Hong Kong Builder
CLERKS OF WORK
By Geo. W, Grey, F.S.I., F.R.L.B.A.
With works of any size, the increased complexity of modern buildings and the use of reinforced concrete, it is necessary for the Architects and Engineers to have a representative on the job, whether he is called "Clerk of Works," "Overseer," "Inspector of Works," "Resident Engineer," or "Building Supervisor," a term used in certain parts of the world.
In the British Isles, the Clerk of Works is generally drawn from Builders' Foremen, the Builders' Foreman having been a Mechanic, usually a Carpenter, Mason or Bricklayer; these men having been through the mill are likely to know the Builder and his ways.
Clerks of Works are obtainable in Great Britain by advertisement in the technical papers, or application to one of the Clerk of Works Institutions, these institutions advertising fairly regularly in the technical journals.
The Royal Institute of British Architects occasionally receive recommendations from their Members and the names are kept for reference, but no special register is kept.
The Builders' Foreman as a source of supply, with men having experience of western methods, is not generally available in the East, and if brought out specially, such men having passed through the stages of Mechanic and Builders' Foreman are likely to be men of mature years, and in addition to salary on voyage, there is the delay in getting him out, risk of sickness, that he may be turn out to be incompetent, or take to drink, necessitating his being repatriated before the completion of the work.
This all tends to make the best of a man locally obtainable.
This often means a local man having no other knowledge, except local knowledge, or a European brought up to some totally different business to building, in spite of the fact that, if good results are desired, it is more important that a Clerk of Works, in those countries where the skill of the native workman is low, should have had a training in those countries where the standard of workmanship is high.
A Clerk of Works receiving a training only in those countries where the standard is low, has to accept the standard of workmanship turned out, he not having the knowledge of anything better; and, as it has been put by a Far East Managing Director of an old established London firm of repute, "only knows what the local con- tractor taught him."
The standard of the quality of materials manufac- tured for the use of the builder, is also generally low, where the skill of building labour is low, from the fact that the low skill in labour applies to those manufactur- ing these articles also.
British firms manufacturing goods such as clayware products, glass, etc., which are liable to develop faults in the process of manufacture, are perfectly frank that these are shipped abroad for disposal, and are sometimes spoken of as “Colonial quality," "China quality," etc.; certain markets demanding cheap goods, and in more than one case, where dispute as to quality has arisen, it has been found the manufacturer has warned the im- porter that the goods were not to be sold as their first quality.
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of the country, the reverse takes place. In some teak producing countries, the best teak is difficult to obtain, the "European quality" being exported.
Technical knowledge acquired locally only can be dangerous.
A Clerk of Works, a European official of the Local Government, having knowledge only of local methods, reported that the plastering of a London firm of Con- tractors was not being properly carried out.
The report complained that the Contractors were plastering the walls "a bit at a time" and using "square trowels."
What had actually happened was that they had brought from England an English plasterer and imported plasterers' trowels, the "bit at a time” being the screeds, and the "square trowels" plasterers trowels; the normal method in that area being to plaster an equal thickness over the brick work without ruling off, and to use a trowel similar in shape to a bricklayer's trowel.
In another case, a drainage contracter had supplied glazed channels and glazed three-quarter channel bends to his manholes and had them condemned as the local custom was to form them in cement rendering.
A true story is that of the Clerk of Works who in- sisted upon commencing the stretching course with a closer, the contractor's foreman, a first class English bricklayer, refused to do it, got in a passion over the matter, went on a drinking bout and had to be return- ed home. There is also the gentleman who wanted square L. C. C. soil pipe.
Many examples of these small errors are met with.
An Inspector
The R.I.B.A. Contract states: "The Clerk of Works shall be considered to act solely as inspector and under the Architect, and the Contractor shall afford him every facility for examining the works and materials."
If no other duties than that of inspection are expect- ed from him, and all is going well, a Clerk of Works has not an arduous time, and then the inducement to drink may be great.
Contractors have been known to keep a supply of liquor for the use of the Clerk of Works and, occasion- ally, to provide a taxi to take him home; in one case, the Foreman claimed for these under the heading of "Gas engine oil."
Engagement
Before engaging a Clerk of Works, the Client should be informed, as it appears that, in England at least, there is no implied authority for an Architect to employ a Clerk of Works at the Client's expense, and Clients have refused to pay the Clerk of Works' salary after his appointment by the Architect, with the result that the expenses incurred have had to be met out of the Archi- tect's pocket.
Training
The Clerk of Works is the Architect's representative on the job; he is usually appointed by him and it is to the interest of the architectural profession that his training shall be that which will produce the most efficient services.
At present, a man wishing to become a Clerk of Works does not appear to have any course of direct
It would also appear that should goods be a product training laid down.
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