Real-Life Math
"Though I was never strong in the field of mathematics, I use mathematics quite a bit, and it seems natural," says Michele Oka Doner. She is a terrazzo artist in New York.
"Mathematics in this line of work is important. It comes into play when we measure our cement mixes and calculate quotes," says Anton Vogt. He is a cement mason and terrazzo craftsperson with his own business.
John Crepinseck is a training coordinator for a terrazzo school. "We have to be able to convert cubic feet to cubic yards or meters in calculating the volume of cement to be poured. Also, we calculate the number of tiles needed for different jobs in square footage or square meters."
See if you can solve these problems logically, one step at a time. You must solve certain parts first before being able to go on with the next step.
1. As a terrazzo worker, you are learning under the guidance of a journeyperson in this trade. You learn while you earn and you are paid by the hour while you are on the job site.
During the first year of apprenticeship, you are paid 50 percent of the journeyperson's hourly rate. You are paid 65 percent the second year, 80 percent the third year and 90 percent the fourth year. The terrazzo, tile and marble craft apprenticeship consists of 5,600 hours of on-site training and includes 18 weeks of school sessions.
If a journeyperson earns $32 hourly and has a pay increase of 5 percent each year, what will you earn as an apprentice over the next 4 years?
Remember that you are paid only while you are working on a job site.
2. You are asked to quote on your first job as a journeyperson. There are 10,000 square feet of concrete to be refinished. One bag of concrete will cover 20 square feet of surface and costs $32.
You will need 1 journeyperson and 2 apprentices: a 2nd-year apprentice and a 3rd-year apprentice. The journeyperson earns $37 per hour. The 2nd-year apprentice earns 65 percent of the journeyperson's hourly rate. The 3rd-year apprentice earns 80 percent.
You must pay delivery costs for concrete at $0.50 per bag. You own your equipment, but need to rent boards for forms. The boards will cost $50 a day. You will need them for 2 days. The 3 workers together can refinish 1,000 square feet in 2 hours.
What will your quote be for this job? In other words, figure out your costs and then add 10 percent to them for a profit and cost overrun safety margin.