July 2007

$1,700,000

Completed

Kunar

RC-East

Project Description

This project will improve a road from the Abad/JBAD corridor through the Narang Valley. They are currently isolated. Project was later modified to consists of two separate road segments. Narang/Badel road is Segment 1 of the amended contract and consists of approximately 3.5km of DBST.North End: Qala Wana School (Badel Village School) in Narang District South End: Jalalabad - Asmar HIghway intersection, Narang District Segment 2 consists of approximately 1.3km of improved gravel surface up and including the sub-base. West End: Eastern approach of the Pashad Truck Bridge East End: Intersection with Nowabad to Khas Kunar Road (Beaverton)

Project Goals

Reason for Project: This project will improve a road from the Abad/Jbad corridor through Narang Valley providing the initial stages of accessibility for villagers of the valley as well as creating an opportunity for further social, political, and economic growth. Desired Project Effects: This project has a direct effect on the local populace by linking them socially and economically to the rest of the valley. The initial stages of the infrastructure will enable further self-growth and economic independence followed by an increase in direct Islamic Republic of Afghanistan interaction and support.Measurable Effects: Effectiveness of the project will be measured by the connectivity of the local population to otherwise hardly accessible areas. The increased presence of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan will directly affect the changing attitudes of the populace by solidifying their interaction. Direct economic impacts include better accessibility of goods and services which promotes healthy economic competition as well as the availability of follow on projects such as schools, mosque refurbishments, and pipe scheme projects.

Results

Project successfully built road in the Narang district part way to Badel Village. Unfortunately social circumstances prevented contract completion all the way to Badel and the contract was modified to cancel a portion of the road and build the Pashad eastern road to the Pashad Bridge in its place. The project is completed way behind schedule but the Pashad Bridge now has an access from the east side. West side access will be provided via a separate project although limited access is available for those that can negotiate the path through the existing Wadi. Estimated contract jobs are about 40 for the number of road workers that it usually would take to staff a full crew. Permanent jobs are hard to quantify since the jobs would be public works jobs for road maintenance. Right now the public works directorate has limited capacity for hiring personnel and maintaining roads.

Updates

Mar 18 2009 Road shura held on 3/18 -- working long standing issues of road route and property compensation. Most issues seem resolved. NOTE: while originally contracted in 2007 as an 8km road to Badel, when funded in 2008 and as construction continues, will realistically pave 4.5-5.5km with existing funding. Takes the road beyond Qala Wonah. Due to significant subbase work in first 200m, the road QA scheduled for the 18th was abbreviated with failure of MRAPs to pass certain rock piles as the main cause. ESCC reports road structures and widening complete almost throughout the 4.8km listed here. When CF can assess beyond the first km, will consider upgrading progress report. No paving yet. Jul 23 2009 Contractor has claimed to be 'finished' for a month or two now. Our 'final' inspection (July 23) showed compaction issues on the western portion of the road. Also, improper drainage and poor mortar on the culvert was identified. We had a meeting with the contractor and his engineer on July 25th. The final 500,000 of the contract is being withheld until road properly completed. Also, the initial contract was for a 4.8km road. The contractor only completed 4.5. Previous PRT was aware of this and contractor has been made aware that he will not likely get the full payment (contractor is arguing that he made the base of the road wider than he had to in order to justify a full payment) Nov 29 2009 KTR has made no progress on fixing major 'punchlist' items. KTR says he believes he is unable to get up to standard due to locals prohibiting rollers and widening of road. PRT is looking into compromise/solution to resolve

Generally: 0 - 2+000km is good

2+000 - 3+300 km is ok - draining and compaction issues

3+300 - 3+600 km is original stone road - we are okay with the stone road but KTR will not get credit for this portion

3+600 - 4+800 km is very poor - Some areas are single layer of DBST, the whole section is too narrow, no compaction

Compromise may include a kilometer of DBST road that is desired elsewhere in the vicinity Mar 8 2010 Reduced actual complete percentage due to an unacceptable level of quality. Working on a resolution with the contractor Apr 29 2010 Segment 2 QA Update - Pashad Approach Road

