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Construction & Contractors/Questions Answered by Expert Lee Kilcup
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Pipefitting freelance | 11/2/2011 |
| Q: This question concerns the pipefitting trade. I know that a welder can sub-contract themselves and ... A: I am currently building a house for myself and have been using some smaller subs that work by the ... | |
| Purchasing a Home to Renovate | 10/24/2011 |
| Q: I just started the process of looking for a property to purchase. I am interested in a property ... A: There are obviously many variables such as are you adding space or remodeling. If you are remodeling ... | |
| Construction and the Economy | 9/10/2011 |
| Q: How are contractors dealing with the economy for long term projects already under construction? What ... A: The largest risk for projects under contract and being constructed is subcontractor failure. Steps ... | |
| building or remodeling | 9/10/2011 |
| Q: I am in the process of looking for a lot to build or a house to remodel. I heard mixed information. ... A: Remodeling may be the right choice depending on the property. Things to evaluate include the ... | |
| preliminaries | 2/3/2011 |
| Q: In the summary and form of tender contractor show £4184.00 for preliminaries for the period of the ... A: The terminology you use (preliminaries) is not used in the US. If you are saying that he offered to ... | |
| Live Load 100 PSF | 12/7/2010 |
| Q: I’ve got a 4” concrete slab on grade we are looking at doing and the owner is requiring that the ... A: It is more about what the subgrade is going to support. You need to find out the bearing capacity of ... | |
| Estimating | 11/30/2010 |
| Q: I am a Carpenter (specializing in decks)who has decided to work for himself. I would like to know ... A: We do it basically the way that you do. Take off all of the material quantities (get quotes on them) ... | |
| Bills of Quantities | 11/15/2010 |
| Q: The BoQ for a major project do not state the Method of Measuremet and it is unrecognisable.There are ... A: Sorry, this is not a system that is used in the US. We take off our own quantities when bidding work ... | |
| Caulking Contractor bidding | 11/8/2010 |
| Q: I opened up a caulking and restoration company in the Spring of 2010 and doing residential right ... A: I would target 5-10 major gc's that you want to work for. Find out who their project managers and ... | |
| new aspahlt driveway | 10/17/2010 |
| Q: I just had a new asphalt driveway installed. Old one was ripped out and stone/sand was compacted. I ... A: It is difficult to answer the question without seeing the low spots. If they are because the stones ... | |
| essay paper | 10/6/2010 |
| Q: i don't understand the part of 'bad faith'. our professor gave us an essay assignment on comparing ... A: I don't have any personal experience with dealing in bad faith that I can recall. To me it is ... | |
| Electric to gas conversion | 7/29/2010 |
| Q: Mr. Kilcup, When we built our house 8 years ago we made the economic mistake of using only electric ... A: I just investigated this for a new house I am building; the gas company will actually put the line ... | |
| Structual Steel | 7/8/2010 |
| Q: I am a civil engineering student doing construction estimating for a general contractor. Right now I ... A: I am not sure what your steel suppliers in Canada use for measurement, you should check with the ... | |
| Temperature control for large hot weather concreting | 6/30/2010 |
| Q: We are in the early planning stage for a large concrete pour during hot summer weather in Middle ... A: I would check with your local concrete sub and or ready mix supplier with your questions Certainly ... | |
| floor weight limits | 5/17/2010 |
| Q: Would you be able to give me some information how the weight is calculated. What sort of floor I ... A: Take the total weight; 4 pallets at one ton each would be 8000#. Divide it by the footprint of the ... | |
| General Contractor | 3/10/2010 |
| Q: How much should a GC charge for a home remodeling job! Thanks A: The fee can vary depending on the size and length of the job. For a large and quick job it could be ... | |
| runway construction | 2/22/2010 |
| Q: if i wanted to build a 7000ft runway for medium lift cargo aircraft and had to build on an ocean ... A: I really don't have enough information or expertise (I am a building contractor) to answer this but ... | |
| Proper Forms for a Bid | 1/23/2010 |
| Q: I have a painting business in Houston, Texas. I have been accepted to most construction companies ... A: If you are part of an association you might be able to get some help there (they might have good bid ... | |
