Sept. 2009

$1,095,740

Completed

Kunar

RC-East

Project Description

Part of the 50-school campaign for Kunar, 5 14-room schools around Asadabad

Project Goals

There are 3191 students (roughly 2166 girls, 1025 boys) in the greater Asadabad area who are attending class under a few canvas pavilions, ruins, or no cover, with no fresh water, and no sewage containment. The existing facilities do not provide a safe or sanitary environment that is conducive for learning. Asadabad proper has several other schools, 2 of which built by the PRT, but still has these numbers of students not in a proper school building. For these reasons, many parents will not allow their children to attend school and the quality of the education that is provided is very low. This project has been coordinated with the MOE, who has certified that qualified and betted teachers, as well as land for construction, will be available.

Additionally, the school buildings will be assessed for solar power and installed if feasible, and furniture will be provided.

This is the first of several bundled schools in one proposal to maximize the return for funding review. The communities in/near Asadabad that will benefit from this project are Hadwal, Yargul, Char Qala, Nowabad, and Dam Kalay, making 5 14-room schools in total.

Desired Project Effects: By constructing these schools, we will provide a safe and sanitary environment that is conducive to learning. This will provide the type of environment that parents will fell comfortable to send children to and increase the quality of the education provided.

Measurable Effects: Construct 5 14-room schools near Asadabad (standard MOE design) that accomodates 3191 students. The literacy rate of school students will improve by 25% ad the amount of students matriculating to higher education will improve by 15% o greater. Comments: PM: CM1 David Rogers

The project locations have changed since contract award. This is mostly due to finding land agreements where people are willing to give up land for a school. A particular problem is with the Village of Hadwal. the grid location in the SOW calls for the school to be in the city of Asadabad, while the village itself is deep in the mountains. It was agreed that a school be build in Tesha Village in place of the Hadwal School.

Results

Results unknown.

Updates

Apr 12 2009 Updated records for TOA.

 Sep 12 2009 I did a pre-construction meeting with the contractors 2 days ago and got the following information:

School Bundle #1: Bemisal Builders and Suppliers (BBS) a.Nowabad i.42S XD 069 3796 (all of the MGSR grids are 7 digits I don't know what is going on here?) ii.NO PROBLEMS WITH SCHOOL LOCATION

b.Char Qala i.42S XD 068 8667

 ii.The selected site is only 35X20 meters (this is too small for the school designed)

iii.It is very near a floodway requiring a floodwall for protection

 iv.WE NEED TO ENGAGE THE VILLAGERS AND LINE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION TO MOVE THE SCHOOL SITE c.Hadwal i.2 hour walk up a mountain to the school location ii.No suitable location up the mountain for a school

iii.DANGER OF TALIBAN IN LOCATION

 iv.WE NEED TO ENGAGE THE VILLAGERS AND LINE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION TO MOVE THE SCHOOL SITE

d.Dam Kalay i. 42 S XD 060 9748

 ii. There is already a police post on the site that the school is supposed to go.

 iii. The contractor was working with the local government to move the police station in order to free up the land for school construction

iv. WE NEED TO ASSIST THE CONTRACTOR IN NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE LAND

 e. Yargul i. 42 S XD 060 9474 ii. No issues with school location

 iii. (We should visit this one often since it is a short foot patrol outside the FOB) Sep 27 2009 There are multiple locations for this site.We are still working out land aggreement issues. We met with the Provincial line director of Education on the 27th to work these issues out with GIRoA. We hope to have them resolved and a notice to proceed issued within the next 2 weeks. Oct 17 2009 This contract was given its NTP on the 17th of October. We have all of the land agreements worked out but one (Hadwal) We are scheduling a meeting with all of the concerned parties to come up with a solution as soon possible. Nov 21 2009 We were able to visit the Nowabad school location and confirm that the grid location as 42S XD 93722 56531. They have begun work on the foundation on the Nowabad location. For additional information and pictures please see attached media report entitled, "21 NOV QA/QC" Dec 19 2009 The PRT attended a brick laying ceremony at the Yurgul school location that is just outside the ECP of Camp Wright. The school is approximately 3-5% cmplete. The quality of construction was good and the contractor had finished most of the foundation work. Dec 23 2009 The PRT attended a ground breaking ceremony for the Dam Kalay (Umara Khan) high school. There were approximately 80-100 people in attendance. A story board with pictures has been uploaded into the media section of this ADR.

