♭08 "That doesn't matter!"
"That doesn't matter!"
The moment those words were said,
I was a little surprised.
Because,
the person I was talking to was a construction professional.
--
This happened many years ago.
I was asked by a relative
for advice regarding a construction dispute.
I will omit the specific details,
but when I arrived at the site,
the atmosphere was already tense.
The builder on the other side
was speaking in an intimidating, loud voice.
The client looked apologetic.
And my relative
seemed completely intimidated
by that loud voice.
I listened silently for a while.
And,
once I had heard the whole story,
I told them this.
"I can hear you perfectly well,
so let's speak a little more quietly."
Furthermore,
I explained my position and the qualifications I hold.
"I am here as a construction engineer.
I will listen to what is right as right,
and what is wrong as wrong.
Therefore,
I am not necessarily your enemy.
However,
I will point out
anything I find strange."
And I continued.
"If we cannot agree on the technical perspective,
I think we should ultimately have it judged by a third party, such as through civil mediation.
I also know some lawyers.
I am even acquainted with the judge
who has been assigned to this area,
and they will judge from a fair and impartial standpoint.
Therefore,
why don't we, as construction professionals,
discuss the technical aspects calmly here?"
Then,
the voice that had been echoing in the room until just a moment ago
became a little quieter.
From there,
the concrete discussion began.
And I
felt a certain sense of unease.
That builder,
referring to the same thing,
would sometimes call it
"cement",
at other times
"mortar",
and then
"concrete."
So I checked.
"When you just said cement, did you mean
mortar?"
Then,
"That's right."
I asked further.
"Then, was the concrete you mentioned earlier also
mortar?"
Then, after a short pause,
again
"--That's right."
was the reply.
I was a bit troubled.
Because,
those three things are completely different.
And,
the words that came back at that moment
were the words in the title.
"That doesn't matter!"
That was it.
But,
that won't do.
"That" is what's important.
It's understandable for the general public to get them confused.
However,
when professionals talk about construction,
the definition of words is very important.
For example,
cement is a powder.
It is the material in the state it is shipped from the factory.
When you mix water into that cement,
it becomes cement paste.
If you add sand to that,
it becomes mortar.
This is what plasterers use when they apply wall finishes.
And,
when you add coarse aggregate like crushed stone to mortar,
it becomes concrete.
To put it simply,
Cement
↓ ➕ Water
Cement paste
↓ ➕ Sand
Mortar
↓ ➕ Coarse aggregate
Concrete
is the relationship.
They may seem similar,
but their uses and properties are different.
That is why
depending on whether you are talking about repairs,
strength,
or construction,
the terminology and material names change.
In construction disputes,
these differences in terminology and understanding
can affect everything from identifying the cause
to determining liability
and deciding on repair methods.
That is why I
could not just say,
"That doesn't matter."
Rather,
I believe that problem-solving begins
by carefully sorting out
those small differences.
Now then.
This trouble,
actually gets even more complicated after this (sweat).
It has become a bit long,
so let's talk about the rest another time.
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please follow me.
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