Tarouba stadium steel ‘condemned’
By Andre Bagoo Sunday, March 22 2009
THE STRUCTURAL steelwork on the $900 million Brian Lara Stadium project at Tarouba “is effectively condemned”, according to a report into the Udecott project prepared by Gerry McCaffrey, the construction expert hired by the Uff Commission of Inquiry whose future participation in the inquiry has now been cast in doubt.
According to McCaffrey’s initial report into the project dated February 20, the main contractor for the project, Hafeez Karamath Limited (HKL) ignored 300 “stop orders” for work on the project. McCaffrey concluded that issues of “quality control” and of the inability of Udecott to enforce the terms of the contract for the project have contributed to delays on the project.
“I am advised that HKL have received hundreds of stop-orders for defective work,” McCaffrey wrote. “For example, I am advised that HKL ignore stop-orders to the extent that, as at January 2009, the structural steelwork (which was progressed in the face of around 300 stop-orders) is effectively condemned.”
In his report, the British consultant of the firm Acutus, raised a series of serious questions over work done on the project and undertook to return to Trinidad and Tobago this month to further his investigations on behalf of the inquiry. But his future participation is now unlikely because of the failure of the Office of the Prime Minister to approve further funding for him to continue his work.
McCaffrey’s initial report, submitted to the inquiry in February, had also effectively cleared former Housing Minister Dr Keith Rowley of any wrongdoing in relation to the Cleaver Heights project. He had concluded that there was “smoke” surrounding the project but this was “unlikely to be masking mischief.”
The Actus expert further noted that the steel was tested and two testing companies gave the steelwork failure rates averaging 78.5 percent.
“Two separate independent testing companies tested a significant representative proportion of the welds. The average failure rate of both independent tests is 78.5 percent.” McCaffrey expressed a desire to examine this aspect of the project in further detail, but said he was unable to.
“I have asked Udecott for a position statement on this issue. I understand zero roof welds have been inspected/tested. Access was not made available,” he noted in his preliminary report. McCaffrey also noted a series of findings into the structural works on the project contained in a separate report which was prepared by structural engineer Arun Buch. The Buch report, according to McCaffrey, contained allegations that there were problems of “mistakes in design assumptions”, “material incompleteness of design” and an issue of “inexperienced designers proposing impractical construction details having undue complexity”.
Udecott lawyers in the inquiry have argued that the Buch report is subject to legal privilege. While the report was submitted to the inquiry, Udecott asked that it be treated in a strictly confidential manner. In a letter dated March 2, attorneys for Udecott asked the commissioners to confirm that “copies of the Arun Buch (report) have not been disseminated beyond the custody and control of the commissioners” and to ensure that “no copies remain in the possession of the commission”.
But in addition to noting issues raised by the Buch report, McCaffrey went on to list a series of problems that may account for delays in the completion of the stadium which was hoped for completion in March 2007. These included: (a) insufficient design resource base on the site because the designers worked in a different country; (b) disagreement in design interface arising from contractors proposals, (c) replacement of project managers Turner Alpha with Genivar in July 2008, (d) insufficient resources being applied to available workforces, (e) failure of designers to be sufficiently responsive in addressing site queries, (f) ground conditions differing from that assumed. McCaffrey complained that Udecott files for the project were in disarray at the time of his initial investigation in January and that this stymied his examination of several issues, including the payment of advances to HKL. To date, HKL have been paid $410 million, according to McCaffrey.
“The degree of disarray within those files led to an extensive examination of the content and many questions cannot be answered at the moment. That will be taken forward during my next visit to Trinidad in the first week of March…I have already sent numerous queries to Udecott and it is my expectation that my next visit will be used to address outstanding questions face to face.”
But while the second phase of inquiry hearings is due to start tomorrow at the Winsure Building, Port-of-Spain, McCaffrey’s participation has been thrown into doubt because of a lack of funding, according to an email sent out to all of the parties in the proceedings by inquiry chairman Prof John Uff.
“Attorneys for Udecott have raised a number of questions concerning the future role of Acutus and Mr McCaffrey,” Uff said in the email sent on Friday.
“Mr McCaffrey’s report was served on February 23. It was intended that he should produce further reports. His participation in the inquiry was, however, subject to approval of funding which is no longer available. It is therefore unlikely that Mr McCaffrey will participate further in the enquiry,” he said. “While it was intended that further information would be obtained on Mr McCaffrey’s further visit, which did not take place, this should not prevent Udecott from providing the Commissioners with the further information identified in the report.”
This is bad normally 3 % is the max acceptable limit for weld failures and even then the failed welds are re-done and re-tested.
I don't know where these welds are but even simple members could cause serious injury if they fail.
For instance whilst walking down some stairs you rely on handrails to keep balance and the handrail snaps then you could have a serious tumble, but the report talks about roof members not being tested.
Don't put yourself at risk avoid this stadium if it is ever completed.
And in how could the GOTT not continue to pay the investigator with his job half done?