Date:
Time:
Reporter:
26.11.86.
8.30
12.15
PMO
129
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be aware that with such a big building there it might disturb the
environment thereby and therefore create other circumstances.
D of Ar. S: I would say not because of this particular building,
it was other buildings developing in the area which we don't know of, which may change the course of underground water level.
MR HO: Accepting that there are only two alternatives, then
the consultant decided to have the present one, do you think whether the
consultants were correct in their advice to the contractor and their insistence on strict adherence to the design and specifications on which the tender was based. I am referring to paragraph 137, whereby the contractor, I think being an experienced one, had warned the consultants whether that method is the correct one but the consultant
rightly pointed out that he has to abide to the tender documents, which only allowed the method they are now choosing ? Is the consultant correct in advising that he should go straight into the specifications ?
D of Ar. S: I think if I were in the consultant's position
I would probably do the same. There is no indication in the site
condition that warrants a re-think.
That is one thing and
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And work is already in progress.
MR HO. Then paragraphs 139 to 140 of the Director of Audit's
report, now whether staff of your Department, the Architectural
Services Department, were aware of the contractor's difficulties
and, if so, whether they should have taken any appropriate action
at that moment of time ?
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D of Ar. S: I can only say that we probably are aware of the
situation; in other words, the contractor has made known to the
consultant the difficulties or probable problems, but I would also
say that most contractors would probably do the same in safeguarding their position.
That's one thing and the consultant having rejected or responded in a rather negative way, as I explained earlier, and