JULY APPRENTICE OF THE MONTH

Calculating concrete for chocolate fish

Andrew Hopley, a third-year apprentice from Christchurch, was put outside his comfort zone when faced with the challenge of concrete calculations.

“Doing volume calculations was daunting, especially when having to factor in slump, wastage and other complications!” says Andrew, who adds that maths has never been his strong point.

To ensure they didn’t under-order, Andrew’s boss asked a few of the guys to do the calculation. To sweeten the deal, he offered a chocolate fish for whoever got the closest (plus, of course, the bragging rights!).

“The chocolate fish was a great incentive!” says Andrew. “I cast my mind back to a recent course I attended on how to do these kinds of calculations and, after checking twice, I gave my best answer.”

With five slightly different calculations from the team, it was down to the wire. Unfortunately, Andrew didn’t win the chocolate fish, but he got close. As anticipated, an experienced builder was the closest, but Andrew was the next closest – showing he was on
the right track.

Andrew also explained that having a few guys check a big calculation meant any errors were more likely to be spotted, which is a general learning takeaway to make work easier in the long run. Plus, having a bit of fun with a small wager can keep you on your toes!