Corrupting the minds of future generations…
Careers Day – Dumbarton Middle School
USACE has a huge outreach programme which covers targetted media, public information and also encompasses the promotion of science and engineering through career days at local schools. I went along and convinced them all to come and join the British Army. Having listened to other speakers at the bureau, I have decided that I want to be a museum curator or a fireman when I grow up. The good thing about all of this is that it help hit some of the development objectives for ICE and also opens up a bunch of extra curricular activities.
EDC SolarWall®
The recent requirement for changes to the design has resulted in a request for an extension from the contractor (time only) which will be honored. This will result in a delay in the submittal of the 65% design solution and potentially a delay on the expected completion date.
We are also negotiating on means of providing the monitoring process. Everyone knew we would need sensors and monitors, but the installation of wi-fi or cabling and power for the sensors appears to have been previously overlooked. Not to worry – it’s all at the contractor’s risk, but any proposal needs to be incorporated to the infrastructure of the building accordingly.
As a result of recent design changes the contractor is seeking to use an epoxy coat for steel columns, but the customer is not keen and keeps sending sketches of what they think it should look like to the contractor. This opens up a world of pain, because if this is interpreted as authority to provide a final solution, then we may be promising mods and changes that aren’t approved or financially appropriated……and folk have gone to proison over here for stuff like that. The contractor needs to take the idea, make it his own and then propose it back to us so we can say ‘hey what a good idea – let’s make the mod…’
DDSP Buildings 732 / 760
My comments on the PMPs have clearly ruffled feathers. Every job by USACE ‘must’ have a PMP and people just look at this as a hoop to jump through. Therefore the PMPs tend to be very generic and lack any kind of insightful risk analysis or mitigation thereof. I have been asked to educate the folk that prepared them and they are not being overly receptive.
Ashley Reservist Center
The awarding District has decided that they do not want the approved testing lab (hired by the contractor) to do the petrographic testing of the defective concrete previously identified. The fear is that the lab is ‘on side’ with the contractor. I don’t know if this creates any contractual issues (can we actually tell them what lab to use – or is it their business?) I pointed out that the lab is on the approved list because USACE has inspected them and authorised them. To not use them is to question the ability of our own departments. Also – it is more than it is worth for the lab to get itself struck off the list as we provide a hige amount of work for them. I also feel that by forcing them to change the lab, we are openly saying to them that we do not trust any of their previous results which will not do much for the ‘partnership’.
The office manager here is contemplating paying for the tests from our own office budget to try and avoid some of these issues – in which case I recommended that they also test some cores that were taken from the foundations to pass services through. If these are found to be lacking then it confirms that the testing regieme has been flawed from the beginning……but would also prove that the whole building is sitting on sub-standard foundations….and that will get juicy.
Other News
Not simply content with just shooting and stabbing each other – the US is now having issues with ‘face eating’. Sorry…I correct myself ‘naked face eating’ whereby a naked man in miami eats his victim’s faces. Far from just being abhored, it’s almost becoming a tourist attraction. The Miami tourist board has updated it’s advertising accrodingly.
For Sale
Pallet of smoke and mirrors (unused). Surplus to requiremnet following CI visit.
2 Months In
Hi everyone. This is a shamelessly AER focused post so please feel free to lambast me for my dryness. Lambast me baby! More interesting (picture based) posts to follow shortly…
Here are just a few of my general experiences and observations from the first 2 months on site. I’ll do more on the technical nitty-gritty of the tasks over the next few weeks.
Experience: Updated Roles and Responsibilities
So, I’ve picked up a few extra responsibilities over the last few weeks; I’m now Services coordinator for all Public and Public/Private Shared facilities, Site Supervisor for two discrete projects, and the Services Defects Manager for all areas of the Programme already completed but still within their defects liability period. Sir John is certainly getting his dollars’ worth out of DDK.
On the public/shared side of the site, that means I’m overseeing the coordination of services in a surgical day procedures unit, a theatre recovery ward, a catheter laboratory (more on which later), a new kitchen, a medical records and training facility, a supplementary services (chapel, AV etc.) unit, a central energy building, and a heat distribution plant room. All of these involve refurbishment or expansion, and so working around other live services and, mostly, in areas where patients are still being treated.
Observation: The moto in all of this is very much hospital first and, as the hospital seems to have a pretty much zero tolerance approach to any disruption what so ever, this means anything that affects a hospital service or operation, generally occurs at midnight or on a Sunday, or (and this is my favourite) both.