This initial site visit was to determine the exact location of the school and to determine the amount of work that has been completed. 

The location of the school was exactly where we had planned it to be.

The contractor is 100% cmplete with the excavation of the footers and has placed a portion on the PCC for the footers. Rebar has begun to be prefabricated in preparation of the footer placement.

The quality of work was very impressive. The depth of the excavation was correct and plans and specs were adhered to. 

 Dec 26 2009 Nowabad School (School Bundle #1)

1) Location of Project: 42S XD 93783 56517 

2) Price of Project: $219,148.00

3) Contractor : BBS

4) Contact award Date: 26 Aug 2009

5) Percent Complete: 3%

6) Estimated completion date: 22 Jun 2010

7) Workers on site: approximately 45 with 15 KCC Grads

8) General Note: This site visit was to monitor the progress of construction at the Nowabad School, which is a part of School Bundle #1. After meeting up with Safiullah, the site foreman, we noticed the sand they were using still had a great deal of stones and pebbles in it. Upon further examination, it was found that the screen they are using is too large. The foreman stated that the Dept. of Education sent engineers demanded the smaller holed screen be replaced with the one they are currently using. In addition, the aggregate they are using contains far too many small pieces of stone. Spread Footings were poured, and Steel in the Columns tied. Many of the footings had far too much aggregate, and in many places were not vibrated where the steel rebar for the column meets the footing. Again, the foreman stated that the Dept of education requested that he add more aggregate to the concrete mix. The foundation wall being worked on had far too much mortar, and not enough rock. Near the latrine site, mortar was being mixed on the ground, which is a definite red flag. Additionally, there were visible rocks in mortar mix, which surely contributed to a bad foundation wall that ultimately leads to that entire wall needing to be removed. The foreman was instructed to remove the entire wall, start over using the appropriate mixing technique and material, documenting the removal and re-installation via photos that will be submitted to the PRT. 

It is clear that the Dept. of Education is interfering with the work being done on the site, giving faulty advice on construction practices. We will communicate to the contractor that they are required to follow the construction practices as laid out in the school bundle contract. The original sand screen needs to be used, and aggregate needs to be reverse sifted to remove the smaller rocks and pebbles. In many places the forms appeared to stick to the footings, causing it to crack & chip around the edges, meaning that water wasn't added to the forms, and it absorbed moisture from the concrete. This practice will be vital as columns are poured as well, using some form of wrapping (ie: wet burlap). It's vital that the proper mix of concrete, with quality materials is being used, since the majority of the buildings strength depends upon it. The contractor needs to practice follow the agreed upon practices of construction to ensure a quality product. Follow up will be necessary to ensure this, including pictures from the contractor on a frequent basis. The work was satisfactory, but the poor quality of materials being used in conjunction with the incorrect technique is the probable culprit for the poor results observed. 

 Jan 26 2010 Subject: Dam Kalay School, Site assessment. 

1) Location of Project: 42S XD 96620 56531

2) Price of Project: $ 219,148.00

3) Contractor : Bemisal Builders and Suppliers

4) Contact award Date: 26-Aug-09

5) Percent Complete: approximately 4%

6) Estimated completion date: June 2010

7) Workers on site: approximately 3 with 0 KCC Grads

8) General Note: This site visit was to assess the amount of progress completed on the project and to ensure construction standards described within the contract are being adhered too. 

Overall the project was within the expected standard with a two exceptions. The first being the incorrect sized screen being used for screening of the sand. The screen being utilized had the sieve holes approximately " in diameter. The requirement is to use a sieve with no greater than 1/8" hole diameter. The second problem concerns the rebar. The rebar for the stem walls are required to be #4 although #3 was used. Along with that, a majority of the rebar column stub-ups were not aligned properly.

