HEAVY CONSTRUCTION of a Sewage Pump Station - Ep 2
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- Опубліковано 11 вер 2023
- I'm on location to document the construction of a new wastewater lift station!
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Practical Construction Playlist: • Practical Construction
This is the second episode of a five-part pilot series to gauge your interest in "How It's Made"-esque heavy construction videos, so let me know what you think! Got an idea for an episode? Share it here: practical.engineering/location
Huge thanks to our project partners!
Owner: San Antonio River Authority (@SanAntonioRiver)
Engineer: Utility Engineering Group
General Contractor: MGC Contractors (@mgccontractors3304)
Practical Construction is a UA-cam channel dedicated to the built environment. The show builds on the success of @PracticalEngineeringChannel , one of the largest engineering channels on UA-cam, with more than 3 million subscribers and monthly viewership in the millions. Hosted and produced by civil engineer Grady Hillhouse, Practical Construction videos provide thoughtful and engaging explanations of how the world is built (and maintained) around us.
Credits:
Created by Grady Hillhouse
Edited by Wesley Crump
Camera Operator Josh Lorenz
Script Editing by Ralph Crewe
Graphics by Max Moser
Music by Donovan Bullen
Color Correction and Blurring by the Nebula Studios team
Some music from Epidemic Sound: epidemicsound.com/creator
🚧Thanks so much for letting me try something totally new and different on the channel! What did you think?
🏗The next episode will be out in two weeks, or watch it now on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/practicalconstruction-heavy-construction-of-a-sewage-pump-station-ep-3
I absolutely love it.
It's not a commentary of how something was done and why but it is how something is being done along with the reasons. From start to finish with explanations for everything.
Great content, I wish you success! Hopefully many more project managers will love showing off what you're doing and you can do so many more like this.
As usual, fascinating content and great editing.
Outstanding quality
Loved it. Keep em coming!! 👌
The fact that Grady was able to make this series. On top of making it free for everyone to see on UA-cam, is amazing.
@@brianpiper3188 nebula is not a sponsor, they dont give you money for no reason. nebula is a video hosting site just like youtube. instead of paying through youtube ads, you pay a subscription. you wildly underestimate how much work it takes to "only film, edit and post".
What’s amazing is it’s FAR better than anything history or discovery ever made.
Wow the ungrateful, cynical comments here. He put a LOT of work into this and deserves every penny he rightfully has earned for his efforts. Your 2 cents, meanwhile, are overvalued.
@@pyrophantom5150 Actually, back in the 1990s they were about this good. Before they started catering to the least demonination crowd that the content farms on UA-cam supply with junk these days.
Im sure he is making money
Can I just say how much I love the fact that you're not dramatizing this. If it was on TV that truck getting stuck would have taken up an entire segment.
Actually, it would have its own spin-off show and an origin story, complete with a troubled-teens/rags-to-riches/fall-from-grace/redemption arc.
I disagree. I think gordon ramsay could provide some value here. Nothing like telling your crew their defects to boost up their moral.
Don't forget the dramatic music
Still, you can totally see the spotter/flagman standing there as he hears the "crunch" noise as he barely avoids slamming his palm into his face. We don't need audio to know what he's shouting: "Are you even kidding me! Is this actually happening now?! Do we need to get another crane in here just because these trucks can't get into the site?!"
But wait, there's a problem that could put the entire project at risk!
Gary forgot his sunglasses!
Huh. You know, it just struck me. Most people have probably never seen a construction project progress with this level of detail. Even if you were looking on, you couldn't do it for weeks or even necessarily know what every step was about.
This is quite a unique level of insight for something that seems commonplace at first, i really appreciate this video series.
I can top that, not even if you work in construction, you don't have enough spare time nor are you always present on site.
Please make this a full series. Even if the demand isn’t here now, this is one of those shows that gains fans exponentially due to how organic and awesome the whole concept is.
I’ve rewatched the first two episodes multiple times while waiting for Episode 3 on Nebula. I see myself rewatching these pilot episodes - years from now.
Grady, You are the best host for this type of show. Practical Construction could be what you become widely famous for, way more than you currently are but only if you keep your integrity. Please, NEVER dramatize it up or do any of the cheap tricks the TV networks use in their productions.