Due to unacceptable work completed on the Narang/Badel road, ESCC's contract was amended to include a Segment 2 Improved Gravel Surface (up to and including sub-base for approximately 1.3km. West End: East approach road of the Pashad Truck Bridge (Pashad Bridge contractor only responsible for 200m on each side of the bridge)

East End: Intersection with Nowabad to Khas Kunar Road (Beaverton)

This QA site visit conducted on 26 April 2010 was to monitor the progress of the Pashad Bridge Approach Road East. This ~1.3km will consist of a 6m wide compacted sub base coarse aggregate road that satisfies segment 2 of the SOW for the Narang/Badel Road contract. The contractor is still in the initial phases of construction. They are currently clearing the land that the road alignment traverses through, using excavators, dump trucks and loaders. In addition to the areas that require excavation, the land will need to be cleared of rocks and other debris before the contractor can begin building up the road with fill material. Rocks and other organic materials cannot be used as fill for the roadway. This roadway will require a significant amount of fill material. Besides the fill required building up the road, there are numerous areas that will need to be filled according the current elevation of the land and for proper drainage. (42S XD 85227 44994; 42S XD 85003 45135; 42S XD 84972 45187; 42S XD 84982 45246)

There are four areas within the tentative alignment of the road that will require some type of water crossing structure. This will add time and complexity to the completion of this project. Culvert crossings should be sufficient for 3 of areas in question, but the last crossing will likely require some type of small bridge structure. 

Drainage ditches are required on both sides of the roads. These ditches should terminate in areas where water can drain way from the road. The hydrology of the area should be used to determine ditch and structure sizes. The contractor needs to provide a plan of action for the drainage of this road. Besides the water crossings, there are several areas that have moving water running alongside the alignment of the road. 

The contractor is responsible for obtaining the land to complete the project, and if necessary, paying a fair price to the land owners. On this visit, the PRT encountered 2 land owners who had issues with the proposed road alignment. The first individual intends to build a home in the area desired by the contractor for the road (42S XD 84968 45196). However, this same landowner had no issues with the road traversing alongside his property.

The second disgruntled landowner is a farmer whose property would be the ending point for the approach road. He did not provide any alternative routes that he would approve. The contractor will need to finalize some type of agreement with this individual since this area will be used to connect the approach road to the bridge.

Recommendations: The contractor needs to solidify and finalize land agreements with the private land owners. Following these agreements, a more detailed plan for the alignment, structures, and drainage should be submitted to the PRT. A meeting with the contractor will probably be necessary to get a better understanding of their plan of action regarding the completion of this project. The earthwork and structures required to finish this road are more complicated then the contractor described in an earlier meeting. They are nowhere near the level of completion as designated in their invoice.

PM has scheduled a meeting for 5/1/2010. May 31 2010 Meeting held with Evershine on 3.31.10 to discuss progress of eastern approach road to Pashad Bridge. CTR stated there was a 2 week delay in progress due to land issues; a recent shura was held to address the issues that are now resolved. Photographs were provided to indicate progress made on the road. PRT recommended that GPS coordinates be provided along with photographs to better detail the progress. PRT again requested the design plans for the 4 water crossings.

If CTR submits a 5% invoice, PRT will process the payment based on the progress of the road since March. 

AHF contractor who is responsible for the Pashad Bridge was also present at the meeting, AHF and Evershine stated that the Evershine's approach road will connect to AHF's 200meter bridge approach. Expect PRT to conduct a QA of this road within a month. Jul 3 2010 Eastern Approach Road to Pashad Bridge - Improved Gravel: This site visit was to monitor the construction progress of the Pashad Bridge Approach Road East. This ~1.3km will a 6m wide compacted sub base coarse aggregate road that satisfies segment 2 of the SOW for the Narang/Badel Road contract. The foreman notified the PRT that there were only 4 laborers present that were working on cleaning up the work area of the 4th water crossing that consists of 2 culverts. The contractor appears to successfully widen and clear the roadway from 0+000 to 0+350. A grid of 42S XD 85598 45093 was recorded at 0+275. The contractor will need to utilize radius returns of 30-40' (~9-12m) at the intersection of the approach road and the Nowabad to Khas Kunar Rd to allow safer turns. Excavation for the 60m retaining wall that will run from 0+350 to 0+360 is nearly complete. It appears that there will be a cross culvert at 42S XD 85441 45057 and construction on that structure is underway. There are also several piles of dirt that will presumably be used as fill material to build up the road. There are visible rocks & other debris in the dirt, so the contractor will need to properly screen the fill material before use. As the contractor continues to build up the roadway, it is imperative that they properly compact the fill material to provide a solid foundation for the sub-base aggregate.

