Comments for Field Notes http://www.usglassmag.com/fieldnotes Chuck Knickerbocker, Technical Glass Products (TGP) Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:35:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Comment on Communicating with Customers when Something Goes Wrong by pinkasstan http://www.usglassmag.com/fieldnotes/?p=83&cpage=1#comment-17 pinkasstan Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:35:53 +0000 http://www.usglassmag.com/fieldnotes/?p=83#comment-17 I think that it is important to remember that the company that you forgot to name in this case could have turned a blind eye to the situation and if something bad happened, blamed Dow. That wasn't the case. A problem was discovered that wasn't fully understood, and they took a proactive approach for the safety of their customers and the general public (unlike some other companies that use the same sealant and only decided to say something after the cat was out of the bag). Now, after some testing has been done, they have said that the safety issue is not an immediate concern. I am sure with the legal eagles out there, this decision was not made without some concrete evidence. As far as the long term effects...this will take more testing. You cannot simulate 30 years of weathering in only a few days. If you have spent any time in the industry you should know that. The other option would be to take units out of buildings, costing millions of dollars, and greatly affect building schedules. To put it into the Tylenol situation, the problematic units were identified, and communicated to the consumer. Any units that were not shipped were inspected (on the shelf). The units that are installed are the same as Tylenol that people have already taken. If this becomes truly a safety issue after the weathering testing is done, or a quality issue for that matter, I am sure that the units will be recalled and replaced. As far as doing the right thing, I think that Viracon and Dow are giving their customers as much information as they can. In fact, because of their honesty and proactive approach, I will only be using Viracon products in the future. Good luck to Viracon on this issue! I think that it is important to remember that the company that you forgot to name in this case could have turned a blind eye to the situation and if something bad happened, blamed Dow. That wasn’t the case. A problem was discovered that wasn’t fully understood, and they took a proactive approach for the safety of their customers and the general public (unlike some other companies that use the same sealant and only decided to say something after the cat was out of the bag). Now, after some testing has been done, they have said that the safety issue is not an immediate concern. I am sure with the legal eagles out there, this decision was not made without some concrete evidence. As far as the long term effects…this will take more testing. You cannot simulate 30 years of weathering in only a few days. If you have spent any time in the industry you should know that.
The other option would be to take units out of buildings, costing millions of dollars, and greatly affect building schedules. To put it into the Tylenol situation, the problematic units were identified, and communicated to the consumer. Any units that were not shipped were inspected (on the shelf). The units that are installed are the same as Tylenol that people have already taken. If this becomes truly a safety issue after the weathering testing is done, or a quality issue for that matter, I am sure that the units will be recalled and replaced. As far as doing the right thing, I think that Viracon and Dow are giving their customers as much information as they can. In fact, because of their honesty and proactive approach, I will only be using Viracon products in the future. Good luck to Viracon on this issue!

]]> Comment on Glazed Curtain Wall Challenges in the Clinton Library by Wetlands Park Planned Near Clinton Library http://www.usglassmag.com/fieldnotes/?p=50&cpage=1#comment-8 Wetlands Park Planned Near Clinton Library Sun, 09 May 2010 07:30:34 +0000 http://www.usglassmag.com/fieldnotes/?p=50#comment-8 [...] Field Notes » Blog Archive » Glazed Curtain Wall Challenges &#1110&#1495 t&#1211&#1077 C... [...] [...] Field Notes » Blog Archive » Glazed Curtain Wall Challenges &#1110&#1495 t&#1211&#1077 C… [...]