You’ll never run out of material. You can make a season documenting another sewage lift station similar to this one, but in a already built suburb on in a depression in the landscape and make it interesting, while not having to rely on past episodes or even reference them.
Own the show, keep the creative control even if it means you can only cover one construction project a year. Don’t cover construction projects that have a veil of secrecy on one part or element of the project where you can’t show us, as that detracts from the value of this show.
Thinking back, the veil of secrecy made so many shows so much worse. The producers have to dance around the topic, to write throwaway lines so you don't think too much about it.
This. This is some priceless advice right here.
I love how the time lapse makes the excavator look almost organic. Like it isn't a massive steel machine of hydraulics, it's actually just a big armed creature wiggling some plates lose like I would for a model project.
experienced operators can operate their equipment like it's just an extension of their body, it's quite impressive to see if you understand how difficult it is to work safely, smoothly, and fast all at the same time
construction equipment really look like cretures with a job.
the sped up footage of the crane dangling 15-ton slabs also looks extra scary... i keep wondering if anyone who accidentally gets nudged by it might just get shoved into the hole. the entire process being so painstakingly slow also made me wonder: wouldn't it be better to just cast the entire concrete well on-site?
@@alveolate Grady has mentioned the reason for why they didn't cast it there in the previous video of this series
Or like toys, swinging around 15 grams instead of 15 tons
You are not wrong. There are plenty of people like me that really enjoy watching large construction projects like this one. I know I've never seen a sewage wet well installed. Interesting and informative series so far and as Essential Craftsman always says, "Keep up the good work." ETA: Would love to see more series like this on large construction projects. Getting into the weeds of not only the how, but the why things are done the way they are is the most interesting part for me.
I watched the big bike bridge over the highway get installed last weekend in Dallas, and it was truly fascinating to watch all the dynamics at play.
From the heavy lift ironworkers to the road construction crew to the cops blocking traffic to the engineers a hundred miles and 2 years away, there was so much drama! Evidence of their impact, hypothe-theories about what they are doing, gawking at the hydraulic lifts, etc.
Construction, especially big construction, is really cool!
Anyone else start noticing things you never noticed before? Oh that’s a weir. That’s galvanic corrosion. That’s an above ground water tank to keep the pressure up. It feels good to know what things do lol
And all thanks to Grady teaching us in previous videos! This is almost like a capstone to some of them combining previous modules in one!
A pothole-riddled road I often cycle on was recently repaved. Before they resurfaced, they removed the old asphalt and filled in some of the areas where potholes had beem with some sort of dirt or gravel. A day or so later, they resurfaced the road. I thought, "They didn't give that nearly enough time to settle." Two weeks later, the potholes in those areas are already beginning. Had I not been watching these videos, I would have never predicted that. 😆
I got a job repairing cell tower equipment. I will never not look at a cell tower again.
Yes 👍 I come here to watch the subject matter and invariably pick up some interesting serendipitous information I always wondered about…
I'd say you delivered on your promise to bring early 2000's documentaries back Grady, this is very well done mate. I was glued to the screen the whole time.
It's like How It's Made, but without the narrator glossing over some important steps because of trade secrets with a throwaway line about how the polymer assembly was produced on a different production line.
I do this for a living and for some reason after a long day at work I come home and just watch other people do my job while Grady explains things that I already know to me. And I enjoy every minute of it.
why the need to backfill with concrete rather than leave the soil
@@omniyambot9876it was explained. Soil will compress and settle over periods of time due to the surrounding pressure, plus whatever man made structures will rest above. This can damage the wet well concrete, potentially resulting in structural failure. Backfill is designed to eliminate this issue, which is important to ensure the integrity of the structure.
Dig a hole in the sand at the beach and put you arm in. Have another push sand back in and bury your arm, stomping on the surface for an hour. Removing your arm after will be strenuous. Pressure is a devil.
@@omniyambot9876 It was explained. The concrete backfill wont settle over time because it is self compacting unlike soil
This man could narrate paint going dry and it would be a dope experience
In fact, he has, with his paint vs corrosion video, lmao.
