drawn, there are no sign of any drill crew or vehicles so I ring the engineer and am told it is actually rear of no. 77, access via little private road a little further up. Wander round and find the site and decide that I can probably just manage to reverse down the road and round the tight right angle corner. The road is fairly quiet and I pull forward to reverse back into the private road. Just as I pull past, a BMW noses out and whilst waiting for it to get out of my way, the road has turned into a rat run with school run mums everywhere. Eventually get backed in and squeeze around the corner. 
After two quick lifts with the Hiab, I drop the hook on the bed as there may be something to collect. Drop the air suspension and unfold the ramps, start the Kitten up, let it cough and die and start it up again. As flippin’ usual when I deliver these they always seem to give me the ones with the tracks that cannot extend out from the narrow width. The wider ones are fine as the rubber tracks run on the timber of the ramps. These older ones need a bit more precision as the track width is fixed and they are not a lot wider than the gap between the two ramps, so much so that the tracks just cover the 2½ inch of smooth painted steel on the inner edges of the ramps. The trick is to keep the tracks turning, slowly is fine but if you stop they tend to slide. Safely on the ground I track it onto the blinding ready to start drilling (where the crosses are).
After two quick lifts with the Hiab, I drop the hook on the bed as there may be something to collect. Drop the air suspension and unfold the ramps, start the Kitten up, let it cough and die and start it up again. As flippin’ usual when I deliver these they always seem to give me the ones with the tracks that cannot extend out from the narrow width. The wider ones are fine as the rubber tracks run on the timber of the ramps. These older ones need a bit more precision as the track width is fixed and they are not a lot wider than the gap between the two ramps, so much so that the tracks just cover the 2½ inch of smooth painted steel on the inner edges of the ramps. The trick is to keep the tracks turning, slowly is fine but if you stop they tend to slide. Safely on the ground I track it onto the blinding ready to start drilling (where the crosses are).
Fold the ramps and make a call about the steel. It’s going back so out come the slings and on goes a bundle of 8m long 16mm rebar. Now I can stow the crane, strap it all down and after locating a car driver who has left their car right in the way squeeze back out round the bend. Thankfully the traffic has gone and it is a quick hop up the road to St.Albans to clear the bits from the Klemm that we left behind when we had to rush it to the Isle of Wight, last month. After a bit of searching I find my spanner and undo the Heras fencing to get in and see what’s what. There are 7 Augers to collect, plus a fuel bund and a concrete funnel. It’s a quick job made slow by one of the locals talking to me for ½ hr, can’t blame him though as this is a ‘missing house’ job and he just wants to know when the rig will be back to finish off.
For those who asked this the end product of the drilling, a concrete stub with some steel in the top.
When the piling has finished I’ll be back with stillages of DSU (deck support units) that are spaced out and have a plywood base laid on top, stainless angle section goes round the perimeter. Steel rebar is laid out and concrete pumped in. When the concrete goes off, they pull the DSU’s out for me to collect and they are left with a voided or floating concrete raft 230mm above the blinding) I’m done here by 1030 and head back to the M25 headed for Ashtead in Surrey. Traffic is heavy going all the way from Heathrow to J9 and I arrive on site at 1200. Another quick tip, only the two lead augers from the yard plus 5 from St. Albans with everything else staying on for the yard. Everything squared away I found some shade and chilled out for a break before heading back. For the first time in ages the Dartford Tunnel was clear and I rolled in the yard just before 1500. After a quick unload of the bits and pieces, sorted my paperwork and hit the road for home about 1600.
When the piling has finished I’ll be back with stillages of DSU (deck support units) that are spaced out and have a plywood base laid on top, stainless angle section goes round the perimeter. Steel rebar is laid out and concrete pumped in. When the concrete goes off, they pull the DSU’s out for me to collect and they are left with a voided or floating concrete raft 230mm above the blinding) I’m done here by 1030 and head back to the M25 headed for Ashtead in Surrey. Traffic is heavy going all the way from Heathrow to J9 and I arrive on site at 1200. Another quick tip, only the two lead augers from the yard plus 5 from St. Albans with everything else staying on for the yard. Everything squared away I found some shade and chilled out for a break before heading back. For the first time in ages the Dartford Tunnel was clear and I rolled in the yard just before 1500. After a quick unload of the bits and pieces, sorted my paperwork and hit the road for home about 1600.
