I have often wondered why our AEC industry has never adopted the metric system. It is easier to learn, makes for better quality control and based on a module. Given the opportunity, I think most GCs would love to make the transition.
We'll there's hard metric and soft metric. Sheathing usually comes in 4'x8'. Hard metric says this is 1219x2438. Soft metric says it's 1200x2400.
Unless you get the whole industry to stop using imperial measurements in their products, hard metric becomes pain in the ass to work with, and soft metric becomes too inaccurate.
I'm always amazed how fricking far off surveys can be. You would think this day in age they could make their numbers close. I have taken surveys with the angular measurements and distances and found them to be off by ten plus feet. It is always frustrating when it is a tight site to begin with, and you have to be the one bringing the bad news to the client.
Ya this metric imperial system is even mixed in the trade industries. Capenter/cabinet builder in England is always complaining about it.
BTW....we do both in our house since the Mrs is Brazilian. I'm always asking her how many mm is equal to something.
Years ago I had a client call me from France as he had just bought this French Limestone Mantel and he wanted to know if it would fit in his recently purchased property. He gave me all the measurements in metric. It was before the advance of the computer, so I had to figure it out long hand. I called him back and said nope it is about two inches to tall. He said that is to bad I bought it and it is on the way to America.
It arrived and the mason was not to excited about taking a masonry saw to a slab of' limestone from the 1400's. So we pocketed the floor and everything worked out just fine. I doubt if the current owner has any idea as to the fireplace opening being two inches to short.
Moral of the Story if there is a will there is a way.
Metric Lengths vs Imperial Lengths
I have often wondered why our AEC industry has never adopted the metric system. It is easier to learn, makes for better quality control and based on a module. Given the opportunity, I think most GCs would love to make the transition.
We'll there's hard metric and soft metric. Sheathing usually comes in 4'x8'. Hard metric says this is 1219x2438. Soft metric says it's 1200x2400.
Unless you get the whole industry to stop using imperial measurements in their products, hard metric becomes pain in the ass to work with, and soft metric becomes too inaccurate.
Another mode of measurement that always gives me a headache is decimal feet (as used by surveyors).
Quick, bottom of stair is at 176.34', top is at 177.55'. What's the rise in inches (down to closest 1/8")?
I let Revit do the dirty work!
I'm always amazed how fricking far off surveys can be. You would think this day in age they could make their numbers close. I have taken surveys with the angular measurements and distances and found them to be off by ten plus feet. It is always frustrating when it is a tight site to begin with, and you have to be the one bringing the bad news to the client.
Ya this metric imperial system is even mixed in the trade industries. Capenter/cabinet builder in England is always complaining about it.
BTW....we do both in our house since the Mrs is Brazilian. I'm always asking her how many mm is equal to something.
Years ago I had a client call me from France as he had just bought this French Limestone Mantel and he wanted to know if it would fit in his recently purchased property. He gave me all the measurements in metric. It was before the advance of the computer, so I had to figure it out long hand. I called him back and said nope it is about two inches to tall. He said that is to bad I bought it and it is on the way to America.
It arrived and the mason was not to excited about taking a masonry saw to a slab of' limestone from the 1400's. So we pocketed the floor and everything worked out just fine. I doubt if the current owner has any idea as to the fireplace opening being two inches to short.
Moral of the Story if there is a will there is a way.
Remember this incident?
http://articles.cnn.com/1999-09-30/tech/9909_30_mars.metric.02_1_climate-orbiter-spacecraft-team-metric-system?_s=PM:TECH
Mars and a US spacecraft had a collision 'cause somebody forgot to convert
;)
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