Infrstructure Development Project Clerk of Works Inspection Reports

Introduction:

On Monday 24 September 2012, the Council for the Ongoing Government was advised of the SC’s decision to appoint Mr Michael Grey as the Clerk of Works for the Infrastructure Development Project. Mr Grey met with Council in Atafu and has been visiting all the sites to inspect progress and address any issues with supplies and others with the village Project Managers.

Mr Grey reports to the Steering Committee through the Project Coordinator and works closely with Village Project Managers and IPA who are the technical advisors of the Project.

Clerk of Works Inspection Report:

1. Fakaofo School Project

I met with Lameko PM on job site to discuss the progress of the job and he confirmed that he will be ready to bore concrete on Wednesday 3^rd Oct. The carpenters continue to tighten up the bracings and lining up the form work, the reinforcing are all set in place and the PM informed me that the top 3 horizontal D16 have been replaced with 4 D12 spaced evenly also the 2 D16 reinforcing in the cross beams of the 1st floor level have been replaced with double D12 on both sides these changes have been approved by IPA Engineering due to the lack of D16 and will delay the progress of the work. The Pulenuku and the Aumaga were also busy piling up enough sand for this pour. I surveyed the amount of aggregate needed for this pour and it is going to be plenty.

There is an issue that needs to be addressed and that is the ground level and the first floor level shown on the plans is 1 meter, the actual height is now varies from 1600 to 1800 this will affect the stairs, ramp and toilet block elevations. Please advice if revisions are to be carried out in this area. Lameko requested 2 boxes of 4” nails to finish their formwork and I forward the request to the GM Hina Kele now IDP owes the village 2 boxes of 4” nails.

Lameko and I are putting together a list of materials urgently needed to continue the work I will submit this list together with Atafu School project and Nukunonu Hospital.

2. Clerk of Work Inspection Report 2 forTokelau IDP Project Atafu School Building. 

• i. Block 1 School Building. 

Steel trusses have been erected into place with diagonal steel bracing on both end of the building as shown on the plans the steel purlins are also mount in place with different size bolts until the right size bolts M12 x 50 are located from the other project sites. This problem has delay installation of the roofing iron for about 4 weeks. I inform the PM that this building is at the stage to start the exterior and interior timber wall framing but the problem is that we ran out of 2x4 and 4” nails. I called Lomi the Atafu PM this morning from Fakaofo that I found all the bolts for his purlins in the Fakaofo warehouse and I will put them on the boat from Apia to Atafu this week end. He requested the release of 60 2x4 from the Atafu warehouse to start framing the timber walls to wait the arrival of the aggregate to pour the overhead beams on Block 2, I approved the release of these timber under IDP.

• ii. Block 2 School Building 

Work on this Building was also delay for 4 weeks due to the lack of reinforcing, tie wire and 4” nails to build the formwork. The PM show me some reinforcing that he brought from Nukunonu site and is enough to finish all the rest of the over head beams and columns but still needs tie wire and 4” nails. We went to the warehouse and found tie wire and 4” nails, we order 1 large roll tie wire and one box of 4” nails work has now continue on these beams ready for pour when the aggregate arrives. Ake has now received the list of materials to continue this work. There are no technical issue at this point.

The Atafu Pulenuku Faafetai, the PM and I also met at the job site and discuss the important of the Pulenuku’s  job in providing the local labour force to help the 4 subcontractors in a good work relation in order to meet a completion time frame of 3 months. I also let the Pulenuku know that most of the complaints that cause the slow progress of the job is due to not enough local labour. Faafetai assured us that he will provide the necessary help to meet the completion time of 3 months. Faafetai was concerned about the lack of building materials to continue the work. The PM and I are putting together a list of materials to continue the works up to completion. I pointed out some of the materials like timber floor decking, and plenty of pre bend ties that belongs to Fakaofo project are here and I will be travelling to the other project site and try to identify this mix up of material placement and take them to the project it belongs. I will be stationed at the Fakaofo project and there will be regular communication on the progress of the job.

3. Clerk of Works Inspection Report #3 Nukunonu Hospital

This job has accomplished a lot of work at this point until it ran out of materials and it stopped work for about 4 weeks. The wall framing on both the main building and kitchen are about 70% complete the ceiling on both buildings are yet to be framed so there is a need of 2x4 nails etc to complete this project  A list of materials needed to continue the work was handed over to me to review during my inspection is being verified . The list needs 4 bundle of 2x4 nails urgently to continue the job, I called Ake this morning for her approval to release the 4 bundles and she authorised it. I call the GM Sakalia in Nukunonu that the 4 bundles of 2x4’s can be released to continue with the work.

The PM mentioned the need the services of an experience Plumber the work is now at the stage of closing the walls and ceiling and the installation of these plumbing fixtures has to be right.

The only other issue is that the weather board specified in the plan is 600 wide fibre cement board. What’s being supplied is the 1200 by 2400 sheet and that is the material we are using at the moment. This Project should be complete in 3 months time.

4. Recommendation:

The SC is recommended to:

1. Note the CoW’s Report;

2. Note the progress of the Project in each village;

3. Note the CoW will be submitting list of materials urgently required for the 3 villages;

4. Note the need to have some materials from Fakaofo shipped to Atafu;

5. Raise any issues resulting from this Progress Report;

6. Agree for the village GMs to bring this information to their Taupulega.