# Trenching in Panama (as a GC)



## Napier-S (Sep 27, 2016)

oops, I forgot one important detail... minimum depth is 30 inches


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## telsa (May 22, 2015)

Schedule 80 in such a trench is unheard of hereabouts.

Schedule 40 or DB 120 would be the norm.

Talk to fellows who are in the backhoe trade.

Hereabouts, quality backhoe operators charge $ 120 to $150 per hour. 

( Short jobs go for high rates, small guys pay more, one-shot guys pay more. )

Use your pencil. Can a backhoe dig 10 linear feet in an hour ? 

Hereabouts, normal ground would run 25 to 50 feet per hour -- even allowing for 'slop.'

Then, again, virtually NO-ONE in the Third World operates to American levels of production.

Get a load of the cost and time over runs on the Panama Canal expansion project. It was supposed to be completed back in* APRIL, 2016 ... itself a date that was pushed back Y E A R S.

*Well at least it's in business, now.


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## Napier-S (Sep 27, 2016)

Yeah, I meant to say Sch. 40, no clue what I was thinking there. 

Thanks for the input, and this is for the US Gov't in Panama so I am thinking that the level of quality will at least be close to US standards.


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## Majewski (Jan 8, 2016)

Soon as I see Gov job I don't think quality. I think cheapest bid and crummy work. Not picking on you or starting a fight...just my two cents.


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## Napier-S (Sep 27, 2016)

Well that would be up to the contractor and the QC person. I personally have no intention of providing crummy work.


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

Nobody is going to bid that site unseen.


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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

Where in the country is this?
Is it along the canal?
In a jungle?
At the beach?
It's all about the geotech. They don't have granite but they do have volcanic formations. The hardened lava there is actually quite soft (compared to other lava formations). I don't know that you can or can not dig it with a hoe or excavator. 
Another thing is contract law. You can contract with a guy for $8/ foot and he can bill you for $80/ foot and you just have to pay it. It's just the way it works. I've never heard of anything that extreme but I've seen where site work bid was $500k and the contract was awarded. Developer got billed $800k and had to pay it. 
Moral of the story, unless you know someone down there who you've done business with or you know you can trust 100%, you're playing with fire trying to scalp a few $/foot on a government contract.


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## telsa (May 22, 2015)

It's actually illegal for your attorney to properly represent you in most Third World jurisdictions. That specifically includes Turkey and the Philippines.

The way this works is that it's deemed a violation of the ethics of their bar for any attorney to side with alien nationals. ( That'd be you. )

The sanction imposed is disbarment; game over for the offending attorney. 

Obviously, you have NO redress before the law in such lands.

That's why no-one (outside their nation) will accept adjudication of commercial disputes in said courts.

This goes triple for Red China. Even Apple can't make any headway there.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

Napier-S said:


> Hi guys, just curious what you would charge to hire a sub in Panama for some trenching work. It is about 2000 feet total and there would be two sch. 80 conduits going in this trench (electrical and comms).
> 
> Obviously it is far too expensive to haul gear down there, but does $15 per foot sound reasonable to cover whatever expenses might occur as part of this? I am not talking about the travel portion of the job, just the straight work itself. I know the terrain is extremely rocky, so trenching could be slow going which is why I am thinking a high rate might cover it. Just curious what you approach might be to something like this. :thumbsup:


Obviously we dont know.
I cant imagine going less than $100 per foot site unseen.

Read this:

http://www.necanet.org/news/news-re...rical-contractors-industry-partners-in-panama


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## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

Bidding 2000' of trenching in Panama in rocky ground site unseen with no knowledge of jobsite conditions or access or mud or availibility of equipment or........

Crazy.


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

There is some good news though. The surf is excellent down there. Cowabunga.


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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

It could even be jack & bore with pits every 300' too. 
Too much unknown to give OP any info which he can use. 
If he wants to upload the bid package we can take a stab at it.

One thing he could do is solicit bids down there just to see how close they are.


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

Once we figure out trenching rates in Panama I'd like to discuss derating on the moon.


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## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

splatz said:


> Once we figure out trenching rates in Panama I'd like to discuss derating on the moon.


Neither of which, any of us knows anything about....


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

LESSONS LEARNED


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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

splatz said:


> Once we figure out trenching rates in Panama I'd like to discuss derating on the moon.


My friend Walter Rodriguez can help you with that. His Ph.D. thesis was in Extraterrestrial Construction.

What do you need to know about it?

http://ascelibrary.org/doi/abs/10.1061/(ASCE)0893-1321(1988)1:4(238)


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

MechanicalDVR said:


> LESSONS LEARNED


Gold Rush is back on mid October. One of my favorite shows about Alaska.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

John Valdes said:


> Gold Rush is back on mid October. One of my favorite shows about Alaska.


I like when it's about Alaska and not the other places Todd wasted time and money. Feel it will be an interesting emotional season for Parker.


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

http://mashable.com/2015/11/15/panama-canal-construction/#8Z81mgkx8kqk

doesn't look that dang rocky to me.


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## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

MechanicalDVR said:


> I like when it's about Alaska and not the other places Todd wasted time and money. Feel it will be an interesting emotional season for Parker.


I enjoy watching the show also. I'm constantly amazed at how mature and capable Parker is for someone his age. 

In comparison to the majority of similar age young folks we pull from the apprenticeship list that want to work at our shop....


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Cow said:


> I enjoy watching the show also. I'm constantly amazed at how mature and capable Parker is for someone his age.
> 
> In comparison to the majority of similar age young folks we pull from the apprenticeship list that want to work at our shop....


If you saw the episode where John talked about Parker coming out to the mine in diapers and potty training to stay there with Grandpa, it says a lot about both of them.


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## Service Call (Jul 9, 2011)

I lost my wallet in Panama. I'd charge a lot. 


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## millelec (Nov 20, 2010)

went thru the canal 6 months after we booted Noriega out of power. Summertime, on my decommissioned sub with one camper style potty for dudes doing the line handling. interesting trip.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Service Call said:


> I lost my wallet in Panama. I'd charge a lot.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Was she worth it?


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

MechanicalDVR said:


> I like when it's about Alaska and not the other places Todd wasted time and money. Feel it will be an interesting emotional season for Parker.


Yea, I like all the shows about Alaska. 
I tell you what bugs me about Todd. The word "friggin". He knows he means **** and so does everyone else. So why not just say ****!?


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

MechanicalDVR said:


> LESSONS LEARNED


New episode October 14th

https://premieredate.tv/tv-series/2907-when-will-gold-rush-season-7-begin-release-date.html


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## Service Call (Jul 9, 2011)

MechanicalDVR said:


> Was she worth it?




I don't really remember. I think I was roofied. 


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## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

Service Call said:


> I don't really remember. I think I was roofied.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Well.....hopefully it was at least a "she". 

I won't tell either way, you know, what happens in Panama and all that...


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

John Valdes said:


> Yea, I like all the shows about Alaska.
> I tell you what bugs me about Todd. The word "friggin". He knows he means **** and so does everyone else. So why not just say ****!?


Sorry. I meant "Fricking and Frick".


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## Signal1 (Feb 10, 2016)

Frick Panama!


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## Service Call (Jul 9, 2011)

Signal1 said:


> Frick Panama!




NO.....It will "frick" you!


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