The roadway from 0+360 to 0+600 is still in the process of being built up. The travel lane has been widened and cleared, but the side slope has not been started. The side slope on this stretch of road will be more important because of the existing draining ditch that runs on the side of the road. The rocks and stones that are present will need to be removed as progress moves forward. 0+500 has a MGRS of 42S XD 85150 45029.

The foreman notified the PRT that construction on the first water crossing, which is a 1x2m slab culvert, will be one of the final punch list items completed. This decision is likely due to the fact that movement along the road will be hindered during its construction. This culvert is located at 42S XD 85231 44944 (0+600).

The roadway from 0+600 to 0+700 has been built up since the PRT's last visit. This is another area to watch closely because of the existing storm water drainage. As with other areas, there is still more work to be done and clearing of rocks and debris in addition to the fill material required to reach the desired roadway elevation. The side slope will have to be graded to properly allow water to drain and prevent flooding and ponding. 

The roadway from 0+700 to 0+887 may require more fill in addition to the side slopes. There is an area on the left side of the ROW that has debris and boulders that will need to be cleared as construction progress continues. 0+800 is located at MGRS 42S XD 85070 45082. 

0+850 is located at MGRS 42S XD 85029 45017. There is a hole in the ground that contractor says is part of the graveyard located to the right of the road. Excavation of this area will be necessary to ensure there are no other voids, followed by fill and compaction via small lifts. 

The contractor has finished the majority of the work on the second water crossing at 0+887 (42S XD 85004 45142). However, the PRT had no prior notice to this work being done, and was not provided any pictures depicting the construction process or verifying the steel rebar reinforcement. The quality of the concrete slab is questionable, and the inner appearance of the wing walls shows low quality mortar used. The ends of the stone masonry wing walls will be susceptible to erosion if the quality is similar throughout. The foreman identified the mix of the PCC on top of wing walls to be 1:2:4 (cement:sand:aggregate). Further investigation on this slab culvert is necessary. 

The final water crossing consist of a 3x1.2m slab culvert at 1+020 (42S XD 84982 45197) and a pipe culvert at 1+028 (42S XD 84992 45520). Construction is in progress on these two structures. The concrete slab portion of the slab culvert was poured 7 days prior to this site visit, but had no water on the concrete to aid the curing process. Again, the PRT was not notified or updated with the progress of this structure. With no mixing boxes on-site, it's highly likely that they were not used in the construction of this slab. The forms were removed from the slab, and there were visible holes and gaps along the edge. Aggregate was easily removed from the concrete, and it was obvious that the sand used in the concrete was not screened. The size requirements of the aggregate were not met, with visible rocks that were either too large or too small. The foreman blamed the size on the mix that was delivered, but it is up to the contractor to ensure the appropriate materials are used. The overall quality of this slab culvert is very poor and it is recommended that it be removed and constructed in a method that allows the PRT to ensure the accepted construction techniques are being used. 

The construction on the pipe culvert at 1+028 is underway. The contractor is currently working on the stone masonry that will act as the causeway for the culvert. The mortar looked questionable, but not bad enough to warrant the removal of this portion of construction. However, the contractor is using wheelbarrows in place of mixing boxes, which is not an accepted practice by the PRT. The recommended ratios are based on the volume of a 1 ft3 mixing box, so the foreman was informed that no more mortar should be made until mixing boxes are on site. 