| trying to get the estimate on construction of medical office | 10/2/2009 |
| Q: I am trying to find estimate of construction cost on office space. Space is provided by hospital. I ... A: The most accurate way would be to develop a preliminary concept plan of the space and have a ... | |
| Invoicing, Site Instructions, & RFI'S | 9/16/2009 |
| Q: I work for a Drywall and Plastering company (family run) and we've recently taken a job as General ... A: I would check with your local AIA or AGC chapter to find out if they have education related to ... | |
| contracting | 9/1/2009 |
| Q: what is the fair wage for a contractor when bidding a job. A: Our union carpenters make about $35 per hour on their check and probably another 50% in Fringes. ... | |
| constrcution questions | 7/31/2009 |
| Q: 1. what are execution and site monitoring? 2. what is project overruns and how can you combat it? 3. ... A: There are an awful lot of questions here, I will do my best 1. Execution is the act of completion of ... | |
| Late Payment to Sub Contractor | 7/9/2009 |
| Q: Lee Kilcup, I hope that you are well verse with Malaysian Construction Law cause I have contradict ... A: Unfortuately I am a US contractor and have no knowledge of Malaysian law. Here the material ... | |
| contingency fund & GMP | 7/1/2009 |
| Q: 1Does it make any difference whether a contingency fund is within a GMP or added to the GMP? 2 How ... A: 1.I believe it would be up to the owner, we have owners that do it either way. The owners that allow ... | |
| Concrete | 6/17/2009 |
| Q: How much % volume is lost, when vibrating concrete? A: I would not believe that much if any volume is lost when vibrating concrete. It would be very ... | |
| Road Construction Cost | 5/26/2009 |
| Q: Would you know where can I obtain information on the cost methods used for the road projects in ... A: I am a building contractor so I cannot comment too much on road costs. In the US building trades we ... | |
| an individual as a cost consultant | 5/26/2009 |
| Q: I am a QS working with a reputed company in Bahrain.Recently , i got an offer to do the billing work ... A: In the US we do not use quantity surveyors. We have estimators and project managers that do this ... | |
| contracting | 5/21/2009 |
| Q: I am removing ceiling texture,wallpaper and carpet.Then painting and sealing the floors at my soon ... A: The contractors license is meant to protect the client. I have never heard of any rule about maximum ... | |
| Submittals | 4/30/2009 |
| Q: Can you please tell me what happens after a mechanical submittal is reviewed and marked up by the ... A: It depends on the corrections that are noted. There could be no corrections or nominal corrections ... | |
| Overseas Construction Costs | 4/6/2009 |
| Q: Do you know where I could find an average commercial construction cost in Vietnam? A: This is not something that I have tried to do. In the US we use RS Means Cost Data and Marshall and ... | |
| Building a yoga studio | 3/20/2009 |
| Q: I found a building in Redford, MI that is 8000 square feet that I want to renovate into a yoga ... A: Without knowing anything about the building (or the interior improvemnts), the range for interior ... | |
| project program cost loading | 3/11/2009 |
| Q: I am a UK quantity surveyor in UAE working for a mechanical and electrical contractor on a hotel and ... A: If what you are asking for is a cash flow model or manpower leveling model I would generally us ... | |
| Standard markup rates | 2/13/2009 |
| Q: What would be the standard markup range for labor, material, subs, rentals, and misc items, for the ... A: For a general contractor the range that I have seen is from 2 per cent to 12 per cent of total ... | |
| general contracting | 2/7/2009 |
| Q: i live in northwest Arkansas and i am interested in becoming a contractor. i need to know how to ... A: There are a number of construction management schools in the US offering college degrees. There are ... | |
| AIA-111 construction contract (1997) | 2/2/2009 |
| Q: In an AIA-111 construction contract, where a schedule of values (SOV) budget is used, the initial ... A: The schedule of values is used for billing purposes only. So you cannot bill for greater than any ... | |
| paving | 1/25/2009 |
| Q: I was thinking of going in to the paving industry. I have connections to many contracters in my ... A: Not a bad job if you could get the paving contractor to pay you 50% of their profit. Paving is ... | |
| concrete foundations | 12/17/2008 |
| Q: Is it possible to have a mostly slab foundation with a small cellar to house furnace, water heater, ... A: The way that we do it is to take all of the relevant activities: Layout Excavation Fine Grading ... | |
