URGENT MASERU REQUEST FOR 7902 CONTINGENCY FUNDS -

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MASERU 000353 SIPDIS OBO/OM/AM/AF FOR AMO HERB TREGER AF/EX FOR PMO ART HERMANSON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ABLD AMGT AFIN LT SUBJECT: URGENT MASERU REQUEST FOR 7902 CONTINGENCY FUNDS - REPLACEMENT OF SUB-STANDARD FILLING UNDER CONCRETE SURFACE BED REF: A) ANDERSON/TREGER TELCON DTD 9/23/09; B) ANDERSON/TREGER E-MAIL DTD 9/30/09 ¶1. Post urgently requests $60,000 in OBO Special Maintenance and Repair/7902 funds to rectify serious deficiencies in a portion of the foundation of our existing warehouse building (RPA Property X3003). This project is critical because we are currently converting the warehouse to office space to support exponential growth of PEPFAR staff and programming. This conversion project is a follow on to the initial phase completed in July 2008 and again utilizes PEPFAR funding. This construction has been reviewed and approved by OBO and DS. Post can obligate funding immediately upon receipt. ¶2. Upon excavation of existing concrete floor to pour new wall foundations, we discovered, to everyone's surprise, that a portion of the existing concrete flooring foundation was built on a pile of rubble stone and broken brick with no soil and no compaction, resulting in an extremely unsafe foundation. The rest of the excavated floor foundation was properly filled and compacted, per evaluation by structural and civil engineers supporting the project. Although there are no building plans or records at post for this particular building, we surmise that this, the former USAID office building was extended in the early 1980s as the USAID Mission grew significantly at that time. USAID Maseru closed its offices mid 1995. The Embassy converted the building to a warehouse using OBO funding in late 1995. ¶3. We respectfully request immediate funding for this critical project which will entirely remove the old substandard fill and replace the flooring foundation, meeting industry standards, while minimizing delay of the warehouse conversion project. The building foundation has been inspected by structural and civil engineers and the master builder working on the project and deemed appropriate for the load and stresses of the existing building perimeter walls. ¶4. Post Name: Maseru ¶5. Requirement: Replacement of Sub-Standard Filling Under Concrete Surface Bed. ¶6. Post Rating: Critical ¶7. Special Considerations: Controlled Access Area: N Construction Security Plan Required: N Fire/Life Safety Issues: Y Hazardous Material Issues: N Confirm that Post is Capable of Managing Project: Y Space Planning Needed: N Swing Space Needed: N Asbestos Issues: N Security Issues: N ¶8. Without this requested contingency funding, it will virtually impossible for Post to fund this unbudgeted item. ¶9. Planned start date: 10/05/09 ¶10. Property Name: Warehouse ¶11. Property ID: 3003 ¶12. Property Type: Warehouse ¶13. Assumptions: Gross Square Meters Impacted (non-CAA): 180 Gross Square Meters Impacted (CAA): 0 Impact on Installed Fire Protection System(s): N Duration of Completion: 30 days Local Materials: Y Local Labor: Y Permits Required: N/A ¶14. Cost Estimates: Design: $0 Construction: $55,000 Local Project Supervision: $0 Local Security: $0 Site Improvements: $0 Swing Space: $0 Construction Security: $0 Technical Security Equipment: $0 Project Management Support: $0 Furniture and Furnishings: $0 Telephone Systems: $0 VAT/taxes: $0 Contingencies: $5,000 Other: $0 ¶15. Total Cost Estimate: $60,000 ¶16. Source of Cost Estimate: Local quotations MASERU 00000353 002 OF 002 ¶17. Submitted by GSO Approved by A/SPRM: Y Approved by PSO: Y Approved by POSHO: Y ¶18. As mentioned above, post can obligate funding immediately upon receipt. We greatly appreciate OBO's favorable consideration of this urgent request. NOLAN