]]> Comment on Moving from T-square to Mouse by Jim Fairley http://www.usglassmag.com/fieldnotes/?p=22&cpage=1#comment-7 Jim Fairley Mon, 04 Jan 2010 22:44:37 +0000 http://www.usglassmag.com/fieldnotes/?p=22#comment-7 very reassuring reply, and more to the point...on th emoney. The tools are there, better than ever before, as is the education and vendor support. So it would seem to me that the GC's or one part of their process, decides OK is good enough, followed by another who says not too bd, still good enough....all theway down to the last man standing. It is good to be in agreement on this one. Unfortunately, by accepting OK as a Quality Standard, us poor guys get hurt, or hold off for the pain when the job starts running late (finishing touches) and the finger pointing is at everyone except theguys who started the mess and are long gone. No easy answer here, I guess I was spoiled by the stricter view taken of quality in Europe. Thanks for reading and replying, that in itself is a good sign. Have a happy, happy and accurate upcoming year. Jim and his crew....slangevar.....keep up the good work, very reassuring reply, and more to the point…on th emoney.
The tools are there, better than ever before, as is the education and vendor support. So it would seem to me that the GC’s or one part of their process, decides OK is good enough, followed by another who says not too bd, still good enough….all theway down to the last man standing. It is good to be in agreement on this one. Unfortunately, by accepting OK as a Quality Standard, us poor guys get hurt, or hold off for the pain when the job starts running late (finishing touches) and the finger pointing is at everyone except theguys who started the mess and are long gone.
No easy answer here, I guess I was spoiled by the stricter view taken of quality in Europe.
Thanks for reading and replying, that in itself is a good sign.
Have a happy, happy and accurate upcoming year.
Jim and his crew….slangevar…..keep up the good work,

]]> Comment on Moving from T-square to Mouse by Chuck Knickerbocker http://www.usglassmag.com/fieldnotes/?p=22&cpage=1#comment-6 Chuck Knickerbocker Mon, 04 Jan 2010 22:13:55 +0000 http://www.usglassmag.com/fieldnotes/?p=22#comment-6 Answers to your questions: 1. Yes, I had to take a one-credit slide rule class my first semester at an engineering school before I wised up and transferred to architecture. I still have that slide rule -- it’s on my desk, as a matter of fact. I’d like to put it in a glass frame with a label that says, "Break Open In Case of Power Failure." 2. Trusting CAD? I don't think it's a question about trusting cad; it's more a question about the adjacent trades building the surrounding conditions to the dimensions shown on the shops. This need to fab from field dimensions seems to go away the second the schedule comes into discussion. Most fabricators like to build from approved shop drawings. If made to wait until the surrounding conditions are up, then take field measurements, then start fabricating, the project's looking at 6-8-10-12 week lead times for material to arrive on site. That’s just metal, and probably more time for glass, depending on whether or not it’s coated. Not many jobs can wait that long. 2.a. Gotta believe too many people have been burned by fabricating from approved shops. All it takes to get around that is an up front discussion with GC and a little more diligence insisting that opening dimensions be first communicated to the surrounding trades. Then it has to be done that way, and someone corrects it when it’s not. As the expression goes, “most crap (not the original wording) rolls downhill.” The glazing sub, being the last trade in, has to atone for the sins (and mistakes) for all that have gone before. And that’s when the “fab from field dimension” folks get their experience insisting it be done that way. It’s a vicious cycle. As always, a little upfront planning, good job startup with the GC and through the GC with the adjacent trades WILL (not maybe, should, or could, but WILL) go a long way to doing it as close to the paper / CAD model better than any alternative I know. And then, when it doesn’t fit, it’s not the glazing sub’s fault that it went south. Or it shouldn’t be. Answers to your questions:

1. Yes, I had to take a one-credit slide rule class my first semester at an engineering school before I wised up and transferred to architecture. I still have that slide rule — it’s on my desk, as a matter of fact. I’d like to put it in a glass frame with a label that says, “Break Open In Case of Power Failure.”

2. Trusting CAD? I don’t think it’s a question about trusting cad; it’s more a question about the adjacent trades building the surrounding conditions to the dimensions shown on the shops. This need to fab from field dimensions seems to go away the second the schedule comes into discussion. Most fabricators like to build from approved shop drawings. If made to wait until the surrounding conditions are up, then take field measurements, then start fabricating, the project’s looking at 6-8-10-12 week lead times for material to arrive on site. That’s just metal, and probably more time for glass, depending on whether or not it’s coated. Not many jobs can wait that long.