| BOQ prepration for construction | 12/17/2008 |
| Q: I have recently joined with a building design and consulting company based in Abu dhabi, UAE. ... A: The term BOQ is not used in the US so I am uncertain exactly what you mean. If it is the invitation ... | |
| concrete foundations | 12/17/2008 |
| Q: Is it possible to have a mostly slab foundation with a small cellar to house furnace, water heater, ... A: It is possible to have a slab foundation. Generally when we see this type of detail it involves a ... | |
| Quoted price for railings to meet ADA guidelines for city muni building | 12/5/2008 |
| Q: I am the city clerk for very small city in Minnesota. We have recently had steps and walkways put in ... A: I would go back to the local guy (the one who is qualified) and ask him if the bid specification and ... | |
| Small Housing Development | 10/31/2008 |
| Q: Rural Area...500 to 750 sq.ft. houses...one to two occupants...25 houses in sud-division MyOn site ... A: I am not a civil engineer but know a little about these things. If the soils are acceptable the ... | |
| submittals | 10/18/2008 |
| Q: I am translating a building contract from English, and I can not find the meaning of "submittal" ... A: Submittals are product information (data) that is collected and sent to the designer for approval to ... | |
| standard rate of work on concreting slab | 10/13/2008 |
| Q: Can i ask you if how many days can a 1 hectare land be concreted with how many men? thank you in ... A: There are many variables: Is the slab on grade or suspended? What type of finish is there? Hard ... | |
| concrete load capacity | 9/23/2008 |
| Q: Lee, I live in a 5 story 24 unit villa building built in 2003. It is made of steel and concrete, ... A: Generally buildings are designed with a live load of 75 psf to 100 psf (pounds per square foot). ... | |
| drop ceilings | 9/3/2008 |
| Q: i have someone that wants me to bid a job. i am use to working by the hour. anytime i bid something ... A: You may be able to make more money by bidding the work. I would carefully track my productivity ... | |
| Pay basis for remodeling employees | 8/29/2008 |
| Q: I run a small remodeling business with 8 field employees and would like to find a way to tie ... A: We provide our employees yearly bonus that equals about 25% of my profits. Since we started doing ... | |
| Forming a subsidiary abroad of an existin developer | 8/12/2008 |
| Q: I am in the process of looking at setting up an operation abroad for a large developer. I have been ... A: I am a contractor and not an developer so I do not have as much insight into this type of question. ... | |
| constrction of | 8/10/2008 |
| Q: Wanted to know about the role of civil engg in construction of express way on the basis of ... A: I build buildings not roads but have a general idea of what civil engineers do; They would design ... | |
| Hiring a General Contractor | 8/8/2008 |
| Q: My wife and I are in the process of opening a patio style take-out restaurant (southern cooking). ... A: You are probably better off hiring an owners rep unless you have lots of time and at least a little ... | |
| expansion joints | 8/1/2008 |
| Q: We are going to bid caulking some expansion joints for a new Walgreens. Was wondering about what to ... A: I am not a caulking contractor so I don't know exactly how much to charge. The way that we approach ... | |
| PA Sales and Use Tax | 7/31/2008 |
| Q: What is the pa dept of revenue definition of Construction Contract and Construction Contractor? A: From their website: A construction contractor is required to pay Sales or Use Tax on all taxable ... | |
| Concrete Sonnet Tubes-load bearing capacity | 7/12/2008 |
| Q: We have a 12' wide by 8' deep (from building out) covered deck with a shingled roof. This is the ... A: let me say that you seem to know the local termanology.... :) I have no idea what sonnet tubes are ... | |
| Contractor Taxes in Pennsylvania | 6/30/2008 |
| Q: Good morning! I'd like to know what taxes [and ] I'll be obligated to pay [and to whom} if I become ... A: I am a construction contractor in a western state so I do not know what taxes you will be liable ... | |
| Load bearing of concrete floor | 6/30/2008 |
| Q: I plan to instal a large battery for my computer systems. We are in a modern building with 150mm ... A: The answer depends on a number of variables that I do not have. What was the live load design for ... | |
| condensation on post & beam ceiling | 6/16/2008 |
| Q: We have experienced condensation on our post & beam home which is 7 years old. The roof is made with ... A: I would attempt to get air to the underside of the styrofoam panels via a vent if there is a place ... | |
