Local engineers capable of undertaking design for new DHB – GAPE

Apr 10, 2022 News

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By Davina Bagot

Kaieteur News – The cost for the new Demerara River Bridge could cost more than US$43 billion than the previous bridge, as government remains in talks with another Chinese contractor to Design Finance and Build (DFB) a four-lane structure, after terminating negotiations with the lowest bidder earlier this year.
But as several aspects of the bridge remain blanketed by controversy, the Guyana Association of Professional Engineers (GAPE) has made it clear that local engineers are capable of designing such a structure, which may reduce the price tag of the project.

In a recent interview with this newspaper, the President of the Association, Mr. Stuart Hughes explained that based on reports he has seen, there are several aspects of the bridge which must be considered.
He was keen to note that in the absence of the actual requirements from the government, he understands that the administration is seeking a hybrid bridge with box/T beam girder spans, while the main span is going to feature a cable stayed structure.
Hughes explained that a “cable stayed bridge is essentially where you have one or multiple towers and you have cables which then hold the deck of the bridge and you have to balance the stresses in those cables under various conditions so that you apply the minimum loading on that tower. It’s a pretty complex undertaking.”
The engineer said that the new bridge would require a geotechnical investigation, which local engineers have the capacity to undertake.
Another aspect of the design would entail the foundation, and Hughes said there is local capacity to undertake this. “There is also the hydrologic modelling of the bridge, we also have that capability. In terms of the piers, yes we do. In terms of the girders, we probably do as well,” he related.
However, as it relates to the main component of the bridge, which is the cable stayed structure, the engineer said that Guyanese may not have the experience in this field. He said that while he knows of an engineer who had designed two such bridges before, neither of them were constructed for different reasons.
He, however, assured that while this component would perhaps be the most complicated, he is certain that Guyanese in the diaspora would have design and construction experience with cable stayed bridges.One engineer, who spoke to this newspaper off the record, said that if Guyanese design the structure themselves, the cost for the project can be reduced significantly.
GAPE has been in existence for 54 years, since 1968, and has about 90 members.

In an interview with this publication, just two weeks ago, the former Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson had made a similar point, while underscoring the need for the entire bridge contract to be retendered.
Patterson told Kaieteur News that he believes local engineers should be designing the structure, so as to save the country some expenses. “The other route we can take is to hire an international consultant to partner with local engineers who build bridges.”
In substantiating his argument, the former Minister was keen to note too that local engineers or consultants would have to review the design submitted by the Chinese contractor before it is granted approval for construction, which demonstrates local capacity.
On November 1, last year, the Ministry of Finance announced that Cabinet had granted its no-objection for the Ministry of Public Works to engage China State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd. to construct the new bridge. At that time, it was pointed out that the project would be done under the Design Finance and Build (DFB) model with construction expected to conclude within two years.
However, in February of this year, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, during an interview with a foreign news outlet, explained that the administration ended negotiations with the Chinese contractor as the financing option was too high. China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited submitted a bid of US$256,638,289.
It was later revealed that government was in talks with the second lowest bidder, a Consortium of Chinese companies to construct the new bridge. The firms: China Railway Construction Corporation International, China Railway Caribbean Company Limited, and China Railway Engineering Bureau Group Company Limited submitted three financial proposals of US$260,852,464, US$260,852,464 and US$300,000,000.
For this project, bidders were advised by the Ministry that they are required to bid on two options, a Design –Build and Finance option and a Design-Build-Operate, and Finance option. It is unclear as to which option the government had selected.
It must be noted, too, that even though government said that the contractors would be financing the project, in its 2022 Budget some $21.1B was allocated for the construction of the new bridge.
To this end, Patterson said that this “confusion” mixed with the government’s worrying silence on the project may brew corruption.
“You can’t go out to tender seeking a contractor to finance the project and later you place the project in the budget to be financed via the national coffers and will still be using the old tender process to award a contract. The tender price is inflated since the bid price includes the contractors’ financing and other related costs,” Patterson added.
Offering some advice, he urged that if the project is retendered and funded by the government, Guyana may be able to attract more reputable international firms, which may have steered clear from the initial Invitation For Bids, due to their inability to compete with Chinese financing arrangements.

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