Analysis: It might seem that the programme planners were rather short sited in developing this strategy; the CI remarked that it would probably have been a lot cheaper to simply build a new hospital next door and then knock down the old one. It is certainly true that the cost of the constant frustration of progress, because of the need to work out of hours, is significant; the hourly labour rates, probably the most expensive element of any work packet I’ve been involved in so far, doubles as soon as 4pm passes.
The reason is threefold:
1. There is no space. The city of Joondalup, and the suburbs around it, are expanding so fast (in no small part driven by the influx of Irish, Spanish, Italian, and British workers fleeing the hopeless prospects in Euroupe, lending Joondalup its nickname of ‘Pom City’) that there is simply no space to build a new hospital other than inside the old one.
2. Australia does not have publicly funded hospitals in the same way the UK does. Many facilities in the existing hospital are privately owned and funded. No one would pay to replace or relocate them, when they are perfectly profitable where they are.
3. Each ward or facility is in fact a business in its own right. When the refurbishment of one affects the operation of another, there may be significant compensation claims. As such the hospital’s operator, Ramsey Health Care, is particularly unwilling to sanction any interference with business as usual, unless it absolutely can’t be avoided. With each patient paying, on average, $1000 a day, not to mention the everyday exigencies of any hospital, the choice between closing beds and making builders work overnight is a simple one.
The bottom line is that it’s too difficult, and too expensive (to individual business units) to do anything other than refurbish and expand the hospital from the inside out.
Experience: I’m also the site supervisor, normally a role given to a bricks and sticks man, for the Central Energy Building and the Heating Plant Room. This means that in addition to coordinating the services, I’m also supervising and coordinating all of the civil (not that much) and general building works.
Whilst the civil and building things I’m involved in aren’t particularly technical – we have consultants for that – they come in tremendous volume, and I’m having to learn about slab, column & beam construction, sub base properties, and general building techniques and practice. The civil training we E&Ms get at the RSME is very useful here, but more knowledge of the difference between an PFC and a Z Purlin, for example, would be useful to us.
Analysis: Perhaps the steepest part of my learning curve has been to do with simply understanding what it is that the consultants and contractors are talking about. Whether talking about an purlin, a reveal, or a bulkhead, there is a good deal of terminology, that any engineer, regardless of discipline, needs to be conversant with.
Recommendation: I have found that 2 books have been invaluable as desk guides. First is the Building Services Pocket Book, published by Newnes. This is a very good practical guide to services in any building; focusing on mechanical services – which I now know dictate the design of all high level services layouts – it offers invaluable notes and is simple to understand in a hurry. The second is the Architect’s Handbook, published by the Architectural Press, which is an excellent general guide to building. I’ve also see the Building Construction Hand Book, published by Butterworth-Heinemann, but this is a little basic compared to the other two. I would recommend that all students on PET be issued with the first two books, or something similar. Alternative suggestions anyone?
Experience: Finally, as the Services Defects Manager, I’m responsible for receiving, understanding, and assigning the Client’s defects notifications, as well as identifying many of them myself. I rather walked into this job, as I found so many defect as I walked around the place, that it became easier to deal with them myself than to staff them to someone else.
Analysis: Essential to doing this properly is the ability to compare what is in from of you with the drawings. I have found that it has taken me a few months to understand, quickly, the myriad of technical drawings that are encountered on a construction site. Because the difference between a quick and amicable solution and a protracted and increasingly entrenched e-mail rally often lies in understanding the drawings and specification the fastest, the ability to rapidly interpret technical drawings would enhance the preparedness of PET students for Phase 2 work.
Recommendation: More technical drawing comprehension should be incorporated into phase 1; everything from the EWIS to the structural steel. I have plenty of PDF example drawing that could be used to set such exercises and can send them if required.
And Finally: In an effort to prevent this from being the driest post since, well ever, here are some pictures of the weather in Perth over the last few days – get it? ‘Dry’? Yack yack!
And worse is forcast for tomorrow – last week it was 30 and sunny?!?