Recommendations: The contractor was made aware of these issues while the QA/QC team was on site. The site Forman assured us that these issues would be corrected immediately. The PRT Engineering Department needs to follow up with the contractor to ensure the corrective actions have taken place.

 Jan 30 2010 Subject: Nowabad School (School Bundle #1)

1) Location of Project: 42S XD 93783 56517 

2) Price of Project: $219,148.00

3) Contractor : BBS

4) Contact award Date: 26 Aug 2009

5) Percent Complete: 7%

6) Estimated completion date: 22 Jun 2010

7) Workers on site: approximately 25 with 5 KCC Grads

8) General Note: This site visit was to monitor the progress of construction at the Nowabad School, which is a part of School Bundle #1. Spacers were made, but they were too large, and subsequently informed that they were not to be used. The foundation is complete, with RCC footings and stone masonry foundation walls. Formwork continues for the grade beam, and pouring has commenced. The contractor was reminded to properly vibrate the concrete, especially in the areas where steel meets, such as columns. The steel in several places was tied incorrectly, mainly by bending intersecting rebar in the wrong direction. Rebar coming from the ring beam to the column should be bent vertical, instead of horizontally. The latrine's foundation wall, which was ordered to be removed on the last visit, was redone and the brick work is progressing. However, the brick work on the side walls was unsatisfactory, and ordered to be removed. In addition to the poor job done, a 1:6 mix is being used for the mortar. The acceptable mix of mortar by the PRT is understood to be 1:3 or 1:4 cement to sand ratio. The mixing of the concrete was also discussed, and the contractor was again reminded that use of a mixing box is necessary. The foreman notified us that he was using a wheelbarrow because there is only 1 mixing box on-site. It was suggested to use extra wood from formwork to make additional mixing boxes. 

 Feb 24 2010 Subject: Yargul School, Site assessment. 

1) Location of Project: 42S XD 95289 58606

2) Price of Project: $ 219,148.00

3) Contractor : Bemisal Builders and Suppliers

4) Contact award Date: 26-Aug-09

5) Percent Complete: approximately 15%

6) Estimated completion date: June 2010

7) Workers on site: approximately 12 with 0 KCC Grads

8) General Note: This site visit was to assess the amount of progress completed on the project and to ensure construction standards described within the contract are being adhered too. 

Overall the project was within the expected standard with two exceptions. The first was not using mixing boxes while mixing both mortar and concrete, and secondly they did not correctly place a bed of mortar for the base course of brick. Both these issues are easily correctable and were brought to the attention of the site foreman.

Recommendations: The contractor was made aware of these issues while the QA/QC team was on site. The site foreman assured us that these issues would be corrected. The PRT Engineering Department needs to follow up with the contractor to ensure the corrective actions have taken place. Mar 15 2010 Subject: Nowabad School (School Bundle #1)

1) Location of Project: 42S XD 93783 56517 

2) Price of Project: $219,148.00

3) Contractor : BBS

4) Contact award Date: 26 Aug 2009

5) Percent Complete: 20%

6) Estimated completion date: 22 Jun 2010

7) Workers on site: approximately 30 with 1 KCC Grads

8) General Note: This site visit was to monitor the progress of construction at the Nowabad School, which is a part of School Bundle #1. The foreman that has been present at all previous visits was not present, but the engineer and temporary foreman were present. However, they both lacked situational awareness about the past and present issues with the project. The engineer was not even familiar with the slump test process, making it clear that no slump tests have been performed on-site. 

More than half of the columns for the 1st floor are poured and wrapped in wet burlap. However, the condition of the columns raises suspicion about whether they will reach their designed compressive strength. Visible honeycombing throughout the majority of the columns indicates that they were probably not vibrated correctly. 

The brick work for the 1st floor walls is still in progress, but the portion that is complete may require further examination. As with previous visits, the brick work was unsatisfactory, with mortar voids up to 2" in width. The contractor intended to add mortar in the gaps once the next layer of bricks was laid. This is not congruent with the accepted brick masonry practices of the PRT because cold joints and other weak spots in the wall will be prevalent. The mortar was very flakey, giving the indication that the mortar mix was not correct. The brick work in the latrine, that was previously ordered to be removed, appears to have additional mortar applied on top of the existing as the solution. This alternative has provides no additional strength to the wall, and if this is the case, the inner latrine walls still need to be removed. 