| Warehouse Floor Load Capacity | 6/6/2008 |
| Q: We were planning to store 5,000 pallets for a new customer in a leased warehouse. The average ... A: Assuming that this is a slab on grade the allowable bearing pressure for the slab is probably more ... | |
| Storm water Drainage | 5/1/2008 |
| Q: sir Project : Infrastructure (Pipe Laying & Roadworks) Division: Storm water Drainage ... A: I am a building contractor so have little knowledge of the cost guide but if the tee occurs only at ... | |
| cranes | 3/28/2008 |
| Q: How long does it take to put up a crane? A: Many different types of cranes so many different answers to this question. On the quicker end of ... | |
| Project Prolongation in Landscape Industry | 3/25/2008 |
| Q: We are a wholesale nursery trying to get landscapers/developers to sign a "contract" stating when ... A: It seems to me that this could be a condition of your sales to the customer and should be included ... | |
| learning how to use a grade rod | 3/19/2008 |
| Q: I now do overhead signs for all major expressways all structural.I have already set ten rather large ... A: I would advise you to contact the local carpenters union or surveyors association or local technical ... | |
| Material submittal registry | 3/8/2008 |
| Q: Sir, I would like to have a standard material submittal registry for reinforced concrete 1 story ... A: Sorry I do not have such a standard list. Our submittal registries are made custom for each job and ... | |
| Material submittal registry | 3/1/2008 |
| Q: Sir, I would like to have a standard material submittal registry for reinforced concrete 1 story ... A: I am sorry, I do not understand the question. We have submittal logs that have been developed but ... | |
| load baring capacity | 1/23/2008 |
| Q: I've been told the load capacity of a particular paved area is 4 kilonewtons per sq metre. How do I ... A: Calculate the area of the truck (how many square meters of area) and divide it into the weight to ... | |
| Cancel a Vendor Contract | 1/8/2008 |
| Q: My company awarded a contract to a vendor to make (15) electrical components for Approx. $750k. The ... A: I don't know what the terms of your contract regarding cancellation are... If you are responsible ... | |
| builder | 12/18/2007 |
| Q: We hired a builder and the contract is a fixed price contract. Contract draw schedule is broken into ... A: As mentioned above you need legal advice. I am not a lawyer. You will probably need to put him on ... | |
| builder | 12/16/2007 |
| Q: We hired a builder and the contract is a fixed price contract. Contract draw schedule is broken into ... A: This is more of a legal issue so I would go to a lawyer asap. 1.Find out who filed preliminary lien ... | |
| tips for setting up a construction company | 12/1/2007 |
| Q: please i need your advice on issues surrounding setting up a construction company. my uncle who is ... A: This is a pretty complicated question but I will give it a shot. Contracting is about getting the ... | |
| CONTRACTORS BREECH | 11/29/2007 |
| Q: CAN I SUE MY CONTRACTOR FOR THE REPAIRS NEEDED ON MY NEW CONSTRUCTION BUILT HOUSE?THE CONTRACTOR ... A: Sure you can sue him, but this is a long and costly process with the lawyers commonly winning more ... | |
| retail strip plazas | 10/25/2007 |
| Q: I am very new to commercial real estate and I am starting to represent Developers to help lease out ... A: A few ideas: 1)Find a contractor that is building the product and pick his brain on a reoccuring ... | |
| NON PAYMENT PROCEDURES | 10/23/2007 |
| Q: I HAVE AND AN AIR CONDITIONING COMPANY IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. WE INSTALLED EQUIPMENT, IT WAS NEW ... A: Assuming the work was completed to the customers satisfaction there is no reason that you should not ... | |
| Security of payments | 10/3/2007 |
| Q: Are you aware of any USA laws regarding security of payments,similar to those that have been enacted ... A: I am not sure what you are asking but I will attempt an answer. US lien laws (which vary from State ... | |
| Commercial Renovation Estimate | 9/24/2007 |
| Q: I work for a state agency and have gotten estimates for an 8 foot high by 8 foot 3 inch long ... A: It is tough to use unit prices on this size of work. You would think that the stud and gypsum ... | |
| MIA contractor | 9/21/2007 |
| Q: My contractor was supposed to be done finishing my basement in July. Three weeks ago it failed ... A: If you paid him in advance you may be out of luck unless you want to sue or do one of the following; ... | |
| Construction & Fuel Crisis | 9/16/2007 |