2.a. Gotta believe too many people have been burned by fabricating from approved shops. All it takes to get around that is an up front discussion with GC and a little more diligence insisting that opening dimensions be first communicated to the surrounding trades. Then it has to be done that way, and someone corrects it when it’s not. As the expression goes, “most crap (not the original wording) rolls downhill.” The glazing sub, being the last trade in, has to atone for the sins (and mistakes) for all that have gone before. And that’s when the “fab from field dimension” folks get their experience insisting it be done that way.

It’s a vicious cycle. As always, a little upfront planning, good job startup with the GC and through the GC with the adjacent trades WILL (not maybe, should, or could, but WILL) go a long way to doing it as close to the paper / CAD model better than any alternative I know. And then, when it doesn’t fit, it’s not the glazing sub’s fault that it went south. Or it shouldn’t be.

]]> Comment on Moving from T-square to Mouse by Jim Fairley http://www.usglassmag.com/fieldnotes/?p=22&cpage=1#comment-5 Jim Fairley Mon, 04 Jan 2010 06:47:06 +0000 http://www.usglassmag.com/fieldnotes/?p=22#comment-5 Happy New year Chuck and all readers, I agree with all you say, the advancement we have made with computers visual aids etc is amazing. Tell me the truth....do you still have a slide rule hidden away in the bottom of a drawer? and why haven't you (or me) thrown it away? Another question......why can't we trust the CAD we get??? When it comes to finishing work, entranceways, railings and the cool, cool neat fancy stuff, why do we have to "field measure" to "confirm the accuracy of the drawings" 25 years ago I would personally supervise the physical QA as glass and metal and various supplies being crated to get a job started out pf paranoia, to make sure a "slipped pen" doesn't leave a dozen guys playing cards in a foreign country waiting on a "Solution" while costs and time pressures quickly rise. One would think that today this would no longer be nescessary. No one is perfect, that is why we build redundancy into our operations (when nescessary) to assure up front a job starts well. Local jobs can be handled with a little more flexibility depending on time constraints and glass availability etc. Can you or any of your colleagues give me a little hope that the more knowlege we gain, the better info we get and the "more time we get on a job" that we can get away from physicaly confirming everything before ordering materials actually starting doing work, and all the related pressures brought to us and all our vendors. It seems to work on the repititious stuff, just get a little tired of hearing "site conditions may cause variations". There were still "site variations" back then and we got it right - most of the time - is there any hope out there????? regards Jim Fairley Happy New year Chuck and all readers,
I agree with all you say, the advancement we have made with computers visual aids etc is amazing. Tell me the truth….do you still have a slide rule hidden away in the bottom of a drawer? and why haven’t you (or me) thrown it away?

Another question……why can’t we trust the CAD we get??? When it comes to finishing work, entranceways, railings and the cool, cool neat fancy stuff, why do we have to “field measure” to “confirm the accuracy of the drawings”

25 years ago I would personally supervise the physical QA as glass and metal and various supplies being crated to get a job started out pf paranoia, to make sure a “slipped pen” doesn’t leave a dozen guys playing cards in a foreign country waiting on a “Solution” while costs and time pressures quickly rise.

One would think that today this would no longer be nescessary. No one is perfect, that is why we build redundancy into our operations (when nescessary) to assure up front a job starts well. Local jobs can be handled with a little more flexibility depending on time constraints and glass availability etc.