 Mar 29 2010 Subject: Dam Kalay School, Site Assessment

1) Location of Project: 42S XD 96620 56531

2) Price of Project: $ 219,148.00

3) Contractor : Bemisal Builders and Suppliers

4) Contact award Date: 26-Aug-09

5) Percent Complete: ~50% 

6) Estimated completion date: June 2010

7) Workers on site: approximately 30-35 with 0 KCC Grads

8) General Note: This site visit was to monitor the construction progress of the Dam Kalay School. The formwork for the columns is removed, and the columns are wrapped in wet burlap. The contractor prematurely removed the formwork after 2 days of curing (5 days is the normal practice). This could be the reason for subtle signs of honeycombing within the columns. However, when tested by a rebound hammer, the columns registered acceptable 2 week strength of ~1500 psi. On one side of the school, brick work continues for the first floor walls. The brick work is acceptable, with the appropriate amount of mortar used to promote wall cohesion. The contractor was witnessed pouring mortar on the ground out of the mixer, as well as in the area where brick work was being done. The PRT pointed this out to the contractor, and it was immediately corrected. On the other side of the school, first floor brick work is complete, with shuddering and formwork for the roof is being installed. The Headmaster made note that he would prefer the center back room to be replaced with steps to have access to the roof, and he was made aware that this would be a topic to discuss with the contractor directly. 

 Apr 23 2010 Subject: Hadwal School, Site assessment. 

1) Location of Project: 42S XD 93747 56717

2) Price of Project: $ 219,148.00

3) Contractor : Bemisal Builders and Suppliers

4) Contact award Date: 26-Aug-10

5) Percent Complete: approximately 3%

6) Estimated completion date: June 22 June 2010

7) Workers on site: approximately 14 with 2 skilled workers 0 KCC Grads

8) General Note: This site visit was to check if work has started on this project. The site for the project is in the same vicinity as the Nawabad School. The contractor was at the site and we saw that the excavation for the foundation was complete. The PCC (plain cement concrete) footings and between the footings the contractor will be placing stone masonry walls. The depth of excavation in footing area is 100 cm from the top of the surface presently.

The aggregate had many pieces that were too small. Reverse screening would be a solution, but the contractor would need a screen with larger holes than the one used to screen the sand.

The contractor was not using the mixing box to measure out the ratio for the cement mix. Instead he had the workers using small round bowls and wheelbarrows to transport the cement. We requested to see the mixing box and one of the workers scurried off, he then came back with the mixing box obviously they were not using it. We corrected the contractor, and showed him the dimensions of the box; the box they showed us was rectangular.

They are currently working on the rebar, cutting the steel that will be used for the footings, they showed us the stirrups as well (square shaped bent steel).

The contractor explained how they will keep the alignment for the footings correct by using string line and levels.

 May 4 2010 School Bundle #1 Summary Update for all 5 Schools

Despite the fact that 4 out of 5 of the schools are already under contruction, the PRT has been working with the contractor to increase the quality of the drawing/design packages submitted for this school bundle. As there is currently no comprehensive drawing package on file. Although the standard MOE design is being used for 4 out of 5 of the schools the Tesha/Hadwell school needed some minor modifications to the MOE design as the plot of land was not large enough to build the school in a/w the standard MOE design. The PRT agreed to remove the admin spaces section of the school from the MOE design to a separate plot of land adjacent to the school. As a result, the PRT requested updated drawings to reflect the school "as built". PRT is still working with the contractor to get a comprehensive final drawing package to include: Site Plan; Foundation Plan; Reinforcement Plan; Footing plan; Door detail; Window detail; Roof detail; Shuttering Plan and an Electricity Plan & Grounding Plan.

In addition, the contractor designed a roof that is different from the MOE design submitted in their original proposal. The contractor eventually provided a comprehensive design for the roof and the PRT approved the roof design. The contractor is now responsible for ensuring that the workers onsite adhere to this specific design and any variation from this design will result in removal of that work or stoppage of work until the revised design is submitted and approved. It was made clear that the contractor is responsible for ensuring the roofs are build EXACTLY in accordance with the submitted drawings.

