Civil techinician freelancing

[Speedycrete]

Is anybody out on their own doing freelance soils/aggregate/concrete testing. I've been a contractor for a number of years, and I'm getting tired of the heavy commitment in capital for equipment, and all the risk for small margins.

There are no Engineering firms in my town, so to get a simple proctor or compaction test or an entrained air or slump test by a certified individual, they ust come out of one of the larger centers....a 3 hr drive - one-way.

I realise this is quite a 'niche' thing, but I have other things going on that can fill in the 'off-time'.

 

[DonPhillips]

More than an niche, the building code calls these special inspections. Get yourself certified and start knocking on doors. Sometimes, the special inspector works for the owner, sometimes the architect, sometimes the engineer, but I typically see them work for the contractor. In most cases, a report must be submitted to the structural engineer of record and/or the building official, and may require the reports to be sealed. I would also venture the company you create may need a certificate of authorization from the state engineer's board too. Good luck with that.

Don Phillips

http://worthingtonengineering.com