The area of the roadway that passes through farmland has been cleared, but no further work has been completed from 1+028 to 1+150. A large pile of what appears to be fill material is present.

Recommendations: Overall, the contractor is not communicating with the PRT. In my opinion, this is the root of all the issues noted in this report. Mistakes could have been caught early and corrected before extreme measures, such as removal, are the only option. No steel has been verified to even be present in the culverts, and none was anywhere on the site. The contractor says that they have pictures. Those pictures should be submitting showing the progress. If photos are not provided, removal of the slab culverts should be ordered. Even with pictures, it is recommended that the slab culvert concrete be removed and redone at 1+020. The contractor has completed work and moved the project forward. In the future, the contractor needs to submit photos, updates, and wait for approval from the PRT prior to any concrete pours. The contractor needs to ensure that the concrete is being mixed correctly with the appropriate materials. The materials should be acceptable quality and be screened and free of debris. The contractor should not be permitted to do any mortar or concrete work without verifying that mixing boxes are on the construction site. Lastly, the contractor still hasn't submitted a profile to show the intended elevation and grade of the roadway. Jul 7 2010 The following minutes were recorded on 05-July from the meeting with Evershine Construction Company regarding the Pashad Bridge East Approach Road following the QA on 29-June: 

* The contractor received the QA/QC report from the 29-Jun site visit and verified that they reviewed the document and are aware of the PRT concerns 

PRT Concerns Include: Quality of materials, Proper construction practices not being used onsite, PRT not receiving periodic pictures & progress reports and Lack of communication between CTR & PRT

* The PRT wants weekly or bi-monthly updates and updates for major construction milestones like concrete pours

* The PRT pointed out that proper documentation is advantageous to the contractor (prevents rework)

* The PRT identified that any form of communication is acceptable: email, cd, etc

* Foreman said that photos of earlier work were available and the PRT requested those be submitted immediately

* The PRT acknowledged that the contractor has made significant progress since the last site visit

* The contractor was advised to submit a 5% invoice (the contractor claims to have already submitted one). The PRT highlighted the fact that a payment cannot be processed until an appropriate invoice is turned in by the contractor

The PRT discussed the observations noted during the 29-Jun site visit including: Discussed the need for a radius return at the intersection with Rte. Beaverton

o Discussed proper compaction techniques and the need to used small lifts in between compaction phases

o Discussed Section 0+300-0+600, and the contractor noted that work is still in preliminary phases and rocks will be cleared and fill added properly to avoid erosion

o Discussed the culvert at 0+600, the contractor verified that this will be one of the last items of the construction schedule to be completed

o Discussed the area that is elevated above existing ground past 0+600, and the possibility of using rip rap as extra erosion protection. Also discussed the need to properly grade shoulder to drain water away from road

o Discussed the hole in the road at 0+850 and agreed on the proper technique to excavate the road and properly fill the voids with compacted material

o Discussed the culvert at 0+887 and concerns over the quality of the work 

o Discussed in DETAIL the methodology behind mixing boxes in terms of volume and ratio and the necessity of their use

o Discussed the culvert at 1+020, the quality issues, and the likelihood that corrective measures will need to be taken (removal)

o Discussed the high velocity outfall near the last water crossing and how the contractor planned to control and move that water through the system. Suggested channel protection from erosion. The contractor was advised to submit their plan to the PRT once it is formulated

* The contractor stated that they need money to pay laborers on multiple occasions. The laborers said they were being paid during the 29-Jun site visit. The PRT reminded the contractor of the invoice submission process required to process payment requests

* At the conclusion of the meeting, the PRT highlighted the 4 main points:

1. The PRT will make a payment when an invoice is submitted

2. The contractor needs to communicate the progress of construction with pictures & updates more frequently

3. MIXING BOXES, MIXING BOXES, MIXING BOXES & ADHERENCE TO PROPER CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES. A MUST for all PRT projects. Further disregard will result in removal of work

4. COMPACTION. Prevents erosion. The final 10% of payment will be withheld if there are any quality or construction durability issues. Aug 19 2010 Eastern Approach road to the Pashad Bridge (a modification to the original contract) is approximately 40% and is ~1.3km and when completed will consist of a 6m wide compacted sub base coarse aggregate road that satisfies segment 2 of the SOW for the Narang/Badel Road contract. QA was conducted on 14 August 2010 and report will be uploaded to the media section. Report below corresponds to the sections of the alignment drawing for this project (see QA Report).

