Milford Williams, Gleaner Writer
THE CONSTRUCTION industry is anxiously awaiting the outcome of an investigation by experts into the reason behind the production of faulty cement by the island's sole manufacturer of the product.
On Friday, Carib Cement Company received the report from the investigators, but declined on Friday to make public its findings.
Construction companies across the island have been experiencing setbacks in
projects as a result of the poor quality of cement and the ensuing shortage, resulting from the company's decision to cease production at its factory in Rockfort, Kingston.
"The primary concern is quality which will ensure that what we build can endure the test of time, including natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes," Donald Mullings, immediate past
president of the Master Builders Association, informed The Sunday Gleaner.
Meanwhile, Bouygues, French contractors for the Highway 2000 project, said they were also feeling the effects of both the poor-quality cement as well as the current shortage, and as a result have extended the completion date for the Portmore leg of the highway until July 13, 2006.
"There is not only a shortage, but the quality is very bad, it is the worst I have ever seen. We have been experiencing the problem since November 2005, and since then we've lost two weeks of work time," said project director, Jean-Noel Foulard.
STRUCTURES DEMOLISHED
While some contractors have had to demolish
structures, Foulard said Bouygues has never had that experience although they have come close. He attributes the quality control procedures they employ for them
maintaining high standards.
In the meantime, Mullings said while the industry has been unable to ascertain any
financial value to the delays so far, some companies have put work on temporary hold. "Some workers will have to be laid off until the situation returns to
normalcy," he reported.
He said the shortages
would continue for the next three-six months, but anticipates improvements when the new players begin distributing imported cement.
"In the first six months we will have to bring in some 150,000 tons of cement, or 3.5 million bags of cement in order to meet demands," said Mullings. He noted that the local market demand of one million tonnes per year far exceeds the cement company's current production capacity of about 780,000 tons.