PRT is still waiting for a complete plan set representative of the 4 schools as built as well as a complete plan set for the Hadwal (Tesha) School (since the admin spaces are a separate building and the dimensions of the school are different).

Dam Kalay was the first school of the bundle to complete the rebar/steel work for the roof. QAs were performed on 4/20. On 4/27 the PRT verified that the roof was constructed in a/w the drawings. In order to verify the steel reinforcement arrangement, measurements were taken of the spacing between bars and the diameter of the steel. The steel overlap was also verified to be greater than 40 (40 x diameter of the rebar) and the steel was tied with a sturdy connection. At the time of inspection, the 8 steel bars that run from the columns were not bent to tie them into the roof system. While onsite, the PRT demonstrated the method that the contractor should use to bend the column steel to incorporate it into the roof reinforcement. The columns make a vital contribution to the overall strength and resistance of the entire building. In earlier visits, the quality of some of the columns was in question. For this reason, nearly half of the columns for the entire building were strength tested using a rebound hammer. The columns of 1st block, which is the area that the roof will be poured first, had consistent strengths of ~2000 psi. The columns in the 2nd block (administration block) registered must lower strengths. These columns showed significant visible differences from the other columns, with honeycombing and material segregation throughout. These columns registered consistently low strengths of 900-1100 psi. Further investigation on each column will be necessary in making a decision regarding their use. The columns in the 3rd block registered fairly satisfactory strengths, ranging from 1700-2100 psi. 

A meeting needs to be held with the contractor to address the issues seen onsite. Jun 28 2010 NOWABAD SCHOOL

This site visit was to monitor the progress of construction at the Nowabad School, this site is unique because the Hadwall School is right next to this school and the crews sometimes share equipment. 

Formwork for the parapet is finished, but there are gaps in between the wood planks that will need to be addressed before the concrete is poured. The formwork is very sturdy and anchored well. The steel reinforcement is also in place, but will require some adjustments. These corrections included aligning the steel in the center of the formwork, ensuring minimum cover on both sides of the rebar, and bending the steel of two intersection wall sides at a 90 degree angle. 

Plaster was being applied inside the same block. The mortar appeared to be fresh, and the foreman informed the PRT that plaster was being refreshed every two hours. The contractor has just begun the plaster process, in addition to running wire. The latrine was previously assessed, but measurements were taken on the I-beams to verify that they were congruent with the design. The quality is acceptable, and the contractor still has to install the doors/windows and paint. Formwork and shuddering for the third block of the school is currently being installed. The contractor informed the PRT that they intended to pour the roofs for the 3rd block and the admin block at the same time. The PRT reminded the contractor that the roof needs to be poured on the same day, so it may be a little ambitious to pour both at the same time. It is possible to pour both at the same time, but it will require a commitment from the contractor and the understanding that they must finish the entire pour correctly in one work day. There were several issues with the mixing of the plaster. Bowls were being used in place of mixing boxes, so the PRT explained why this practice was not acceptable. The ratio the PRT provides is based on the volume of materials that a mixing box provides. The measurements for the mixing box (30cm x 30cm x 30 cm) were provided to the foreman, and he was instructed to have the carpenter construct mixing boxes immediately. Bags of cement were being dumped into a metal container, making it impossible to know the exact amount one bag of cement is. The foreman was advised to dump the bag directly into the mixer to alleviate the issue. The proper mixing time was also discussed. Lastly, the aggregate being used was dirty and had organic material throughout the pile being used. The foreman was advised to wash or rinse the material with a hose prior to its use. 

