I came across this while searching for a production figure to use for hand excavation. I certainly haven't had time to read it all, but there's lots of interesting information if you have the time to browse through it. SEABEE PLANNER’S AND ESTIMATOR’S HANDBOOK
Hey Digger...my puter doesn't like that site.
:beatsme The link works for me. I do get a small window related to the security certificate first, but when I click yes, I want to view the site, it loads just fine. It's an Adobe Acrobat file. Maybe the US Navy doesn't trust you? (Seriously, it could have something to do with being outside the USA--I can't say I'm computer savvy enough to know.) Anybody else having a problem with it?
I got a message as to the site having an unsafe certificate. I clicked ok to accept and it loads fine.
Excellent! .. I got the 'unsafe certificate' message, with the dramatic warning from MS that it's unsafe to proceed. Seeing as it's a U.S. Navy Seabees site, I clicked 'proceed' anyway (I like living dangerously ) and the HUGE (2.54MB) PDF file loaded O.K. There's 295 pages in that file .. and it is COMPREHENSIVE. The U.S. Military, and the Seabees in particular, write up excellent earthmoving/engineering work manuals .. and have done, since the monumental War Construction tasks of WW2 were undertaken. Remember that the Seabee Battalions of WW2 were drawn from the best, that the construction industry could produce in the early 1940's. Guys who were top construction foremen and civil engineers, one day .. were essentially pulled into the Seabees, given commissions the next day .. and told to commence huge construction projects immediately .. and finish them in unheard-of construction times . Everything in their manuals, is top class, basic, well-learned, and hard earned knowledge .. earned from the early 1920's, to late 1930's, earthmoving projects .. when Caterpillar and LeTourneau were getting into their full stride .. and the many thousands of construction projects in the U.S. in that same period .. right through to the real tests of 1942 to 1945. In the SW Pacific, the legacy of the Seabees is still with us, in airfields that were built in WW2, that are still used today. In 1942 to 1945, these guys built airfields capable of handling bombers, from scratch, and had planes landing on them, within 3 to 5 days .. In Australia, over 300 airfields were built in those 3 years .. a very large % of them, by Seabees. Many hundreds more airfields were built, from the islands in the middle of the Pacific, through New Guinea, New Britain, and Bougainville .. right through virtually to Japan (Okinawa was the last stop, before Japan, as I understand ) The Aussies had their Airfield Construction Squadrons .. but never had the numbers of men, or the equipment, like the Americans did. Not only did the Seabees build airfields galore .. they ran quarries .. ran asphalt plants .. laid concrete in every form .. built piers and jetties .. constructed every type of building from accommodation to hangars to hospitals .. built bunkers .. built all types of enemy defences .. the list goes on and on. This Seabee manual is essentially the BIBLE of earthmoving, engineering and construction .. and despite our modern electronics, lasers, and labor-saving devices galore .. the basic rules and info in this manual, are still as solid and reliable, as the day they were written. Good link, digger242j .. thanks for the heads-up. :usa