Firm to explain structural defects at wharf

 KUMUL Consolidated Holdings Limited is expected to respond today to revelations of major structural defects in the billion-kina Lae Port Basin project.

The K809 million phase 1 project was completed in 2014 by contractor China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC).

The National reported last Friday that the defects were uncovered by Australian engineering company AECOM, which was contracted by the State-owned Independent Public Business Corporation (now Kumul Consolidated Holdings Ltd) to perform a siltation study of the Lae Port Basin last year. 

According to a technical report obtained by the newspaper, AECOM noticed settlements of concrete units in the constructed revetments of Lae Port and indicated this to IPBC, which then engaged AECOM to perform a more in-depth study on the quality of construction and settlements of the revetments armour. 

The report said IPBC and AECOM had agreed that an independent international consultancy firm be engaged to lead and perform the remediation works design.

It is understood a preliminary remediation plan was submitted by an international consultancy firm to CHEC, which proposed a five-month work schedule to begin last September. 

However, it is not known whether the preliminary plan was agreed upon by AECOM and approved by IPBC. 

The cost of the remediation work is also not known.

Attempts to get an explanation from Kumul Consolidated Holdings Ltd (KCHL) had been unsuccessful until yesterday when The National was informed that a response would be made today.

Meanwhile, the only shipping line using the new Lae wharf, Consort Express Lines, said it would not comment on the matter.

“We believe these questions are better addressed to either PNG Ports or Kumul Consolidated Holdings,” general manager Stuart Craker said in an email to The National on Monday.