Holdfast Training Services Trial Blog

Period Covered 16 -20 Mar 12

Summary:  Initial Start on Site

I have now started on site and my initial impression is that it is a great time to start.  There are currently only 12 JHG personnel on site (Engineers, site manager, supervisor, H&S, Labourers) and approx. 60 sub contracting personnel.   By October there will be 1000 people on site!

During this period I have completed the following:

• Meeting with Site Engineer and Manager
• On Site Induction (4hrs)
• Initial situational awareness, familiarity with site and subcontractors
• Right Of Entry/Union Training
• Meeting with QA
• Handover of duties as supervisor

Orientation to Site:  (Server error on site, site plan and aerial photo to follow)

200m x 100m

Photos

1.  Showing the congestion on site and the importance of co-oridnation and safety of subcontractors on site

2.  Showing the start of the basement construction

3.  Showing the problem of not using a debonding agent when breaking out the blinding layer 

Work on site.  The focus on site currently is five things:

• CFA piling to retain basement perimeter for basement excavation
• Excavation of basement level to RL 4.5
• Construction of New Service tunnel (150m) to link old services to new Energy Building)
• Final construction of Slip Lane (loading and offloading)
• Diversion of existing services

Issues.  Considering the site has been going for only 10 weeks there seems to be a growing number of problems.  The highlights are:

1. High Pressure Gas Main under slip lane.  The building of the slip lane next to Winthrope Ave (East) is key to the logistic plan and successful construction of the project.  The slip lane provides the only onsite loading and unloading point once the basement has been excavated.  A Just in Time logistics plan is being developed and tower cranes (5 eventually) will be used to unload the material.  However the slip lane has not been finished as a High Pressure Gas Pipe runs across the proposed slip lane access.  The State were approached 3 months ago to redirect this service but nothing has happened yet.  If a solution is not created soon then this will delay the project.
2. Historic Services/Asbestos Pipes.  Even though a site survey was completed and each subcontractor scan the site before commencing any digging to get a permit to dig old services and pipes are still being found on site.  This has included  asbestos pipes.  As a result a specialist contractor has been required to clear these when they are found.
3. Rainwater “Urban” Drainage.  At the northern end of the site is the old energy building, which will eventually be knocked down.  At the moment however it’s rainwater drainage flows directly into the site.  As a result 6 x soakwells have had to been installed which collect the rainwater and disperse it away from site into the sand.  
4. Removal of Excavated Sand.  The ground work subcontractor GMF are falling behind schedule with the removal of excavated material from site.  Due to the limitations of site space if they can not get the material away excavation work ceases.  GMF do not have their own drivers and rely on a fleet of private drivers.  JHG are being told that there is a lack of drivers in the city as they have all gone North to the mining site.
5. Use of debonding agent. To assist in the construction of the capping beam above the CFA piles a blinding layer has been added to enable the works.  This is then broken off as the excavation is dug.  There have been issues with the capping beam being damaged when this has been done, so a debonding agent is now being used to minimise this damage.
6. Shotcrete metal content and Z bars.  The CFA piles are covered in Shotcrete.  This has a metal content and has been designed to waterproof the piles and ensure water runs down them and into drains and the bottom.  There have been issues with the metal/concrete mix and initial high ratio metal content mixes were unworkable, as a result a lower metal content and 2 meshes are being used instead.  Though the engineer on site believes this is not structural, the design has required Z bars to be used to go around corners and pile caps.  These are additional to the original design and not on site.
7. Noise and Dust Control.  The site’s proximity to the hospital site and residential areas means work can only commence from 7am to 7pm Sat – Fri.  Along with this there are environmental controls and monitoring in place for noise and dust.  Dust is being controlled by water spraying and the road is swept when required.  As the work falls behind schedule then I believe an application to work Sundays will be submitted.

My Experience.  Currently I have been given this week to get myself bedded into the site and work with the Engineer in charge of the excavation so my responsibilities are growing.  I am expecting to move into supervising role later this week and then move onto more of an Engineer role once I have bedded in.

My Observations.

1. Safety. I have a sense of disappointment that the safety message is not matching reality on site.  Though paperwork is thorough and briefing continue there are many safety errors and the subcontractors seem to have a very relaxed attitude to safety.  As I am likely to be in charge of the West of the site I will be considering some safety incentives and improvement schemes to implement.  (And ask Rachel for UK Best practice and incentive schemes!)
2. Co-ordination between Architect, Design, Construction.  The detailed design really is only being signed of days if not hours before construction starts on site.  This has already caused an issue with the Z bar/Shotcrete issue on site.  With the Z bar on site and no on site “fixes” allowed by the designers the Z bar had to be ordered by the subcontractor =  extra expense on site.  Today I was told an extra 2000m of piling had been added to the plan once the piling had started as the design changed!
3. Management Contracting in action/Partnering.  I am finding this very odd.  It will take me a while to find the balance between commercial and partnering relationships.  In the short term there is limited commercial awareness on site and the refreshing overriding attitude is that whatever needs to be done to keep the project on track is to be done.  (There is an unconfirmed value of liquidated damages of $140,000 per day the project is late)
4. Co-ordination.  There is a new team working on site from John Holland and the command structure is developing rather than being regimented.  This ends up with information being lost and sub constractors beign told different things and confusion.  Myself and the site manager are sorting this out, and as I move into the supervising role this will become clearer.
5. Water Level – engineering rigour.  More details to follow – but my initial reaction is there is a lack of engineering thought on site.  For example no one is able to tell me the GWL on site and no seems to no where the bore hole logs are from the SI!!

Further Work

• Take on supervisor role, deputising for the site manager – co-ordination of sub contractors and monitoring logistics and health and safety on site.
• Continue to understand the site and the sub contractors.