Quantity vs Quality
Quantity vs Quality
3 months into my placement, I have learnt a number of lessons. However, the most prolific, which seems to define the difference between success and failure, is that quantity (or at least payment thereof) is irrelevant without quality. Whilst this should evoke confidence that the final product is ‘defect free’, rigid insistence that the final product is 100% compliant with the original specification, can cause costly and at times unnecessary delays. A couple of examples are as follows:
Re-profiling
Re-profiling works are almost complete….well, according to the Contractor?! With only 60m left to go, Vinci are understandably looking to the Client to sign the Substantial Completion Certificate in order to receive payment for the works. The key problem is agreeing the methodology for checking levels, agreeing what substantial completion actually means and trying to interject a level of common sense into the process. Approximately 80% of the re-profiled area is within the -45mm tolerance, inevitably however, there are a few spots which are outside this tolerance. It has been deemed that a laser level will be most suitable for checking the entire 6.6km2 area, by dividing the slab into sections of even gradient. The Client is proposing that all points outside the tolerance be raised in a Non-Conformance Report, and a Substantial Completion Certificate will not be issued until the works are 100% compliant with the original Project Managers Instruction (PMI) (i.e. lowered or ‘raised’ to be within tolerance). The Vinci stance, (well at least at Section Engineer level) is that the slab will be covered by a minimum of 80mm of blinding before the final rail slab is placed, therefore what is driving this degree of accuracy? A decision is yet to be made but at £800 per day to hire the Rockwheel, Vinci are understandably keen to reach an agreement soon.
Western Approach Ramp re-profiled to SSL (note constant seepage).
Eastern Approach Ramp re-profiled to SSL (note drying out of ramp following initial seepage).
Piling
Piling is now progressing well and the Continuous Flight Auger Piles (CFA) and Controlled Modulus Columns (CMC) are finally complete on the West Surface Site, and have since moved to the East Surface Site. The piling works are considerably over budget and more than 8 weeks delayed. 6 changes of sub-contractor team would suggest there were some internal problems, however, a substantial percentage of delays were attributed to stringent Client quality control procedures. Whilst there is no arguing that the Client has every right to check contractor and sub-contractor works, a team based approach to problem solving, and a spirit of ‘mutual co-operation’ was often replaced with inflexible procedures and unpredictable responses at inspection points.
The last of the CMC piles on the West Surface Site, from the site boundary to the top of the Approach Ramp
Whilst the examples given demonstrate how a degree of Client flexibility could facilitate the construction and handover process, the bottom line remains that the contractor proposes and agrees the Inspection & Test Plan (ITP) before works start. The difficulty I have experienced when writing ITPs, is knowing how much detail is required to effectively monitor work and control quality, without impacting too much on production (i.e. ‘quantity’). The key is including sufficient Witness Points, whilst ensuring that the parameters for Hold Points are fully understood, agreed, and can be met.
In my opinion, a consequence of convoluted Client ‘Acceptance’ procedures, is that not enough time and consideration (by both Client and Contractor) is dedicated to devising suitable ITPs. The focus is gaining Client ‘Acceptance’ by the quickest possible means in order to start production. Inevitably, the problem then comes at the first Hold Point, where ‘quantity’, if it is not of the agreed ‘quality’ rapidly becomes wasted effort.
The risk for a contractor or sub-contractor of not providing the predicted ‘quantity’ within an agreed time is mitigated by an elevated tender price, and the ‘unforeseeable/exceptional circumstances’ clause. However, the impact of not fully understanding, or being 100% compliant with the pre-agreed ITP can have far wider reaching consequences; and there are no clauses for damages!
An exception to the rule….
Dewatering The Chalk and Thannet dewatering wells were turned on 3 weeks ago and the ground water is now being pumped into the docks. Piezometer readings are being used to gauge progress, and a Chalk well pump was replaced with a smaller one, after results showed that the well was actively (as opposed to passively) drawing down the water level thus risking differential settlement in surrounding strata. In this example, the ‘quantity’ of water, is inextricably linked to the success of the works, and unlike the examples above, is ultimately a measure of the ‘quality’ of the scheme. Interestingly however, if the dewatering is unsuccessful the risk sits with the Vinci. The sub-contractor carries no responsibility, despite the dewatering scheme being their design. And presumably, if the proposed scheme is not effective (i.e. the ‘quantity’ of water draw down not achieved), the sub-contractor will revise it – for a price!
Replacement of a Chalk well pump with a smaller pump.
¡Ayyy – El yoyo es grande!
EDC SolarWall®
I have volunteered to be the coordinator for security issues on site to ensure that all relevant info is checked and logged through the security office. This seemed simple enough until it turned out that some employees are not US citizens and apparently this creates a tidal wave of bureaucracy….something I can relate to. I think it might be more appropriate for me to form a support group instead, offering the benefit of my own experience.