HADWALL/TESHA SCHOOL

The separate admin block footprint has been excavated, with PCC being poured in the footing areas. There was a compactor present and the foreman indicated that it would be at least a week until steel for footings was placed. The ring beam for a block of the classroom section was being poured at the time of the PRT visit. They did not complete the entire block the previous day, so the foreman was reminded that the PRT prefers to have the entire pour done within the same work day. Since this is just a one-story building they will not be required to remove this section, but the contractor was advised that in the future any areas with unnecessary cold joints will be ordered to be removed. After viewing the portion of the ring beam that was already poured, it was clear that the contractor is not vibrating in between the steel of the columns. The foreman was advised to vibrate ALL areas of the ring beam thoroughly, including the area inside the column steel. Even though the contractor was in process of completing first block ring beam, the PRT advised to the foreman to halt concrete mixing until carpenters finished constructing the mixing boxes. Additionally, the contractor was reminded to begin curing of the ring beam by either repeatedly hosing it down or draping it with wet burlap. Lastly, steel rebar cages are in place for other block, but formwork needs to be installed. The PRT pointed out sections of the steel that needed to be tied better or bent in a different orientation. 

YARGUL SCHOOL (19 JUNE QA)

Site visit was to view the steel rebar prior to the roof pour of the 2nd block and also to assess the damage from a recent attack on the FOB. PRT viewed the damage, which was limited to a small portion of formwork and a few bars of rebar. The contractor was instructed to repair the formwork, remove any debris, and specific bars were identified to be replaced (either bent or covered with white phosphorus residue). Discussed some adjustments to be made to the steel itself, including the method is which the steel was tied, how to bend the bars to connect specific areas, and overall steel alignment in the formwork. There were a couple areas where the steel was not level, or the steel was too high and the contractor was advised to correct and take photos for submission. Also the contractor was advised to clip the excess tie wire after tightening. Also reminded to leave vibration space through the steel, and several areas were pointed out where the contractor needed to re-arrange the bend angle of the column steel to meet the SOW requirements. It was noted that 1 column only had 7 bars (supposed to be 8), and this was pointed out to the contractor, but any attempt to correct would be worse than changing it because it would compromise the integrity of the concrete/steel bond. Contractor submitted photos documenting the repairs and the PRT provided the approval to pour the roof.

 Aug 23 2010 A 15% pyment has been submitted to bring the contract up to 40% pid overall. Below is a summary of each school's status and/or progress during the month of August.

Yargul Primary School (Yargul) PRT provided an official Notice to Proceed (NTP) to pour the concrete for the roof slab of the 3rd block. PRT should make a follow up visit during the concrete pour or right after to ensure the slab is being cured properly.

Bar Narang High School (Narang) The PRT provide a NTP to pour the concrete for the 2nd block roof slab. According to the progress report submitted by the CTR., the concrete pouring process was started early morning (0430) because of Ramadan. Steel work is in progress for the third block. On 23 August, another PRT assessment was conducted during which the workers were applying plaster to masonry walls of 1st block. Mortar and brick around wood window frames needs small repairs to close gaps. The 2nd block roof slab has flooded to aid in the curing process. Reinforcement for 3rd block roof slab had several extra steel bars in place. Contractor instructed to install steel in accordance with Drawings, which were on-site. Concrete placement should not begin until proper steel arrangement is confirmed.

Umara Khan High School (Damkalay) On 4 August, materials were onsite in preparation for the concrete slab work. Two mixers were seen onsite on our previous visit and the materials for the concrete mix were all acceptable. The cement was covered in plastic. There was a sufficient amount of quality rock aggregate and sand. Several mixing boxes were also onsite, and the foreman was reminded to utilize the mixing boxes to achieve the optimal ratio of materials. The foreman was reminded to mix the concrete for at least 5 minutes, monitor the amount of water being added, and properly vibrate the slab once the concrete is poured.

The first block of the school, which has a completed roof and parapet wall, has plaster applied to both the inside and the outside of the building. In addition to the completion of the plaster in this section, the floor has been prepped for the pouring of the concrete slab floor. On the PRT's next visit on August 18, the 2nd and 3rd blocks for the roof slab was curing. The Contractor reported that flooding and curing has been on-going for the placement 12 days prior. Formwork is scheduled to be removed after 2 more days of curing. The Contractor should start plastering 2nd and 3rd block masonry after formwork and shuddering is removed.

