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Friday, August 25, 2006
Speak out: Miracles for the CICC
By Sam Bumatay
I read in the papers that an additional P150 million is needed for the construction of the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC).
In addition, the structural engineer was tasked to review the technical specifications for the purpose of reducing the amount of structural steel for the framing of the building. The architect in-charge of the project has specified that there are areas of the framing where structural requirements could be reduced.
The idea of reducing the amount of structural steel to be used at this juncture, however, seems so ridiculous and facetious. Comments like these should have been brought up during the design phase.
I think it would be too late and more expensive to change the structural members since shop drawings have been prepared and approved and fabrication of structural steel members have been going on if not completed already.
I presume that the structural engineer has designed and selected the safe and most economical structural sizes.
At the final design review, the corresponding final estimate of the facility would have been within budget. And it would have included escalation of prices due to inflation and other contingencies.
A responsible project engineer would never design and approve the construction of a building that is over the allotted budget.
That is why it’s so ludicrous and absurd to hear that over half of the P250-million budget is needed because of sudden price increase in structural steel.
By this time, all the structural steel should have been purchased, fabricated and delivered for installation.
The way it is now, it is doubtful that the CICC will be completed in time for the Asean summit this December.
There are only three months left, and the architect is still in the process of figuring out the amount of structural steel to be reduced. After the installation of the structural framing is completed, there are so much work that need to be done inside and outside the building.
Exterior walls, floor slabs and roof have to be installed and that would take months to complete. Carpentry, plumbing, and electrical work require many months to complete.
Installation of mechanical equipment such as elevators, escalators, and air-conditioning system require several months to complete. Installing communication system and furnishing the building require lots of time to complete.
Some of these activities can be done in parallel but others can only be done in sequence. Access roads, parking areas and landscaping cannot really start until all the cranes and building materials are out of the way.
Finally, despite all the serious doubts, I still have some shred of hope, as many local Cebuanos do, that the facility will be completed in time for the Asean summit.
At this critical time, however, we need some miracles to make it happen.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (August 25, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here.
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