Fill material is still being added from 0+000 to 0+350. There are dirt piles present, but large rocks and debris comprise a significant percentage. Laborers where witnessed removing rocks from the pile. The contractor should reverse screen the material as a more expeditious method of rock and debris removal. 

The stone masonry retaining wall from 0+350 to 0+360 is complete, but the quality is not acceptable. There are visible gaps throughout the entire wall. The mortar mix does not appear to meet PRT standards, and there is a possibility that dirt was used instead of sand. The Project Manager has ordered the contractor to chisel out the bad mortar and replace with mortar of the proper ratio of cement to sand.

The culvert at 0+360 is complete and appears to be acceptable. 

The roadway from 0+360 to 0+600 is still being built up with fill material. There are dirt piles present that will require some type of screening, similar to the beginning of the road. This section will also require sloped grading on the shoulder to allow water to properly drain. 

The roadway from 0+600 to 0+887 is still in the initial phases of fill as well. There are dirt piles present all along the road.

Recommendations: The contractor is achieving a somewhat steady stream of progress. The PRT should take the next site visit to examine the completed culverts, ensuring their quality and accuracy to the design. Since this project requires a significant amount of fill, the contractor must properly compact the fill material and utilize small (debris-free) lifts. If the contractor does not comply, this road will likely wash away with the first heavy rain. Moreover, if the PRT plans to ever pave this roadway, it is imperative that the initial steps of road construction be performed correctly. 

The sloped portion of roadway that follows the slab culvert at 0+887 is beginning to take form, but the area will require some of the fill to be excavated and adding in small compacted lifts. This concept is reinforced by areas of the fill that have been washed away during recent rain storms. 

The contractor has not begun construction on the pipe culvert at 0+950. 

The initial clearing of the curved section of road from 0+950 to 1+020 is complete. 

The slab culvert at 1+020 was removed and repaired, and the pipe culvert at 1+028 as well. There is still significant fill and compaction that needs to be completed, in addition to a retaining wall that connect the two water crossings. The PRT advised the foreman that the base for the retaining wall will require excavation deeper than the foundation to allow space for new, compacted fill material. 

The area of the roadway that will travel through the farm land has been cleared (1+028 to end). This area will require extensive excavation and compacted fill to provide a solid base for the roadway. Sep 22 2010 Contractor claims 100% completion as of 30 August 2010 on the Eastern Approach Road to the Pashad Bridge. On 4 September, a scheduled QA visit was shortened because small arms fire was received at the time of the visit. Last visit on 14 August 2010 showed significant work accomplised on the approximately 1.3km road will be a 6m wide compacted sub base, coarse aggregate road that satisfies segment (2) of the SOW for the Narang/Badel Road contract.

On 4 September, there were no workers on-site during our visit. The Contractor had recently reported kidnappings of skilled laborers and killings of security guards. Discussions with a local neighbor during our visit confirmed these occurrences. Taliban were reported to be firing into the neighborhood several nights at the ANA soldiers in the vicinity. Security, or lack thereof, has become a growing concern for those in the area.

Fill material has been added and compacted from 0+000 to 0+350. The stone masonry retaining wall and culvert from 0+350 to 0+360 appears to be complete. The mortar mix appeared to be mixed with the appropriate ratios of cement and sand. Photographs were provided by the contractor indicating that the unacceptable mortar joints were removed before making the existing repairs. Fill material has been added and compacted from 0+360 to 0+600. Sloped grading on the shoulder is necessary to allow water to properly drain and prevent standing water from pooling along retaining walls and roadway.

Due to security concerns, the PRT was not able to visually inspect the remaining section of the road, but contractor claims to be nearly 100% complete with the project. 