Also of note on this site is that renovations have been made to a pre-existing latrine on the site, but the SOW specifically calls for a new latrine to be built. The contractor states that the Ministry of Education has agreed that both a boundary wall and a latrine be built at the Samiullah Mujahid Girls School in Norgul. If the contractor does not build a latrine to replace the one at the Umara Khan site, the value of the latrine minus renovations made to the existing latrine should be subtracted from the overall contract value.

Another item to note at this site is that large cobblestone rocks have been placed throughout the ground level of the school. The Contractor was reminded to remove these stones prior to finishing the ground slab. The SOW states that "Floor slab will be installed on a 4 inches of compacted gravel." 

Hadwal School (Hadwal Village) 

There have been various issues at this school. The contractor has been good about addressing the issues but various tasks continue to be executed poorly and the rework is often required. (See QA reports posted to media). Brick masonry of the two educational blocks is in progress as well as steel fixing of the ring beam of the admin block is in progress. The PRT had notified the contractor that there were two columns that did not adhere to the minimum cover standards so the stone masonry was removed to ensure minimum cover standards. On the 23 August visit, the masonry work continued along the interior walls. Mortar appeared to be properly mixed, no rocks were present.

The PRT verified that the foundation beams and column footings were being re-poured at the Administrative Building. The Contractor was using the mechanical mixer with the proper combination of materials for concrete. However, repairs are still needed for the wood door and window frames at the Latrine, to the front entrance beam and round column and brick masonry wall previous installed with rock in the mortar. On the 12 August visit, the screens being used are likely a direct contributor to the visible rocks seen in one of the brick walls. 

Shaheed Saleem High School (Nawabad) 

The Ramazan holiday is being observed by the contractor, so there was no work going on at the time of the PRT's 12 August visit. However, there was a worker onsite who appeared to be responsible for both schools. The plaster for the inside of the 1st block is complete. The designated areas for the electric boxes and panel boxes are filled with plaster. The supervisor was notified that in these areas the plaster will need to be burrowed out. 

The next phase of construction on the inside of the 1st block will be to complete the floors. Before this is done, the contractor needs to remove the debris that is scattered on the ground. In addition, the contractor needs to ensure that the ground has been properly compacted. Also, the foreman was advised to use 2 nails per side on the interior wooden windows and 3 nails per side on the exterior windows to secure the window frame to the brick masonry. 

The contractor has made progress on the placement of the steel rebar since the PRT's last visit, but still has more adjustments to make before they are ready to pour. The PRT demonstrated the adjustments to ties of the longitudinal reinforcement from the columns. The adjustments will be complicated by the fact that the steel has been cut too short on several columns. The steel from the column should be bent at a 90 angle and be secured tightly to the steel cage of the ring beam. There should not be any gap in between the two. The cages for the ring beam portion of the roof slab need to be centered in between the formwork. The use of spacers on the tied to the side of the cage would assist in this alignment. The contractor will need to adjust the steel used in the cages, ensuring that there are no obtuse angular bends (unless the design calls for this). 

There are many instances where the contractor has added extra bars that are not in the design. The PRT pointed out several examples, and advised the foreman to follow the design and remove the extra rebar. 

The contractor continues progress on the latrine. However, the window and door frames are not constructed well. The connections of each side are not square or sturdy. In many cases, the lateral and longitudinal pieces do not intersect at a 90 angle. Moreover, the door frames are not centered. The foreman was made aware of all these issues, and assured the PRT that the corrections would be made. 

On the 23 August site visit, no significant progress has been made since the previous visit, but the Supervisor onsite was aware of all issues previously reported by the PRT. Reinforcement for roof slab still has several extra steel bars in place and the Supervisor was again instructed to install steel in accordance with Drawings which were not on-site.

 Sep 22 2010 Contractor notified PM that minimal work would be accomplised over the Ramadan and Eid holidays, particularly the 10 day period spanning Eid and the elections.

Contractor has resumed normal work schedule as of September 20th.

A QA was conducted by the PRT on 20 September on the Hadwall, Nowabad and Bar Narang schools.

Hadwal School

*Significant progress has been made on the masonry walls, PRT noted some minor issues that the Site Supervisor agre