The required structural changes for the SolarWall® had to come out at a zero cost (the Client can’t go back to the government cap in hand for more money without creating a fuss). The way around this is to parcel the project into ‘options’ whereby the bulk of the work can be achieved in the face of varying requirements, meaning that one or more of the options can be tweaked to make sure the project comes in at the allocated budget. This must be one of those fudges that people have found to try and make the most out of the system. The Client has requested that the proposed supports for the wall are to be covered in the same material as the existing building. As a result the last wall now has less coverage to pay for the modification. Changing stuff is all well and good – but it needs to be done the right way under the contract. This means either an ‘Equitable Adjustment’ or a ‘Request for Proposal’. RFP is pending.
Now that I am getting into the Resident Management System (RMS) I identified a few housekeeping issues that needed to be rectified (proof of insurance and bonds, cost variations between schedules and turn around times for submittals. I envisage more will follow as I continue to get to grips with the system. It was interesting to see how the contractor shuffles the funds to fit his changing schedule.
DDSP Buildings 732 / 760
Reviewed the PMP again as they still have not made amendments that were submitted. It is USACE policy that every project will have a PMP. The result is that project engineers appear to see this as an additional hurdle to jump through and pay lip service to it. What is the point in not identifying risks as part of the PMP? By not identifying the risks they avoid having to do more work on the PMP but completely negate the whole purpose of it. The PMBP manual has arrived and a copy should be with PEW soon. I will likely be asked to review other PMPs in the near future.
Ashley Reservist Center
I am revising my report for consumption by the contractor in relation to defects on site. I was asked to remove some of the solutions to the problems as we don’t want to do the contractor’s work for them. This was immediately after mentioning that we’re meant to be in a partnering relationship with them…..
It now also turns out the contractor has taken cores through foundation slabs to fit conduits that they had forgotten place previously. They have cut through rebar and we now need to remedy. If anyone has any top tips or resources on this it would be much appreciated.
Training
I had the pleasure of sitting in on the USACE anti terrorism training. This was a recording of the presentation that was given last year by a very nervous lady. The take home quote was ‘Don’t do any work for anybody in exchange for cash or other payments…[mumble – pause]…unless it’s your actual job.’
Trench safety presentations were completed in less than 20 minutes……take note John!
Hablando Español
There are issues with a contractor’s subbie not paying his workers the correct amount. Part of what we do is police these sort of issues and once identified we have to investigate. Frustratingly for the girl who has to process this, the majority of the workforce was Hispanic and do not speak any English. Having received feedback (in Spanish) I called some of the workers to clarify and translate a bunch of questionnaires for processing. This is likely to be a recurring topic.
Other News
Ulli has had yet another episode in the MVA (DVLA) almost resulting in flaming torches and pitch-forks.
Had a great Memorial weekend where I learned to ride a 2-wheeled skateboard contraption, discovered that we do actually have some neighbours who aren’t miserable old farts, and it all ended in the shooting (and subsequent death) of a rooster.
SSP project will simply not die…
Current situation with Steam Sterilisation Plant.
We have now gotten to a bit of a Mexican standoff with the SSP.
Pretty much all the work on site has been finished, however due to the modification that will have to be made to the design, to correct the problems encountered during testing, we cannot hand the plant over.
Due to the fact that the plant is a large and complex steam system it cannot simply be “turned off and locked up” until the design of the modification has been completed and is ready to be implemented, as the various seals and gaskets will fail on restart.
Grimberg, the lead contractor are clearly in the best place to maintain the system on tick-over as they are fully aware of its quirks, and also it keeps all responsibility with them should there be anything wrong. They have been asked to provide a per diem quote for the caretaking of the plant for a couple of months, and they are clearly aware of the strong position that they are in.
The quote that Grimberg offered and their lack of negotiation flexibility has offended the senior management so much that they have been told to P@SS OFF, and get all their staff/trailers off site. This clearly makes the situation more tense, and a lot more difficult to get the last few bits of work out of Grimberg (namely O&M manuals, which Grimberg seems to be hoping will go away and compost under a desk somewhere, it is requiring quite a lot of very specific feedback, but I am still managing to maintain an amicable relationship with Grimberg’s PM).
In the end I expect that some agreement will be found as it makes no sense to “spoil the ship for a hapeth of tar, ” and also the people that we will almost certainly get to do the work of the modification will be Grimberg, so we do need to keep some working relationships with them.
This is an interesting study into the final throws of the lifecycle of a project, and really indicates the importance of a sound tendering process which fully evaluates all project possibilities, and gets quotes for these as well as the expected work. However no matter how much foresight is applied there will be the unforeseeable and clients/budget holders must have their expectations managed, especially on such a complicated/experimental job.