Yes, Grady could easily hire himself out for narration work.
ngl, when he said "looks good enough to drink" i legit smacked my lips xD
LOL!
Well he was kinda just narrating concrete drying
The drone shots and editing on this series are simply amazing. 👌
i loved the go-pro looking down the crane loads! that's just a really interesting perspective which we can never get on our own... and heck, it might even be useful for the crane operator!
This is incredible, im currently at college to become an engineer and design waste water treatment plants and an insight like this are invaluable, thank you, i love engineering
When you inevitably visit a wastewater treatment plant (as I did, in my Civil Engineering course) be sure to wear a good respirator mask by 3M. Your olfactory nerve will appreciate it.
@@CamaroSkooter roflmao!
As a former waste water treatment tech, I'd say that a filter mask is really only needed if you're going to a treatment plant that recives dairy, butchery offal, or fishery offal that's mulched and pumped directly into the sludge processing tanks...😂
@pepinoawesome7775 If you want to be a better engineer get a summer job(s) doing what the guys in the video are doing. Too many engineers can write plans on paper, but have no idea or the best way to execute the ideas.
Im an engineer in the wastewater treatment industry and I agree. This is so educational and helpful.
New grad civil EIT here! Do this at work and still enjoy watching it at home😁
this is so much better than construction reports in mainstream media, where everything is sensationalized, filled with drama, from technically wrong explanations to bombastic music.
flashy transitions, snap zooms onto people's faces, dramatic music and hamfisted slomo bits...
i'm actually so used to this chill youtube documentary style that those kinds of history channel histrionics literally piss me off these days.
@@alveolatethat's true. Since you're used to the most youtube videos or content in this category, you can't watch the other stuff. I'm from Europe, I was used to documentaries made in the EU or the UK. The most documentaries made in the USA especially history channel like the ones who dig for gold or other gems are just like you said. The media originated in the USA are often too dramatic and too fast paced. More effects less facts.
I say made or originated in the USA but I mean creators like history channel and other movie companies like this one.
don't forget the contrived near disaster teases.
@@kingminilogowe know what you mean. There's a style of American TV which feels very 2005-2010ish, overly dramatized, very low information density, etc. History channel, A&E, even some Discovery network, we know the stuff.
Sure, you said "American media", and certainly Grady proves that not all American media is like this, but we know what you mean. That style of video annoys us too!
@@phillyphakename1255i wonder where those HC/A&E studios are... can't exactly just fake news it and say it's "hollywood" docu style, when some of the hollywood-made docus are very down-to-earth and no reality tv vibes.
we need a term to label those cable docu nonsense so we can shame them accurately!
and btw, i'm subbed to hundreds of science/engineering/nature youtubers, and not a single one that it in that cable docu style. most of them are easily over 300k subs, some even over 1M. they're literally a (free) dime a dozen here.
the new style i'm dipping into is the "tiktok" style, where it's super snappy and short; but sometimes they compile a few together and/or re-narrate them into a normal 10/20min "long form" yt vid. i'm still rather ambivalent on that... cos quite a lot of topics require way more than 1min to properly present; yet there are some pretty good factoids that fit snugly into the 1min length.
Man, for something so conceptually simple, it's amazing how much effort goes into making sure everything goes right.
Hopefully Grady's work increases appreciation for construction workers of all stripes. It's more difficult than most office work and I speak from experience of both.
This feels like a high quality early 00's Discovery Channel TV show. Keep up the great content, Grady!
Definitely early how it's made or modern marvels or something, but somehow, better!
I was thinking the same thing, but it's more detailed.
im really glad you had the opportunity to film this and im super excited for part 3 and perhaps another series like this
+1 for another series. Loving this.
Finally Ep. 2!
For sure
Please pass on our thanks to the construction company and crew for allowing you to create this content to inspire the next generation of engineers and construction workers!
7:27 This, when people start to get used to the repetitions, is when the guy hanging on the fence above is most important, as I suspect he is one of the safety spotters.
I've never clicked on a video about a sewage pump station so quickly in my life.
This is one of the best series on UA-cam right now. I’ve spent years working at countless sewer lift stations. But I have never seen one being installed and I have often wondered how it was done. This series is answering many questions for me. Thank you Grady!
