They say Rome wasn’t built in a day and even in the modern world that’s true of construction projects, no matter how big or small.
As a construction professional you may well work on small houses or towering skyscrapers that take time and patience – and often come with their unfair share of setbacks.
Some projects, however, seem jinxed with downright bad luck.
Here are our top six!
A sting in the tale
An unwanted visitor arrived on a construction site in Dublin – no, not the project manager but a small scorpion, hidden in a delivery of materials from Turkey. Thankfully, this critter wasn’t deadly but it did give the bricklayers a nasty fright! Another good reason to check every new consignment.
Tails of the unexpected
Sightings of mermaids on a project in Zimbabwe caused vital construction on a reservoir to trickle to a halt. The fishtailed females allegedly scared the workers so badly the only solution was to brew traditional beer and carry out rituals to appease the spirits. The best excuse we’ve ever heard for a work break!
Lofty ambitions
Visitors to Barcelona always have one question: will the Sagrada Familia ever be finished? Construction began in 1882 and continues to this day. The build was most notably halted after its famous architect Antoni Gaudí was hit and killed by a tram in 1926. Regardless, the church has been continued in Gaudí’s vision and is estimated to be completed by 2026 (hopefully!).
A job for Indiana Jones
It’s hard to picture Manny from Ice Age wandering the streets of Seattle but a fossilised mammoth tusk was discovered buried on a construction site, measuring a whopping 2.6 metres. Archaeologists estimated the beast’s tusk to be 60,000 years old – old enough to postpone all building work.
Diamonds are forever
Forget mammoth tusks, we’d all like the find a secret stash of diamonds. After a former jewellery shop in California was bought to be renovated, a collection of forgotten jewels was discovered by the builders, kicking off a lengthy legal battle.
Hopping mad
Frogs no bigger than our new pound coins managed to stop bulldozers in Quebec after they became the first species to be protected on private land. The Western Chorus frogs were allowed to keep hopping happily in a protected area of two square kilometres.
Thankfully, nothing can halt your career in Construction with top vacancies from s1jobs