Other things that I have been working on:
Liquid Nitrogen Cryovent system. USAMRIID
We have managed to get to a solution that is acceptable to all sides with the question of the industry standards of a Cryovent system. We will be using pre-insulated copper piping, the exact placement of the vents will be made by the Cryo Associates and shown on shop drawings. We are acknowledging that this is a change, and paying for the upgrade for copper to pre-insulated copper, realistically this won’t amount to much as the installation cost will be similar ball park. This solution was rushed to due to the necessity of allowing the work to move forward, and these areas be closed in.
Close-in inspections USAMRIID.
We have conducted various close-in inspections, at which we have found things ranging from the stud being cut through to allow a pipe to be placed, to holes in the firewall, to pipes not being fixed for more than 5m of run, and so swinging like pendulum. It does appear that MTJV try at every turn to use the USACE as their quality control, and just see what gets through.
Backward placed heat exchanger USAMRIID.
One of the heat exchangers in the USAMRIID was placed fully back-to-front, apparently “because it was easier to get it in that way, and it doesn’t make any difference anyway.” Whilst it is true that it makes no real difference it has been noticed and mentioned higher up to the client and so now needs has to be corrected for a political rather than engineering viewpoint, no skin off our nose, but the subcontractor is hurting.
On site tests : Pressure Tests of air handling units, Ducting and compressed gas systems.
Every system that is being installed has to be pressure tested to ensure they meet the rigorous standards required for bio-containment, this is really quite a significant undertaking on its own. The process involves a centrifugal pump with a baffle plate that can change the airflow. The airflow in measured accurately by the use of a calibrated orifice plate, and the pressure achieved in the duct is measured by a U tube Manometer. It all looks pretty Heath-Robinson but it works effectively. Dependant on the length (and thus area) of duct being tested an allowable flow rate is calculated.
Pall Filters meetings.
The discussion with PALL filters is still rumbling on, as it appears that testing/maintenance of the filter skids without the use of Isopropyl alcohol will be difficult, however the client is reticent at allowing IPA use due to the fire risk etc. We have coordinated various meetings between the client and PALL to see if a solution to the problem can be found.
Off site tests: HEPA filter skid – Factory acceptance testing.
There are various tests of the equipment before it is installed onsite. This is a HEPA filter skid that is due to be used in many areas of the USAMRIID building. Due to the knowledge gained previously working with PALL filters on slightly similar skids in the SSP we visited the local factory where they make the stainless steel components and assemble the skid. Impressively they had mounted the pressure gauges the wrong way round, and we could see other more significant design problems which would make the maintenance difficult. It is great to be able to catch these early, and so keep the project as a whole running more smoothly.
Officer Professional development day
Attending an Officer Professional Development day was a good opportunity to meet the other uniformed officers who operate within the district. It did hammer home what a civilian organisation the Corp of Engineers really is, and how few uniformed personnel they actually have.
Also of interest
Memorial Day.
Memorial Day is the equivalent to Remembrance Day, however the Americans really go all out for it. It is a national holiday and pretty much each town has a parade of some sort. We went into Washington DC to watch their parade. It went on for a continuous 2 hours mostly made up of high school marching bands, and only at the very end actual military guys. There were thousands of people out in support along both sides of the main street in Washington DC for a stretch of 2 miles. Also Buzz Aldrin was there on a float. It was an amazing show.
Muscle Car Weekend
Matt, Ulli, Rob, Robin, (his Girlfriend), Sarah and I all attended a Muscle Car weekend at Ocean City; a collection of hundreds of absolutely amazing cars, with more BHP than weight in KGS. They really shift, and they were doing unofficial burnouts in the high street, fine in the early evening but it does begin to get a little tiresome at 0300. It also really showed how much time and money people were willing to spend on their hobbies out here, the cars were literally shined to within an inch of their lives, and some were up for sale, showing price tags around the $50000 – $100000
Home Brew.
We have got a home brew set from the shop just down the road, and are trying this out (we will keep you posted…), it makes the house smell like a brewery!
Queens Diamond Jubilee
I am trying to get the Americans a bit excited about the Jubilee, but oddly they don’t seem as interested by this as they were by the royal wedding!
Sarah’s work visa.
Sarah has finally got a work visa through, and now has a Social Security Number, and so is finally in a position to get a job. Hopefully all the networking she has been doing will rapidly pay off and she will find a good job.
Heat and humidity.
The heat and humidity are really jacking up, now as soon as you do anything physical you break a real sweat.