Another inspection has been scheduled for this project site to determine if the project is complete and ready to be closed out. Contractor would like to hold an opening ceremony for this project. A 5% payment has been submitted based on the work completed. Approximately $170k remains on the contract, but will not be paid until the work is visually inspected and the PRT verifies that this road joins the 200meter approach road that is the responsibility of the bridge contractor. Oct 2 2010 Contractor notified the PM that the work for the eastern approach road is complete. Although the Contractor considers project 100% complete, the PRT identified a few issues that need to be repaired prior to project close-out. There are isolated areas of road surface washed out and large cobblestones which should be removed. Also, minor repairs are required on small sections of the stone masonry work . However, the most important concern is that the concrete wash near the cornfields is at a higher elevation than the surrounding roadway and field; this raised wash limits the water flow during rain and can cause flooding in the surrounding area. Also there is not a smooth transition from the subgrade to the concrete wash, this will also need to be corrected. Compaction of fill material in 15 cm lifts will be required on both sides of the concrete wash in order to smooth the transition from the road to the wash.

Security in the area has been a concernShots had been fired preventing the PRT from completing a QA on 4-Sep-10, but when the PRT asked neighbors about the security of the area, they stated that insurgents' fire from the mountains and are known to come down at night. 

Nov 17 2010 CTR sent updated drawing of road that was unacceptable. The drawing did not show detail for RCC work with the wash at +950. The CTR was also proposing to build two retaining walls due to water backup caused by the wash installed above grade. Future work will be to meet with the CTR to resolve the problem with the wash. Building any retaining walls as proposed is unacceptable due to land use and that it is a bandaid fix. 

Nov 25 2010 Met with the CTR on 11/18/2010 to discuss the wash problem at 0+950 m. The contractor has agreed to install a culvert and get this problem fixed. I emailed the CTR to ensure they understand that they need to submit a plan for approval to the PRT. Currently I am still awaiting submittal of the plans.

6 Jan 2011 Contractor had agreed to break the wash at 0+950m and install a proper culvert. Contractor was given a notice to proceed to start this work but failed to notify the PRT when he actually started work. Discovered on 2 Jan that work had been underway for about 5 days. My latest email with the contractor asked about this and he submitted the timeline for the work and pictures. Expect that if he adheres to his timeline that the work will be done in early February. The QA report from 2 Jan is uploaded to media files.

18 Jan 2011. The culvert stone masonry work is done, curing. The time to get the slab done is unknown since no materials on site. Realistically this is a one to two day job with material work and could be load bearing in three weeks. Latest QA report for 18 Jan uploaded to media.

30 Jan 2011. The CTR has done a poor job of shuttering for the concrete slab. There were also some substandard materials on site. The project manager has contacted the CTR and reinforced the standards and is awaiting a proper reply from the CTR. The latest QA report is uploaded to media.

12 MAR 2011 The CTR has reported 100% completion on this project. The latest QA visit though has shown that the culvert he has just finished does not have proper ersosion protection on the upstream side. The PM has emailed the CTR and ordered this problem fixed before a final invoice will be accpeted. Realistically the work is minor and inexpensive but needs correction. QA report from 2/2/2011 to 3/1/2011 are uploaded to media.

03 APR 2011 CTR has submitted photos showing corrections at the culvert at 0+950m. Plan on conducting a final QAQC to check the adequacy of repairs prior to having the CTR submit final invoice data. Also uploaded as many as possible missing documents to support anticipated project closeout.

14 April 2011 Conducted final site visit on 4/11/2011. The CTR has finally put in erosion protection at the culvert where correction work was occuring (pashad rd 0+950 m ). The project is now complete and we will be processing the final invoice in the next couple of days. QA report for the final visit is uploaded to media.

01 May 2011 CTR sent banking information and final payment (100%) invoice was sent up for processing. 

08AUG2011: Perfomed 120 sustainment visit to the road. No significant deficiencies noted. Uploaded QA/QC report to media files. LCDR Tengesdal