When I was working in the field, I was amazed at the number of crane companies that straight up refused to use spreader bars.
The argument I always got was "we lift things for a living, and we know exactly what we're doing".
However, they were long gone when equipment wouldn't work properly because it was racked during installation. The Owner (or the GC) then had to spend big bucks to fix a problem that only existed because the riggers from the lowest bidder didn't do their job right.
I'm not sure of your field but if they don't know enough to do their job they shouldn't be on your site.
never enough time to do it right, but always enough time to do it over!
Its not always the fault the riggers or operator. Its more the fault of the sales guy or dispatch. They determine what crane is going out and what rigging with it.
@@Lmiller201 A good team will not use the wrong equipment. They know that their reputation is on the line.
They will reschedule the lift for when they have the proper facilities.
As a survey engineer who took part in building a wastewater treatment plant in mountain hall among other construction projects I’m just glued to the screen for the entire episode. So interesting to see how you do it in the US and all the similarities and differences between the way we do things. Although I understand the processes seen here, your narrating still adds a different dimension to these videos.
Remember too that the US is big, there's gonna be some pretty significant regional differences given local geography and soil types.
@@phillyphakename1255 I understand that and that’s part of what makes it really interesting to me, seeing the solution chosen for the job
@@anothersaabstory1237 I just wanted it to be clear to people that this isn't "how it's done in the US", this is rather how it's done in San Antonio, in a rural-ish area. Middle of NYC would almost certainly be different in many many ways.
I mean, you certainly know that, but it's worth calling attention to it.
You know Grady is good at narration when you have a question, and it gets answered within just a minute of thinking the question. For me it was " I wonder how many mixer trucks were used to do all the flowable fill?" and then within about 45 seconds of thinking about that question, he answered it! In this case 11 tuck loads for the second round of flowable fill!
I’ve been doing construction my entire adult life and I still enjoy watching stuff get built. So please continue the great work!
Rewatching the entire series since *Grady said they’re getting less views than his usual content* . Please let these series continue!
Flowable Phill is my favorite character so far
I always knew Milhouse would grow up to become an Engineer. Awesome 👌.
I don’t know what it is, but it’s fun to watch this with your explanations.
Thank you.
I like the part where they poured the chai tea latte around the giant blueberry iced tea 😄
Grady, I love these series. Please continue. The commentary and description are just right. The flow is amazing. And no dramatisation - pure gold for us curious minds.
this channel has fundamentally changed how i see construction and infrastructure even someone that loves trains and public transport. getting context and helpful explanations de-mystifies the process leading to empathy to the construction workers, companies, and local govts trying to make it all work in tandem. thank you grady. this is the content ive filled up my youtube feed with and it really does a lot to get out of drama/hyper sensationalized content that is popular with the algo
The water pressure during the leak test is substantial, and that is without the back fill to support it.
"check out that all-wheel steering"
It wasn't the star of the show but I loved this comment. It's that little bit of flavor you add to your videos that makes them so much fun to watch.
Spending 25 years in the Army I think about all the outside factors that could mess with a project. Like cement trucks breaking down or being late...once you start pouring you really have to keep it up. I am sure there are so many ankle biters that can crush a project like this one. Thanks for all of your effort on this great videos.
this is really cool, it's stunning the amount of work that goes into a seemingly mundane hole. I'd love to see more practical construction videos in the future!
💯
Grady, this series is like Hard Hat Harry from the mid-90s, but for adults. Adults who still love "diggie dirts" as my family has always called it. Thank you!
I LOVE this series!!! I really hope there’s more Practical Construction!!! I was captivated the entire episode, especially with your jovial, yet incredibly informative voice!
Thank you for showing us how actual professionals get it done!!!
And yes, we all get fascinated getting things built! Here in S. CA, we’re anticipating epic rains in the near future due to ARkStrom, more frequent El Niño’s… and now.. hurricanes! My house is on a large hill, so just dropped $70k in new drainage system, new very extensive anchored retaining walls with very deep foundations and drainage. It’s been captivating watching these guys work. They even allowed me to help for simple things hahaha.
Your video on retaining walls was the inspiration for me to get an engineer on site to install it properly! I can’t risk a landslide to land on my house, so thank you!!!