Tuesday 12th September 2006
0615 Start. Quick cuppa and out on to the M25 headed for Lewes, E.Sussex. The weather looks dodgy and there is thunder and lightning as I get to the jam for the tolls by J30. Traffic is generally heavy and going down the hill after J4 it is particularly bad. Squeeze over to lane 3 and when everyone for the M25 is out of the way am able to make some progress along the A21. Tunbridge Wells is now building up and after that, it is just a very long 25 miles to Lewes for 0900 arrival. Not my favourite site this one, but with any luck it could be the last visit. The drill crew are on site and they start moving other bits of plant out of the way whilst I drop the ramps and find a set of chains. The rig driver isn’t mega happy about loading the machine, but agrees to do it as he has at least been moving it about on site for a week or so.
0615 Start. Quick cuppa and out on to the M25 headed for Lewes, E.Sussex. The weather looks dodgy and there is thunder and lightning as I get to the jam for the tolls by J30. Traffic is generally heavy and going down the hill after J4 it is particularly bad. Squeeze over to lane 3 and when everyone for the M25 is out of the way am able to make some progress along the A21. Tunbridge Wells is now building up and after that, it is just a very long 25 miles to Lewes for 0900 arrival. Not my favourite site this one, but with any luck it could be the last visit. The drill crew are on site and they start moving other bits of plant out of the way whilst I drop the ramps and find a set of chains. The rig driver isn’t mega happy about loading the machine, but agrees to do it as he has at least been moving it about on site for a week or so.
Safely on board, a set of chains is attached and I now attempt to turn round, This is made more difficult by someone leaving a car on the corner whilst we were in the site, but somehow with a shunt here and there I get out without incident. Two minutes later I am at the industrial estate where the machine was hired from, whip the chains off, drop the ramps and let their bloke take it off. It is about 1000 when I leave and pass through the Cuilfail Tunnel to the A27 where I head to Brighton to pick up the A23 / M23 to the M25. A tot up of time makes me realise I am going to have to stop on the A23 for a break, as after that there is nowhere to stop. On the motoways it’s M25 to the M40 and northbound to J7. Passing J5 spot 3 Y reg DAF snowploughs all going the other way, obviously been refurbished as the look like new. The weird thing is that about three months back on two occasions I saw big new MAN 6x6 Snow ploughs heading for Scotland by this junction. Other that the only time I’ve ever seen a snow plough complete with blade has been in the snow and only ever seen one ploughing snow. After J7 it’s a quick hop across to Thame services, where we have just done the piling and slab for a Travelodge extension.
Arrive on site to discover 13 full stillages, 3 empty ones waiting to be filled, some bulk bags and various other bits. I can load 12 stillages with the crane, although can just get 14 on if done with a forklift (crane doesn’t reach the back!) I could stack two high but the straps are too short and would probably be pushing it weight wise. I decide to clear 12 full stillages, some sheets of ply and all the odd bits, leaving 4 stillages and the bulk bags for collection another day. 12 lifts and a bit of manual labour soon have it all on board, and a whiz round with the straps and ratchets has me done and ready for the return about 1415. It’s a good run back except for the traffic at J25 roadworks, but luckily can slide up the inside bypassing a lot of the queue as I come off and head through Waltham Cross for the lanes to take me back to the yard in Harlow. It’s all coming off, nothing to go on and an early start in the morning means a bit of speedy unloading with the forklift and I’m locked up and on the way home by 1700.
