Building Connection Summer 2016

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2 4 BUILDING CONNECTION SUMMER 2016
Science works. It is the basis of just about every success
in the built environment. Science can prevent, reduce, solve
and teach every person in our industry. Every mature industry
uses it including medicine, engineering, sport and farming.
Tradesmen sometimes discover science indirectly through
the brilliance of their teachers and bosses as they train.
I believe there are thousands of years of oral history
behind the craftsmanship we need to use in our buildings. I
have known excellent tradesmen that could barely read but
knew exactly how to join, dress, blend and drain materials.
Besides, a mind filled with information about every part of
their trade is priceless.
A day rarely goes by without me learning something from
all of you…but no one is capturing this intel for the industry.
This is bad building, bad business and bad science. Why
does every material we use get tested BEFORE we can use
it but not scrutinised when it fails or underperforms? We all
lose.
The manufacturer takes years to find out and get the
chance to improve its products. Specifiers such as architects
and designers continue to include faulty products and details
in their designs. Builders blindly follow instructions and then
have call backs and face costly repairs without any cost
recovery. Unless they start a witch hunt they cannot afford it.
Science delivers success in two ways – prevention and
knowledge. In my opinion, knowledge is the main ingredient
in prevention. So why is it so hard to get all the stakeholders
to agree on what science we need and be using to build
properly? I can’t answer that. But maybe the following table
might help focus us on what can easily be done.
Soon I hope we reduce the level of mistakes in our
industry. I hope we stop fighting with clients. I hope all
associations start funding quicker advice to all of us about
industry wide problems remaining unsolved. And I sincerely
hope that everyone rewards good science in our industry.
I’m not holding my breath, but maybe in future we might
start giving a ‘Nobel Prize’ of building to recognise the best
innovators and applicators of science in our industry.
Contact:
Jerry Tyrrell is founder of the Institute of Building Consultants
and co-founder of Tyrrells Property Inspections. He has more
than 43 years’ experience as a labourer, tradesman, contractor,
architect, mediator, building consultant and author.
MEDIATION IS THE SCIENCE OF TALKING
‘When there is a building dispute, there is too much interference and
talking by non contractors’.
That is the opinion of my lawyer twin brother who has conducted
over 450 mediations with a 97% success rate for the NSW Office of
Fair trading in the 1990s.
A mediation sees an empathetic, trained person guiding parties to
a solution they can both live with. Often the mediation is conducted
at the actual property and everyone can go and see any issue that
is unresolved. Mediation is a rare forum where talking can help if
nothing else is working.
Sure, each party has to do lots of preparation, but they avoid
the usual legal costs and conflict. Tim says, “Some clients were
crooks and never intended to pay. And some contractors were serial
offenders because penalties for poor quality work were pathetic.”
Otherwise, he always felt that a solution was possible.
Let me know any thoughts at
SCIENCE CAN PREVENT,
REDUCE, SOLVE AND TEACH EVERY
PERSON IN OUR INDUSTRY.
As demonstrated by the bright minds above, science delivers success in two ways – prevention and knowledge.
CPD ACADEMY
JERRY TYRRELL