Great series Brady! Learning about how infrastructure is planned, built and maintained is super interesting and very satisfying. Thanks and I hope it's a great success, I feel it will be. When I was 8 I skipped school to take a bus downtown to watch the top section of the CN Tower in Toronto, ON being lifted into place with a sky-crane helicopter. This is a great series for dads to watch with their curious kids.
This was, in a word, enthralling. So cool to see an extended perspective like this on a construction project.
Grady, you are what the world needs right now. Thank you.
The excavator is truly the hammer of the construction site. Digging, hammering, pulling, pushing, smaller crane...
My Discovery itch hasn't been scratched this thoroughly since How It's Made.
I'm loving this series! Grady is clearly made to be a construction documentary/host!
This series is incredible and I'm so excited for the rest of it. I'm a field engineer in civil and utilities in the first year of my career, and seeing you start this series after watching your videos all through my civil engineering undergrad is like a dream! I'm learning so much!
Very delightful to watch construction projects, and informative!
This is by far one of my most favorite series from you. If I hadn't gone into software, I'd probably be on a construction site somewhere, I agree that watching big things get built is one of the most satisfying things I've ever found. Thanks so much for your work and for making it available on youtube! I greatly appreciate it!
It's an awesome series. I love getting deep in to stuff like that. I use to be a surveyor in eastern Europe and have some observations of the work process there. It's fascinating to see how much more controlled and professional the whole process is in the US.
well as a Western European, I think there are still very avoidable construction site accidents occurring in US and EU. Crane accidents are still too common.
I love this series. Sometimes I feel like we construction guys aren't appreciated and you make me feel like my work is important.
It's almost as if the people doing the job knew what they were doing and are working with a thought out plan.
Grady! I'm an electrical engineer, and a pretty darn good one at that, and your videos continually remind me of how hopelessly little I know of other engineering fields. Thanks for keeping me humble and for the enlightening content!
like everyone is saying: this series is amazing and I hope we see more in the future
Took a whole 28 minutes to get this in my recommendations; UA-cam you need to get your head in the game
5 parts? We’re going to be entertained for a while.
A huge round of applause for you Grady, this new project has taken your production, writing & editing quality to even higher levels. We’re going to need a scissor lift soon. 🏆
Grady, thank you. I used to be the person that yelled at construction sites on the side of the highway thinking that no one was doing anything and the project was taking far too long. Because of you and your channel. I understand how much goes into these projects
It one thing to think they aren't doing anything. But, it's quite another to go full Chad and yell at them.
I was a nineties kid so i grew up watching those vhs tapes about construction and stuff. You are some how tickling that itch again Grady.
The pucker and cringe factor of people going under the load on the crane is off the charts!
I love this series though. Great job Grady!
(am heavy equipment operator)
Thanks Grady, and thanks San Antonio River Authority & MGC!
Please don't leave out Utility Engineering Group!
This is an engineering channel, and they are the ones who engineered the project
Edit: I get it that they're not the ones who allowed/invited Grady on site to make these videos.
Still, there wouldn't _BE_ a project if it weren't for their work.
I agree. I'm on the board of our local town Cable TV station and contractors often balk at us filming their day to day activity for fear of recording an OSHA violation. Kudos to the contractor and city for allowing Grady to record the process. Great PR for the city explaining how they are spending tax dollars.
I’m just waiting for this series to pop off. This is so fascinating, really hoping you decide keep doing this for other construction projects.
I love the idea of a Spotter to keep an eye on everyone and everything on site. Safty first. ❤
It's a perfect timing
I'm going to handle a lifting operation coming weekend
Getting motivated by watching this video
Thanks Grady for wonderful stuff
Keep them coming
Good luck! you'll do great!
I LOVE this!!!! Thanks for bringing this to us!
The fact this serie exist makes me so happy, the production is awsome, voice over, camera shots, music... love it ! Great job to all the team ♥
Please keep covering construction projects like this. It's super interesting to see how everything comes together!
@19:13
"Nowhere else you're going to see someone spend a year on a construction site just to show you where your wastewater goes"
Grady, I can't express strongly enough how privileged we feel having access to your channel. Thank you.
