Open letter to the Minister of Works

15.MAY.09

Editor: Sir, is there an inspector or clerk of works whose job is to inspect all aspects of work in The Road Repair project that is currently ongoing?

Sir, in the last week of February and first week of March 2009, the roads between Layou and Buccament underwent some repairs. It is now the third week in April 2009, less than 2 months later, and these same holes are being redone because the vehicular traffic has dug them up.{{more}}

First, the wrong method was used. A truck with mixed cement, sand and aggregate dropped off some at different locations, where it is mixed, after being exposed to the elements, for a long time, awaiting water that has to be transported by the same truck, or the arrival of workers from a previous location to mix and place in square holes less than 3” deep, sitting on smooth asphalt from the previous old road.

Sir, any concrete that is placed on a solid base whose depth is 3 inches or less will crack and return to a gravel state. The weight of our traffic will see to that. Again, no mixed concrete less than 3 inches deep should be used in any vehicular traffic road, and concrete should not be joined in a square joint less than 10” x 10” except in a beam, and in road work, it should be in a saw tooth manner.

Another bad method is being used: you are cutting out square patches in the road. Again, in some places, less than 3 inches in depth, then filled with 3/4 or 5/8 stone, oil them, then leave them for traffic to pass over them, then days after moist and dry particles enter, then on you go and place ready mix unto same, again the weight of traffic unto same. The repair will not last. You and your men are wasting taxpayers money. Deter from these practices. Concrete does not join to pitch, cold mix or itself.

SVG Construction Sector Advisory Group