Decent construction contractors in Davao?

[Tommy T.]

23 minutes ago, hk blues said:

Just a  quick question, Tom, isn't that pretty much a standard practice when doing blockwork?  I have no idea but having watched several houses go up from the ground around me, it seems this is always done.  Of course, the amount added is variable. 

That could be, HK, but I don't know the answer to that. What I do know is that, when we came out to inspect the construction and they were placing the hollow blocks, they just slopped a wad of cement onto the laid blocks and sort of coaxed it in a half-assed manner into the holes. They did not shove it down into the holes. So we asked the foreman to instruct them to really cram the cement into the holes using 2 x 2 lumber pieces. We cannot guarantee that they did this everywhere when we were away, but they did seem to make the effort and the foreman also seemed to keep an eye on them.

So they would slop cement into the holes, pack it down with the lumber "pushers," then slop some more into the holes and pack it again - repeated until full. So it was the best we could hope for without camping out here - which, in retrospect - would have been a good idea. Ah, retrovision is always 20/20!

[hk blues]

11 minutes ago, Tommy T. said:

So they would slop cement into the holes, pack it down with the lumber "pushers," then slop some more into the holes and pack it again - repeated until full. So it was the best we could hope for without camping out here - which, in retrospect - would have been a good idea. Ah, retrovision is always 20/20!

Unfortunately Tom, reality is you can advise and guide and show them better ways to do things and they'll agree and do it - but the moment your back is turned more often that not they'll revert to their age-old methods because that's the way it's done here.  Not always but usually.  

[Mike J]

19 hours ago, hk blues said:

Just a  quick question, Tom, isn't that pretty much a standard practice when doing blockwork?  I have no idea but having watched several houses go up from the ground around me, it seems this is always done.  Of course, the amount added is variable. 

What HK describes is also standard here in Moalboal (filled hollow block, with vertical rebar every cell, and with horizonal rebar tied into the concrete posts).  Even security walls are built that way.   All the strength in a hollow block wall comes from the rebar and concrete.  Interior walls also use rebar and are concrete filled.

[hk blues]

4 hours ago, Mike J said:

What HK describes is also standard here in Moalboal (filled hollow block, with vertical rebar every cell, and with horizonal rebar tied into the concrete posts).  Even security walls are built that way.   All the strength in a hollow block wall comes from the rebar and concrete.  Interior walls also use rebar and are concrete filled.

Indeed - without the concrete infill I cannot see how there can be any integrity in the blocks.  And, the concrete is needed to "tie" the rebar, surely?  I will admit that I've seen a lot of cases where it's not done every cell, maybe every 2nd and the horizontal every 3rd course.