ILOILO City – The geotechnical investigation on the defective P680-million Ungka flyover in Barangay Ungka, Jaro district and Barangay Ungka II, Pavia, Iloilo started on Friday, March 3.
Engineer Jose Al Fruto, assistant regional director of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 6, said the notice to proceed was awarded yesterday morning to the winning bidder – Abinales Associates Engineers + Consultants based in Metro Manila.
“Subong ang issuance namon on the notice to proceed. So, they officially starts today,” Fruto said in an interview with Panay News yesterday.
He explained, among the three bidders, Abinales Associates Engineers + Consultant stood out because aside from geotechnical investigation as their expertise, they offered a lower contract amount.
“Indi lang na lower in cost, although it counts, but more of the ano sa ila technical expertise man,” said Fruto.
The consulting firm’s geotechnical investigation will last for three months but the DPWH expects that after a month or by the end of this month the firm can already submit results.
Also part of the firm’s job is to determine the applicable engineering solution.
After submitting the recommendation, the DPWH central office will assess how to apply the intervention.
Geotechnical investigation, according to trenchlesspedia.com, implies the use of different methods to determine the physical properties of soil and rock below the surface of the earth at a proposed installation site. It helps engineers make decisions regarding the type of tools that will be required to dig through the site in the most economical manner. It also assesses the potential environmental impact that a project may have on a particular area.
Geotechnical investigation is an essential step in any trenchless operation because knowledge of subsurface conditions is key to a successful project.
It will focus on determining the cause of the vertical displacement of settlement in piers 4, 5 and 6 (if counting the posts from Christ the King Memorial Park) and formulating the appropriate intervention for the defect./PN