Wednesday 13th September 2006
The alarm rings at 0330 and I am at the yard unlocking just after 0400 and on the road by 0415. First call is our plant department at Basildon for 0500 collection of a Kitten rig. When I worked out of the Basildon yard, I could get from bed to work in 25 minutes, this morning it has taken an hour and a half. The rig is another with no adjustment to the track width, the ramps are soaked and the tracks on this one are a bit sudden. In the end I decide to split the rig and lift it on rather than turn it over on the ramps. Using the Hiab in the dark is a bit tricky, but a bit of extra time is all it takes. Two stillages of augers are forked on the back and everything strapped down for an 0530 getaway. Out on to the M25, the signs are telling me that it is closed J27-J25. I decide to take the M11 back to Harlow, retrace my route back towards the yard at Roydon and pick up my route to the M25 J25 from there. Just at the start of the M11 sliproad, the traffic comes to a standstill for about 20 minutes. When we get moving most of the traffic going via Harlow goes A414 to the A10, leaving a clear run through the 17 roundabouts across to Roydon. Catch the traffic jam again at the A10 and rejoin the M25 an hour after stopping. Traffic is now getting heavy and my early in and out at Chesham is looking dicey. Supposed to be off site at Chesham by 0730 but arrive just before 0800. In the small road outside is a CAT 3 lowloader with a Crawler crane and a 6 wheeler with a loading shovel. A tipper is coming out of the site and I sneak past the other plant and get the OK to nip in and tip off quickly. After I’m tipped I have to continue up the road and find somewhere to turn, I spy a side road and squeeze alongside an artic with a site cabin on. 
Get stopped by a bod in a Hi Viz who wants to stand on the bed of the truck so he can open the door on the cabin and get the tea mugs out.
The road back to the M25 is mega heaving with cars and finally get back to the yard at 0930. Due to the heavy traffic I have notched up almost 4½ hours, so stop for a break before loading some 450mm augers for one of the CFA rigs.
The road back to the M25 is mega heaving with cars and finally get back to the yard at 0930. Due to the heavy traffic I have notched up almost 4½ hours, so stop for a break before loading some 450mm augers for one of the CFA rigs.
Gently does it with this one at 7.5m long.
Occasionally it is useful going over the cab.
Left the yard at 1100 and headed back over to Waltham Cross to rejoin the M25. Suddenly I remember leaving a tea mug on the toolbox and am amazed to find it still there when I stop to retrieve it. Unfortunately for a 7½t driver he was not so lucky, obviously whilst taking a roundabout at mach 2, the cases of wine by his side door have gone over and knocked the emergency release, spilling cases out over the road. Made me chuckle. A quick blast along the M25 and down the A1 to Hampstead and I arrive at 1200 down a private road complete with security guard and car park type barriers. The site is obviously going to be a new house of considerable size, but due to the width of the road I cannot actually get through the gateway and have to enlist the help of a 360 digger and a couple of poles to get the augers on to site. Half an hour later and it’s a long reverse out to the main road and then back to the A1. Just got out in time as I passed the CFA rig on the lowloader going the other way, would have been delayed for ages if it had arrived whilst I was still on site. Up the M1 / A41 to the M25 and back to Chesham to collect the Kitten rig. Arrive at Chesham at 1330 and they are just tipping the loading shovel off and before long I am able to nip in and pick up my stuff. Back up the road to turn, and the cabin is still waiting on the artic, I cannot imagine where it is all going to go as the site is only fairly small. Still not my problem and I beat a path back to the yard to unload the Kitten again. Loaded 8 empty stillages which I shall drop tomorrow on the Isle of Wight. Rather than stack the DSU’s on pallets again they can be loaded straight into the new stillages which will be much easier for me when I collect them. Left the yard at 1645 and got stuck in the traffic caused by the M25 still being closed. Sat at the roundabout at Hastingwood watching the traffic lights turn from red to green to red etc with nothing moving, the really irritating thing was that the A414 was clear but I couldn’t get to it. Eventually got home to Chelmsford at 1815.
(Later it transpired that this was when a driver was killed after a wagon struck a bridge near the Sainsburys RDC. I'd rather arrive home late than become the late Mr.8Wheels)
Thursday 14th September 2006
Oh joy its visit no.11 to the Isle of Wight this year.