Week 8, Ubique. 21st – 25th May 2012
All over the place this week as the title suggests.
Lifting Appreciation Training. This course was an introduction to moving things offshore, and included LOLER standards, lift planning, rigging, and practical exercises; it’s easy to forget that in the offshore environment you can’t just drive forks everywhere and so rigging is used far more than I had imagined. Indeed, for BP, a person is not allowed to lift anything above 20kg and so other means are standard practice. The practical exercises included establishing rigging systems for moving things (in this case a dummy motor) through an area with beams and pipes in the way; and also playing with a 40 tonne pillar crane.
Figure 1. Operating the pillar crane.
Maximo Work Management One Day Essentials. This was an essential course teaching me how to raise work orders and requisitions. What I found interesting were the teaching methods; lots of magnetic labels to position in a team, and also good use of IT so we could all work on the software on a simulated database. If only JPA was taught so well… Oh, and the handouts were issued on a memory stick at the end of the course. I love civvies!
Runcorn kick off meeting. And the ETAP project is under Appraisal! Finally held teh meeting so that the study can now get under way to estimate the costs of ALQ on ETAP. What they can’t do, however, is work out the operating costs, so there’s still a lot of work for me to do on that. Still fighting through the red tape to get my flight booked offshore, but that will happen with time.
Design Work. Had a good chat to some of our (WG PSN) engineers to see if I can get involved with some in-depth technical design, so I can be 100% sure to tick off competencies A and B. The two lads there (the team should be six!) are both chartered through IMechE so know the score and it will be good to work with them. Interestingly, Ish’s engineer for the LPBC exhausts has just been moved by WG PSN, so I might be filling in that role!
In other news. Damaged my calf in a race, so resting that at the moment before the two marathonesque races that face me over the next month. Open water swimming is still proving to be awesome although the most recent places were quite tame, taking the form of sheltered lochs; cycling is giving me some sharp tan lines, even this far North. Liz is now fully trained as Adjt and looking forward to lead elements of 39 moving up in June. The Waterbeach summer ball was good fun but not the epic that it was a few years back, where I first met Steve and Faye…
Weeks 10 & 11 – 14-25 May – Pandemonium is just the beginning
Over the last couple of weeks since returning to Curtis Island after paternity leave my world has largely been turned upside down. Firstly was the decision to move me from the Jetty to the MOF project without any sort of discussion. PM decision in isolation. It was probably the right one but completely out of the blue and found out third hand….sound familiar to anyone?!?!?
Week 11 was spent trying to gain control of my areas but the incumbent engineer didn’t want to let go very easily. I spent most of the week shadowing him and trying not to upset the apple cart.
Week 12 however was a bit different. From Monday this week I was in the hot seat, my inbox filling up with 30-40 emails a day about stuff I had no idea about. Steep learning curve and by Wednesday I was starting to drown. That said, it’s now Friday and I’ve got my head above the water and I am starting to make my mark where required.
The MOF project is behind schedule, over budget and has serious challenges that need overcoming. I will not dwell on them as they’re not in my remit but they have serious knock on effects across the whole project. What is an issue though is the lack of coherent communication across the staff and then transferring any of it to the work force. Major issue and I am already investing time to rectify this where I can. There is a small “good ideas club” that seem to be talking a lot but doing very little at the management level and it all gets dumped on the junior engineers. Not good for them and it is clearly visible how low their morale is. A bit of Serevena banter helps but only papers over the cracks.
In terms of responsibilities, my portfolio has gradually expanded over the week to now include the following:
All king pile wall capping beam construction including reinforcement, concreting, formwork, temporary work platforms, permits, dewatering, pile cages, tie bars, cardan joints, etc
Anything to do with reinforcement.
Anything to do with concrete.
Finishing off the second bulk aggregate barge ramp and abutment.
Flood light footings.
There is more than just the above but it covers most of it. Overall I am now happier in terms of the work BUT I am being worked doubly hard and have so far missed the ferry 3 nights this week having to catch a later one. Not an issue but pulling a 15 hour day is tiring for me and not great support for Lisa.
Apart from the above I have hosted the CI and John Reddie on their whirlwind tour of Australia and been keeping up with the coursework schedule. Not much time for fun stuff but this weekend we’re heading to a local festival for some decent family time.
It’s all got a little punchy… 7 May – 20 May 12
Period Covered 7 May – 20 May 12
Summary: It’s all got a little punchy…
I’ve had a great few weeks on site which has mainly been due to my growing role and responsibilities which has opened me up to a number of experiences, meetings and decisions which has widened my understanding about how the project is run, the relationship with the client and commercial awareness.