| Q: Given the current trend in fuel cost escalation, what impacts are being felt by the construction ... A: There are a number of raw material escalations that are currently affecting contractors including ... | |
| Hurricane Buildings | 7/4/2007 |
| Q: I am looking for hurricane designs/consultation for skyscrapers in hurricane prone areas. Can you ... A: The two consultants that you need the most are the structural engineer and an envelope engineer. The ... | |
| contract cancellation by customer | 6/6/2007 |
| Q: I have a situation whereby my customer signed a contract for complete home remodeling over 2 months ... A: This is more legal than building but I will try to help. If you did not have a cancellation fee that ... | |
| project estimate and result | 4/26/2007 |
| Q: Asalam u alikum I am working on a construction project and I have to give the answers of the ... A: I don't understand entirely what you are asking 1. The cost of the land is the fair market value 2. ... | |
| contractors priceing | 4/24/2007 |
| Q: there was water damange the whole down stairs, im doing the kitchen, dineing room, living room, and ... A: Offhand the price does not look adequate. You need to prepare a detailed estimate of all of the ... | |
| Bidding | 3/28/2007 |
| Q: I am putting in a bid on a 3 tenemant house in Newport RI, It is very weather torn in the rear of ... A: We try not to obtain work by selling the low price. Try to figure out what you really do better than ... | |
| Architectural Services | 3/7/2007 |
| Q: I in the starting phase of building a takeout restaurant. I have a civil engineer doing preliminary ... A: I answered this question but it must not have taken, sorry about the delay If you are an experienced ... | |
| porcelain tile | 2/14/2007 |
| Q: I have a potential new client on the hook, but the job is so small that by sq. ft it's hard to ... A: I am not a tile setter so hard to answer question. I would list out all of the activities you expect ... | |
| Site | 1/6/2007 |
| Q: I am in the process of building a takeout restaurant. I'm trying to obtain a loan from SBA. The ... A: This is not in my area of expertise although I have been involved in some development. If you own ... | |
| building a new home | 12/17/2006 |
| Q: How many seperate contractors are needed and "what are they called"? to build a new home. i.e. ... A: Clearing and Excavation, Foundation, Plumbers, Framers, Siders, Electrician, Sidewalk and Paving ... | |
| unlicensed? | 11/21/2006 |
| Q: We were flooded and need a general contractor. Is it okay to go with a contractor who is ... A: I would think that you could find a licensed contractor for little or no premium to do this work. ... | |
| Estimated cost for concrete or alphalt driveway | 10/26/2006 |
| Q: Are you aware of a rule of thumb that could be used to estimate the cost to construct a concrete or ... A: The asphalt for the driveway would probably run about $1.25 per sf if it is 2" thick over 4" crushed ... | |
| off site improvements | 9/21/2006 |
| Q: What is considerd an off - site improvement? If you have to build a retaining wall on a lot to build ... A: Generally we consider off site improvements to be literally off site. Examples would be side sewer ... | |
| Architectural metal Work | 9/1/2006 |
| Q: I work for a small metal fab shop that primarily specializes in off road fabrication in Phoenix. We ... A: Sorry, I did not see this question until today. I would start by determining the products that you ... | |
| Cost for Alarm System | 4/24/2006 |
| Q: I hope you can help me out; for an existing large school facility; (300,000 sf high school) what ... A: Not my area of expertise but we just took bids on a fire alarm for a 28 story high rise office ... | |
| General Contractor | 4/14/2006 |
| Q: I live in Illinois and have been searching the net for GC courses or classes with limited success. ... A: Sorry about the delay, I thought I answered this. If it is a four year degree I am sure there are a ... | |
| Salary | 4/11/2006 |
| Q: A new company need me to manage and develop, we estimate by the end of year, we can create 1.5 ... A: I can only offer a little advice as I do not know where you are or what the cost of living is. As a ... | |
| unheated new constructin | 2/19/2006 |
| Q: I am interested in purchasing a new construction home which has been vacant for 2 years. My concern ... A: I am a commercial building contractor so this is a little out of my expertise but I will try to help ... | |
| hiring sub contractors | 10/5/2005 |
| Q: how could I hire subcontractors to build my home for the best possible price? A: If you are not experienced in contracting you may end up costing yourself more to do the work ... | |
| Job bidding | 9/26/2005 |