0645 Start. Arrive at the yard to find another lorry being loaded, one of the rare occasions the company accepting that actually I can’t do it all myself. He’s in my way so I lend a hand and load some bits with the forklift so he can pick up the Kitten that I brought in last night with his Hiab. Once he has got out of my way, I leave the yard at 0715 and join the M25 which seems to be worse than usual due to minor shunt around J19. It’s a bit of a grind round to the A3 but once I’m on it, things improve considerably, except the weather which was thoroughly miserable around Hindhead and The Devils Punchbowl. Arrived in Portsmouth at 1020, the delay at the yard has cost me the 1000 ferry, but I am rolled on to the 1030 and we are soon off. The island is thoroughly miserable as I plod over to Totland, following a car all the way at 30mph. The weather is clearing and the rain stopping but I know that the damage has been done and the site will be a nightmare. Arrive on site just after 1200 and sure enough it is like the Battle of the Somme, only with plant and HiViz. On my first trip to this site back in July I struggled to get back out up the slope and the ground was fairly good, so there’s no way I’m leaving the hard stuff today. This is reinforced by Jerry the rig driver who is not finding it easy to get the telehandler up the slope to offload the empty stillages. After a couple we lower them off the truck and walk them in as it is quicker. First bits to go on are the augers which we lay lengthways down the centre of the body. Next is the toolbox up front, and a drum of diesel. Now we have got to shift some cars and vans so that I can drop the ramps at the entrance to the site, this means that all the sticky mud from the tracks will not end up all over the road. It’s a bit hairy as everything is on a slope and the ramps make a steep climb for the Klemm.
Slowly does it and it comes down safely, its then tracked forward and the drill motor centred to stop the mast bouncing. Whilst I’m chaining it down, Jerry has retuned with the telehandler and the P11 grout pump suspended beneath the forks. Loading this is awkward as it needs to sit on the beavertail with the ramps holding it in position. It takes a while to try and coordinate movements of the telehandler, the ramps and moving the mast to avoid damage but eventually it’s on and once the last few bits go on it all gets strapped down nice and tight. I leave the site at 1400 and head back to Fishbourne for the ferry. Knowing that the 1430 is just not possible I hold a glimmer of hope about getting on the 1500, the gate guardian tells me that I’ll have to miss it because I’m carrying DG. Got the DG form stamped, it’s all a bit of a bind for about 30 gallons of red diesel in a drum, but I went down to wait and left the engine running anyway. When I saw the loader get his measuring rod, I dumped the air to drop the ride height as I’d been bumped off a ferry before for being a bit to close for comfort. He took my ticket and waved me onboard the St.Cecilia, which is one of the three ships that has ample clearance. The drill crew are already onboard and as I got on too I decide not to phone customs to warn them of three drugs mules in white vans (as punishment for loading the diesel). Off the ferry at Portsmouth at 1545 and a blast up to the M25, my decision about which way to go is made by the signs LONG DELAYS J9-J5 so I go back clockwise, which is probably worse as round the Heathrow area it is solid. Eventually roll back into the yard at 1945.
0645 Start. Arrive at the yard to find another lorry being loaded, one of the rare occasions the company accepting that actually I can’t do it all myself. He’s in my way so I lend a hand and load some bits with the forklift so he can pick up the Kitten that I brought in last night with his Hiab. Once he has got out of my way, I leave the yard at 0715 and join the M25 which seems to be worse than usual due to minor shunt around J19. It’s a bit of a grind round to the A3 but once I’m on it, things improve considerably, except the weather which was thoroughly miserable around Hindhead and The Devils Punchbowl. Arrived in Portsmouth at 1020, the delay at the yard has cost me the 1000 ferry, but I am rolled on to the 1030 and we are soon off. The island is thoroughly miserable as I plod over to Totland, following a car all the way at 30mph. The weather is clearing and the rain stopping but I know that the damage has been done and the site will be a nightmare. Arrive on site just after 1200 and sure enough it is like the Battle of the Somme, only with plant and HiViz. On my first trip to this site back in July I struggled to get back out up the slope and the ground was fairly good, so there’s no way I’m leaving the hard stuff today. This is reinforced by Jerry the rig driver who is not finding it easy to get the telehandler up the slope to offload the empty stillages. After a couple we lower them off the truck and walk them in as it is quicker. First bits to go on are the augers which we lay lengthways down the centre of the body. Next is the toolbox up front, and a drum of diesel. Now we have got to shift some cars and vans so that I can drop the ramps at the entrance to the site, this means that all the sticky mud from the tracks will not end up all over the road. It’s a bit hairy as everything is on a slope and the ramps make a steep climb for the Klemm.
