REA Final - 22 Dec 20 - eBook - 1682 pages

Additionally, SWJV added a Change Order to Spearhead’s Base Contract to be completed concurrently and increased Spearhead’s construction duration from eight months to nine months. The delayed start meant Spearhead’s work was compressed from 9 months to 4.5 months.

Without a change to its end date, Spearhead faced completing its work in half the time.

SWJV threatened Liquidated Damages and directed Spearhead to add more manpower and resources to accelerate its work under this compressed schedule, causing Spearhead to incur extraordinary additional expenses beyond what was requested in its bidding documents and/or what is reasonably expected in relation to its Subcontract. Spearhead increased its manpower by 140%, added a second shift, and worked both shifts every day, including weekends, holidays, and overtime, or extended hours. Spearhead attributes 2,550 hours of lost productivity due to inefficiencies caused by overtime. Structural Steel Deficiencies A lack of quality control and improper installation of steel severely impacted Spearhead’s productivity. 5 Spearhead encountered unexpected field conditions that resulted in a lack of clarity, created extra work, additional engineering, and required unanticipated, on-site field modifications to every framing member and pre-formed piece of GFRG/C installed at every truss. Prior to starting its work, Spearhead participated in coordination meetings with HOK representatives, Plasterform, the GFRG/C manufacturer, and SWJV. Prior to beginning its work, Spearhead learned that SWJV was aware of structural steel deficiencies but had not shared this information with Spearhead. In one call in particular, the HOK representative pointed out that bolts had been installed backwards at the gusset plates and knew the bolts would interfere with the installation of the GFRG capitals, which they did. When Spearhead requested a Change Order to allow Plasterform to recast the pieces, SWJV refused to pay for the change 6 and forced Spearhead to solve the issue in the field, which we did, at great expense. The continuous rework and work-around solutions were necessary at each truss and accounted for dramatic losses of production. Additionally, Spearhead could not deploy multiple crews in different locations because the work had to be performed in sequence in order to align each tapered leg over the 450-foot span. 7 5 CH 1: Overview, Issues, Steel, PBB Deficiency Log – Concrete Slab Deficiencies: Bridge is flat but not level. The Pedestrian Bridge Deficiency Log points to deficiencies in the concrete slab pour. Spearhead had to scribe the GFRC bases at each truss that pitched South to North and West to East. At the center of the bridge, the deck actually swells upwards instead of pitching downward toward the North. Complicating matters further, each side of the bridge pitches in different, or unique, increments. The slope is inconsistent, falling sharply in some areas and smoothing out in other areas. Leveling the bases to the deck while also taking into account the out of plumb trusses at every single base took time to establish a level line and scribe the bottoms. Spearhead conducted a survey in 5’- 0” increments and found its results matched the inspector performing the official survey. 6 CH 3: Notices, EM-6 12 Jun 19 Extra Cost – Bolts installed backwards – Mock thinks it’s fine to spitball calculations on a napkin and decide a “fair value” for Spearhead to overcome this known structural deficiency. 7 CH 1: Overview, Issues, Steel, PBB Deficiency Log– Non-Conformance – As-Built geometry not in compliance with designed profile. Out of plumb trusses and improperly installed bolts led to lost time at every truss. Ripping studs at an angle to “square up” steel by up 2” at the tops or bottoms is NOT typical.

Spearhead Construction, LLC * PO Box 575 * Fort Montgomery, NY 10922