This has meant I have felt pretty busy with my site work, CI’s Visit and TMR but I am sure no different to anyone else at the moment!! Finally there are now some real issues growing on site and some big decisions that need be made very soon.
During this period I have completed the following:
• Participation in Post Tensioning 90% Design Review
• Contractor Database search and encouraged companies to bid for Northern Superstructure Post Tensioning work. (Cold calling and ppt brief) • Written the Post Tensioning Tender Plan which has been submitted to the client for approval. This included Schedule G – Scope of Works and a review of Schedule H – Standard Sub Contractor requirements.
• Organised and chaired “industry discussions” with Post Tension Subcontractor for Value Engineering work shop. • Senior Engineer for Dewatering Tender Review meeting with Client
• Written Work Risk Assessment for Dewatering Work • Completed Safety Paperwork Preparation for Dewatering Subcontractor arrival on Site (expect 29 May 12)
• CI Visit
• Pre Pour inspections and pour supervision
• Pre Start Briefs
Work on site. So with a lot of hard work, Sunday work and careful micromanagement of the subcontractors the service tunnel is on track to be handed over on time (28 May). The progress has been rapid and I have been impressed with how quickly the blockwork walls and the reinforced concrete roof have been constructed. Syphon A has also now been completed so there should not be a requirement for anymore emergency pumping out!! However, in contrast to this progress has slowed/stopped in many other areas.
A summary of where this is and the reasons is below:
All excavation in the basement. The capping beams and chimney are monitored for excessive movement and today the surveyors raised the issue that they had recorded excessive movement and the top of the 60m chimney. We are now investigating the cause of this (there is debate about how much the excavation is causing and how much is temperature differential). In the meantime no more excavation is allowed in the basement. I am getting involved with this problem as I think it has the potential to be fascinating issue…however if I can not solve it with freebody diagrams I may need some outside assistance!!
Piling of Zone 7. This area is right next to the service slip lane, with the final 10 piles approx. 2m lower than the slip road. Whilst excavating the sub contractor noticed the road base falling into the excavation and so work was stopped. A combination of shuttering and grout injection aims to fix this, but this has caused a 7 day delay.
Piling of Zone 8. This area is right next to the site fence which backs onto a pedestrian footpath and a bus stop. John Holland understood that when we got ownership of this area (5 April 2012) that we would have access right up to the road. The client argues this was never the case. The up shot is that piling in this area has been delayed whilst John Holland has put together 4 COAs. The client is taking its timing deciding which is its preferred option. This has meant a 10 day delay (and counting) on this area.
Staircore 3. A rapid redesign of the piles for Stair Core 3 occurred last week as the torsional loadings were revised. This resulted in 9 new piles being required, and extra 7 days of work. This has now been completed.
The real result of all these delays is not just the effect on the Piling Contractor but on the Pile Cropping/Trimming teams and the Capping Beams team. Both of these sub contractors had just inducted serious numbers of people in preparation for the increased work load. However with these delays there has been a lack of work and these labourers have found employment elsewhere and are unlikely to return to the project. This is real problem, as Subcontractors are unhappy and there could be a lack of inducted personnel available when there is work! Fingers Crossed these issues are resolved quickly so work can continue at the pace we are used to.
MORE PHOTOS:
Areas of Site where work has been delayed
My Experience.
So my work as a supervisor has officially ended, this was an excellent way of introducing me to the project, sub contractors and the John Holland Systems whilst in a position to pick up decent engineering work when it arose. I am now fulfilling my Engineer role and since then I have not stopped. Being the lead for the post tensioning work has been excellent, as I will see the $3 million worth of work go from my initial thoughts on what should go in the scope of works right through to delivery on site.
This has given me exposure to the contract administrator team who I am working with approximately 1 day a week and hands on experience of the tender process. I am sure I will have a lot more to write about once comments come back from the client (the state) on my tender plan, but so far so good!!
As part of the post tensioning work I attended a 90% design review with the structural designers and the client to discuss the Post Tensioning work for the Northern Superstructure. The technical side to this was interesting but not as interesting as the commercial aspect. In what I think is a very weird decision John Holland is being allowed to bid as the “builder” for the Northern Superstructure works package and thus to ensure probity there are some very funny restrictions in place about who can talk to who about what…the result being to ensure John Holland doesn’t have an unfair advantage compared to the other sub contractors who are bidding to build the work. Hmmmm, if you were a company would you bother to bid if you know the company managing the build is putting in a tender….anyway I played the values and standards of a British Army Officer down to a tee which was well received by the retired Australian Defence Force Officer, now probity officer!!
