Lack of Communication Costs City Millions - How BuildingBlok Can Help
A simple lack of communication and oversight during the construction process can cause much larger problems.
A prime example is C&C Companies, who was working on an 11-year construction project of Binghamton-Johnson City Joint Sewage Treatment Plant when 100 feet of a concrete divider collapsed.
“More than half a million gallons of sewage and wastewater poured into the Susquehanna River, rendering Broome County’s major sewage treatment plant an economic and environmental disaster that persists today,” pressconnects.com describes.
Ten months before the collapse, the plant Superintendent Cathy Aingworth sent out photos and requests for information to chairman of the company at the time, the City Director of Public Services, and 18 elected officials who co-owned the sewage plant. A punch list was found to contain leaks in the walls prior to the incident as well. Yet nothing was done. The project repair will cost the city and taxpayers over $160 million with estimated completion in 2017. Not to mention, the environmental impact is still a major problem.
“The collapse revealed systemic problems and a general lack of accountability in the operations of the plant.”
Lawsuits were filed. Construction managers and general contractors were blamed for inefficient management, and public officials were cited for lack of oversight.
Strides towards the future are being made with the sewage plant, but it is important to realize how important communication and clear oversight of a project is. BuildingBlok aids the construction management process with the hope that problems like this will never occur.
BuildingBlok provides transparency and accountability for all parties involved on a project, saving companies both time and money. BuildingBlok will alert all users who need to take an action on a document, for example RFIs, via email and the BuildingBlok site. Timestamps denote when documents are created, assigned, and how many days they’re left outstanding, showing exactly where problems and time lapses occur.
To find out more about how BuildingBlok is the most effective tool for managing your projects click here. If you are interested in more detailed information about the Binghamton-Johnson City Joint Sewage Plant click here.