Can you or any of your colleagues give me a little hope that the more knowlege we gain, the better info we get and the “more time we get on a job” that we can get away from physicaly confirming everything before ordering materials actually starting doing work, and all the related pressures brought to us and all our vendors. It seems to work on the repititious stuff, just get a little tired of hearing “site conditions may cause variations”. There were still “site variations” back then and we got it right – most of the time – is there any hope out there?????
regards
Jim Fairley

]]> Comment on Solar Panel Musings by ckknick3 http://www.usglassmag.com/fieldnotes/?p=13&cpage=1#comment-4 ckknick3 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:24:21 +0000 http://www.usglassmag.com/fieldnotes/?p=13#comment-4 I guess that was the point: the manufacturers are out there selling it to the architects, that's understandable, we do the same thing here. Sooner, rather than later, the manufacturers are going to need to educate the installers. MUCH SOONER, please! Love the salary cap in the NFL and NBA. You shouldn't be allowed to buy the best players and tilt the playing field like that. The Yankees won’t have many teams to play against if small market teams who don’t have the Yankees’ resources up and disappear in the wind. Phillies gave it a shot, they didn’t get blown out...and I think I express the sentiments of most of the country when expressing my feelings about the World Series: @#$%^& YANKEES!!! I guess that was the point: the manufacturers are out there selling it to the architects, that’s understandable, we do the same thing here. Sooner, rather than later, the manufacturers are going to need to educate the installers. MUCH SOONER, please!

Love the salary cap in the NFL and NBA. You shouldn’t be allowed to buy the best players and tilt the playing field like that. The Yankees won’t have many teams to play against if small market teams who don’t have the Yankees’ resources up and disappear in the wind. Phillies gave it a shot, they didn’t get blown out…and I think I express the sentiments of most of the country when expressing my feelings about the World Series: @#$%^& YANKEES!!!

]]> Comment on Solar Panel Musings by Jim Fairley http://www.usglassmag.com/fieldnotes/?p=13&cpage=1#comment-3 Jim Fairley Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:31:52 +0000 http://www.usglassmag.com/fieldnotes/?p=13#comment-3 RE: PV's....on the money again. Not enough info out there for installers to feel comfortable, especially with curtain wall. I feel this is a product that can really be driven from th ebottom up...if....if the contractors and installers have a grip of the knowledge needed to get the job done. Glass mags is a great forum for this, at least a start. I posted on the message forum a couple of weeks past about schools on L.I. NY getting abourd and supplimenting their budgats with th esavings, great selling point. However , not many rushing to get aboard, still too many unanswered questions. Good post Jim F PS Go Yankees....oh wait ...they won...(again). RE: PV’s….on the money again. Not enough info out there for installers to feel comfortable, especially with curtain wall.
I feel this is a product that can really be driven from th ebottom up…if….if the contractors and installers have a grip of the knowledge needed to get the job done.
Glass mags is a great forum for this, at least a start.
I posted on the message forum a couple of weeks past about schools on L.I. NY getting abourd and supplimenting their budgats with th esavings, great selling point. However , not many rushing to get aboard, still too many unanswered questions.

Good post
Jim F
PS Go Yankees….oh wait …they won…(again).

]]> Comment on Stirring Up the Hornets’ Nest by Jim Fairley http://www.usglassmag.com/fieldnotes/?p=4&cpage=1#comment-2 Jim Fairley Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:50:22 +0000 http://www.usglassmag.com/fieldnotes/?p=4#comment-2 Hi and welcome. I am probably one of the many you have slept with, although probably literally slept, seems to happen during my presentations - joking , only th ebest from yours truly, at least that is what I am told.....to my face. Anyway, We have crossed paths, without drawn swords, and I am happy to see an addition to the Blog team that adds to the well rounded nature I think is the objective. So...congrats and looking forward to reading your points of view. Jim Fairley Hi and welcome. I am probably one of the many you have slept with, although probably literally slept, seems to happen during my presentations – joking , only th ebest from yours truly, at least that is what I am told…..to my face.
Anyway, We have crossed paths, without drawn swords, and I am happy to see an addition to the Blog team that adds to the well rounded nature I think is the objective.

So…congrats and looking forward to reading your points of view.

Jim Fairley

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