You’re making some of the best education content on UA-cam by far
Another very well produced and helpfully narrated episode. Very much enjoying this series, and totally getting "How it's made" and "Modern Engineering" vibes, which I've spent and enjoyed hours watching.
Yay, new video. I'm PUMPED
Pun intended?
I know these videos are very upLIFTing
as a flatbed driver its impossible to describe how efficient of a solution that second crane is. I wish all contractors were this thoughtful.
Always love watching construction no matter what it is. Thanks Grady for doing this. I'm learning a lot.
this stuff is really fascinating!! i hope you continue to take us on all your projects going forward!!
Good to see these larger videos from you, nice work
It's gratifying working in construction with a team that can mesh without words - it's a kind of flow state. Also, having slack on a job like this is optimal. With so much at stake, who cares if there is 20-30 percent more crew on hand for a day's work. It's worth it and these guys deserve everything they get.
I can watch this type of show all day long. Every time i see a site such as this under construction i have a million questions and this is answering all of them. I’d love to see an electrical substation series one day. Thank you and keep up the great work!!!
I know I’ve says this before but it’s worth saying again.. I love this new series! The big equipment, seeing how projects are planned and executed, and watching the crews teamwork is fun. 🤗 Also, I like that it’s not a five min video, there’s lots of great footage and info!
I'm so glad you are doing this series. It's really fascinating to see what goes into projects like this.
i am a mechanical engineer working for a utility construction company building new and rehab lift stations, this is so spot on and i actually learned a few things ! this is a great series grady !
Obviously I still enjoy your normal content just as much but this scratches an itch that reminds me of how its made or modern marvels. This kind of content is how you get people interested in different fields while also showing people just how much goes into making our lives better. Keep up the fantastic work!
I'd love an episode just on the Grove 6300L crane in this episode, or a similar one.
I've always wanted to see how the huge internal hydraulic ram that raises the boom segments works.
I'm very much enjoying this series. It's interesting to see the site shut down for a week waiting on the leak test.
Being in school in 2023 and doing a presentation must be a joy with channels like Brady’s. We had an encyclopedia (when lucky) and libraries. It was mostly dry unless someone was really passionate about something. This content makes you passionate, nothing can stop that from happening.
Pretty nice to see everything going on fast forward instead of all of us wasting the whole day watching on site
Love your channel!! Keep up the great work!
I really do love the recent transition into pure fan service
As someone who works for a crane company, i appreciate you using the proper lingo! Great video as always! 🤘
Just want to chime in to say that I love this series! You're doing great
I was just thinking about episode one and how relaxing it was to watch, wishing for an imminent release of ep 2.
My wishes have been heard!
I must say, it's a sweet series, I hope there'll be much more both from you as well as others. I subscribed to nebula after first episode to watch ep. 2 immediately, these are among the best, if not the best, videos on the entire service.
As someone who worked for the City of Phoenix water department watching this stuff is surprisingly enjoyable. Mainly because I don't have to deal with the inevitable hiccups that come with such a large project.
That flatbed that got stuck was a "well duh" moment. The driver should have realized he couldn't get over it, but I know that hindsight is always 20/20.
the most salient thing to me about this project is the patience and foresight that goes into planning something like this. it's inspiring. great video
Excellent series, Grady!! I've installed plenty of storm and recovered/maintained my fair share of sewer systems. This lift station reminds me of the one under our mall parking lot. Nobody knows where the poo flows!! 😂
"Why do construction projects take so long?"
"Oh, that's why..."
Neat stuff, Grady!
The closable fill reminds me a lot of wet sand in the beach, and brings back memories of little me spending hours building towers and protection / anti-erosion walls and other structures around them, right up to the sea line.
I’m a 43 year old dev/ops guy who is too excited for part two.
Lunch break is important, hungry workmen get grumpy and grumpy workmen get distracted, which in turn means the risk for mistakes increases.
Grady Hillhouse keeps on killing it with his truly inspiring content for the next generation (or current) of civil and structural engineers.
My grandfather founded a road construction company in 1914 that lasted about 100 years in San Antonio. Seeing all the heavy equipment with great explanations is just awesome!
"It's almost hypnotic," spoken like a true engineer.