| Q: Is there a resource or guide which would give information on estimating a bid ? A: There is an estimating resource book called Means Building Construction Cost Data that indexes ... | |
| Grancrete | 8/26/2005 |
| Q: I wanted your opinion on whether a new “Grancrete” housing construction method could be used to ... A: Sorry, I thought I had answered this before. I am not a residential building contractor but from a ... | |
| business contract | 8/16/2005 |
| Q: can you please send me an example of a business contract? I'm expecting a project delivery and don't ... A: I would need to know the size of the project and who you are writing this contract to. A designer, a ... | |
| Competitive quotations | 7/8/2005 |
| Q: I am an independent consultant. Details were issued by e-mail on behalf of my client to 3 No firms ... A: I am sorry I did not receive the question, it must have been caught in my spam filter. It sounds ... | |
| Skyscrapers | 6/13/2005 |
| Q: Is there a book I can buy that explain different ways that skyscrapers are built? A: I typed in building skyscrapers in my internet explorer and there was a number of books that were ... | |
| water | 5/16/2005 |
| Q: My friend,age68, has dug a hole in the ground with the following dimentions. It is 300' by 400' and ... A: This is not really related to my expertise but I can do basic conversions... If I understand your ... | |
| i am a student working on... | 5/12/2005 |
| Q: i am a student working on some sort of term work am suppose to find out information about what ... A: Network solutions is a broad question. I have no idea what you are asking for in "network plane" ... | |
| Foreman | 1/25/2005 |
| Q: What do you think is the pay range for a Housing Construction Foreman who manages the construction ... A: We are commercial contractors but I would assume that you would pay $30-35 per hour (on their check) ... | |
| Insurance | 1/25/2005 |
| Q: Will normal medical insurance cover a person who does part time housing construction work? Or is ... A: We are a commercial contractor so I would have a difficult time answering this but I will attempt to ... | |
| Strip Centers | 1/21/2005 |
| Q: Also do you know where I can find normal hourly rates for the various construction workers, ie ... A: The Means book publish the average hourly wages for the various trades then you have to modify them ... | |
| Strip Centers | 1/21/2005 |
| Q: I am also hoping to expand my paper I'm writing to include a section about strip center business ... A: Means cost sf data may be able to provide you a total range of costs. Without more information ... | |
| House cost estimates | 1/21/2005 |
| Q: I am trying to write a paper about house construction. Could you please give me your estimate of the ... A: I think the profit costs are high in your example. A housing contractor would typically make 15-20% ... | |
| it is about this contractor,... | 1/2/2005 |
| Q: it is about this contractor, he is a nice guy, but we don't have deep conversation, I feel empty ... A: I answered this before but perhaps I did not send it correctly. I am struggling a little with your ... | |
| Price per square foot | 12/29/2004 |
| Q: How would I price janitoral cleaning of a new construction job site consisting of about ... A: In my mind the to ways to approach this would be on a unit price basis (cost per sf or cost per ... | |
| Removing load-bearing columns | 11/3/2004 |
| Q: I'll make this as simple as possible. I'm putting in a small, independent theater into the shell of ... A: Your gif files did not come through so I have not exactly what the field condition is, although ... | |
| Concrete rate estimation | 7/19/2004 |
| Q: I was hoping if you can help me with an index that relates the cost of reinforced concrete to that ... A: There are ranges of amounts of reinforcing that get designed and installed into reinforced elements. ... | |
| Stud wall construction | 3/18/2004 |
| Q: I'm adding onto my garage and need to know how to build the stud walls so that the studs are located ... A: I am not exactly sure what you are asking. Are you wondering where to place the concrete foundation ... | |
Construction & Contractors
Answers by Expert:
Lee Kilcup
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
Can answer most questions regarding estimating, contracting, project delivery, strategic planning and business management for commercial building construction contracts and companies. Not a lot of knowledge about residential or heavy/ highway projects.
Experience
Past/Present clients
Microsoft, Quadrant(Weyerhauser), Nintendo of America, Overlake Hospital, Adobe Systems, REI
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