Construction Experience in Kyrgyzstan?

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Author Message Ronald L. Geren, RA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, MAI Senior Member Username: specman Post Number: 200 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 - 12:45 pm:    Does anybody have experience with the design and construction industry in Kyrgyzstan? I'm needing some information on typical commercial construction materials and methods, plus cost information. Doug Brinley AIA CSI CDT CCS Senior Member Username: dbrinley Post Number: 136 Registered: 12-2002 Posted on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 - 12:50 pm:    There's a good article on Dubai in the New Yorker's 'