Working
on the Edge
The importance of paying attention-- by
Gary Clark
Reprint from the Winter, 2000 Roundup
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| Illustrated by Neil Johnston |
Instant Replay
It takes real teamwork to spray concrete on a Monolithic Dome. On this particular day, all systems were go. As we sprayed, we would complete an area, shut off the pump, move and reposition.
I was the concrete sprayer, standing atop a standard, box-type scaffolding, fifteen feet in the air, spraying with a two-inch concrete nozzle attached to an old style pump we called Reed Uniram. And everything was running smoothly, until -
During one repositioning, the concrete set in the pump just long enough to make it difficult for the pump to force the heavy concrete through the hose. Roland Christianson, our pump man, revved the motor so the pump could work harder and get the concrete moving. Once the concrete began flowing, Roland planned to slow the motor to a manageable speed.
But this time, as I stood fifteen feet above ground on the scaffolding and Roland began revving, the motor jumped violently - throwing me back through the open scaffolding.
Everyone began yelling for Roland to stop the pump, and they all rushed to my rescue - including Barry South, the dome homeowner.
After some quizzing, we soon realized I was fine. I could stand and I knew where and who I was.
Relieved, Barry asked his final question that made us all laugh and appreciate the lighter side: "Would you mind doing that again? I missed the entire fall!"
The Night Shift
Working the night shift can cause sleep deprivation or at the very least - extreme fatigue. To set the stage - imagine a large crane with a man-basket at its head parked in the center of a 30,000-square-foot dome.
In the early days of Monolithic Dome building, I found myself up in such a crane basket, during the late hours of the night, spraying polyurethane foam. Now, if you think spraying foam is boring, try being the crane operator who has to meter the movement of the crane so that it creeps along so slowly its movement is nearly undetectable. The operator's main job is sitting and adjusting the speed of the basket - making sure it doesn't swing faster than the sprayer can spray. Boring job? Yes, but extremely important for proper foam application.
One night when Jason South, the crane operator, and I got a system of operation underway, the crane gradually moved slower and slower and slower. Soon I was spraying faster than the crane bucket was moving!
I looked down at Jason. He was fast asleep ON THE LEVER!
I felt extremely vulnerable and completely helpless. I shouted at Jason. He did not hear me.
Suddenly - before I could brace myself - Jason woke.
Totally disoriented, he pressed the lever. The man-basket and I went hurling sideways about four feet into the air. I was thrown to the bottom of the basket - which was preferable to out of the basket. There's simply nothing like a jolt in a crane basket to get your adrenaline pumping on the night shift. I had no trouble staying awake the remainder of that night. Neither did Jason - once I sent him out for a few deep breaths of cold, fresh air.
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