Slowly does it and it comes down safely, its then tracked forward and the drill motor centred to stop the mast bouncing. Whilst I’m chaining it down, Jerry has retuned with the telehandler and the P11 grout pump suspended beneath the forks. Loading this is awkward as it needs to sit on the beavertail with the ramps holding it in position. It takes a while to try and coordinate movements of the telehandler, the ramps and moving the mast to avoid damage but eventually it’s on and once the last few bits go on it all gets strapped down nice and tight. I leave the site at 1400 and head back to Fishbourne for the ferry. Knowing that the 1430 is just not possible I hold a glimmer of hope about getting on the 1500, the gate guardian tells me that I’ll have to miss it because I’m carrying DG. Got the DG form stamped, it’s all a bit of a bind for about 30 gallons of red diesel in a drum, but I went down to wait and left the engine running anyway. When I saw the loader get his measuring rod, I dumped the air to drop the ride height as I’d been bumped off a ferry before for being a bit to close for comfort. He took my ticket and waved me onboard the St.Cecilia, which is one of the three ships that has ample clearance. The drill crew are already onboard and as I got on too I decide not to phone customs to warn them of three drugs mules in white vans (as punishment for loading the diesel). Off the ferry at Portsmouth at 1545 and a blast up to the M25, my decision about which way to go is made by the signs LONG DELAYS J9-J5 so I go back clockwise, which is probably worse as round the Heathrow area it is solid. Eventually roll back into the yard at 1945.
Friday 15th September 2006
0700 start. It’s an easy start this morning the rig driver and second man are at the yard as we are unloading the Klemm, for some maintenance tasks to be carried out before it goes out again next week. Nothing much on for today so we have a cuppa and moan about last nights traffic problems before starting at about 0800. Unloading in the yard is always easier as there is plenty of space, the chains and straps are off and I decide that trying to fork the pump off would be too much agro so gently lower the ramps and let it roll off the back.
P11 Grout pump. Klemm off next, followed by the diesel drum and the toolbox.
Maybe I'll stick to my 6 levers.
Out comes the brush to sweep off the mud and I load the rest of its augers with the ones brought back. Leave the yard at 0930 for a quick run down to a yard at Sutton Valence to drop the augers off to get the concrete blasted out of the centres. This is one of my least favourite to go, the road from Maidstone is quite narrow in places for an A road and theres always an artic going the other way at the narrowest places. To get into the yard it is an awkward reverse up a slope off the main road snaking road to get parallel to the road. Even with the air suspension pumped up to the max the feet under the beaver tail plough two nice furrows in the tarmac and the wheels spin unless you lock the diffs. Once in and unstrapped we roll the augers off on to the ground. Whilst there I notice a Daf CF 8 wheeler that doesn’t look quite right, the second axle is spaced much further back than mine. I suspect a twin steer artic conversion, I asked about it and that’s exactly what it was. Interestingly it is going to be sold, the body (30’ beaver tail) will be removed and the chassis sold as is.
If anyone is interested I’ll pass on the contact details. It is an X reg DAF CF430 sleeper cab stretched artic (presumably 6x2) that has been converted to (presumably 8x2) It is full length and looks to be in good order. This would be a good base chassis to mount a large crane on, as the twin steer spacing gives loads of room for big stabilisers. Away about 1115 and back to the yard by 1300. There is a smallish pallet of stainless steel angle to go to Kent and I decide to stick it the van, rather than drag the lorry out for one small pallet. With the benefit of hindsight I can report that this was not so clever as the angle weighed a ton and the poor old van was struggling slightly. Still on site at Chattenden by 1500 and a quick turnaround and back to the yard by 1630 battling the traffic which is now building up along the M25. A last cuppa whilst reviewing next weeks work (M. IOW / T. Windsor / W.Stanmore /T.Bexhill / F. was going to be Wales but cancelled and now open) and off home just after 1700. Total Kms this week 1699Km, plus about 90 miles in the van
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