The other project taking up my time is being the lead engineer for the dewatering work on site. In the last week this has involved a couple of pretty hostile meetings with the client, where they seemed to forget all the meetings and dialogue we had up until that point and I had explain why, where, what and how once again. The upshot of these meeting was that I was ordered to do another option study of an option which was discounted a month ago – this option (using an inaccessible sewer) being the least environmentally friendly and most expensive option again..48hours later, we have agreed my original plan is the one they should sign up to!!!!! We still need to get the contract across the line but it looks like we are there now and my focus is ensuring the site is ready for their arrival.
(As an aside, I have been spending a lot of my time liaising with local councils, water companies and other drainage providers to arrange permission and licences for the dewatering, Dan K tells me that this is covered on the E&M course, it might be worth bolting this lesson onto the Civil dewatering lessons?)
Further Work
• Tender Plan Review meeting with the Client to discuss Post Tensioning
• Meeting with dewatering subcontractor to ensure all preparations are ready for start on site
• Safe, Quality and Enviro Safe Systems of work co-ordinator for Dewatering
• Involvement in new pedestrian footpath
Meet the new spokesperson for the Corps!
EDC Solarwall
Have been doing my utmost to corral the the USACE team to turn some submissions around in double time to help the contractor get back on schedule (To show willing and to slap them with when/if they start letting us down on submittals.) On the whole – a good response except from the Client who chinned this off all together…..well it’s their money I suppose.
Ashley Reservist Centre
Investigations on concrete issues on loading ramp led me to spot that another blob of concrete had been poured under similar conditions to the defective ramps. Spoke with ConRep on site to go and have a lo look and lo-and-behold we have other defects there too. The can of worms gets bigger. Other rising issues include continued lack of prep inspections and potential issues with a roof truss hanger system.
Officer Professional Development (OPD)
A demo of the debris clearance vessels used by the Corps to maintain waterways came across as a very good excuse for a jolly on the Potomac, cruising around Washington DC in the sunshine…..very nice. This was immediately followed by….
Media Training
Having stepped off the boat onto dry land I was accosted by the media team asking for an on the spot interview in relation to a scenario we were given earlier that morning. A plane had crashed into one of the bridges on the river and carnage ensued (This actually happened about 30 years ago). Not to worry – I told them that the passengers were all entitled to a full refund, all survivors would get a free boat trip on the Corps vessels and that conveniently the boats could deal with the dead folk using the big buckets on the front of the vessels….Thankfully, Colonel Anderson was laughing when all of this got played back at district….
…I have subsequently volunteered to go speak in schools at career days. First one is on Friday 1st June. They didn’t even ask for CRB checks!
In other news…
Col Foley visit admin developing well – thanks to the PEW clerks he is no longer staying in Harrisburg. (He would have had too much attention from the six-fingered cousins – so now we just have to protect him from the drug dealers and serial killers of Baltimore, but at least it’s a better quality of scroat. Also – I get to send him the DVD box set of ‘The Wire’ to use as my ground brief and orientation.)
‘Eat. Spit. Be Happy’ that’s what it says on my bag of sunflower seeds……so I’m off to do some spittin’
McFry – Out
Week 7, Steady. 14th – 18th May 2012
Really quite steady this last week. I’ve finished the SORs and got requests for Requests for Initial Funding (RIFs) for three projects signed off, so finally kicking those off on Wednesday/ Thursday in Runcorn. They are:
ETAP – ALQ as discussed in previous blogs – an awesome project I’m quite excited about
Magnus – Conde Pump upgrade. Install some new spools with double block and bleed valves; and add an integral bleed port; on to both trains on the condensate pump.
Magnus – Fire relief on Glycol boiler. Investigate the best method of pressure relief on the Glycol boiler; currently the 1” pipes are undersized, so we need to look at some alternative options. Mark, see Figure 1.
As for Bruce access platforms – Hugh’s got no money available at the moment so they’re on hold til the books can be rebalanced.
Right, last proof read of the TMR and then to bed. Exciting day tomorrow as I get to play with some big cranes! Doing a 1-day acquaint course which should be fun. On Tuesday I’m doing Purchase Order training that will be a lot less fun.
Figure 1. Magnus Engineering Flow Diagram – Train 2
Holdfast Training Services Trial Blog 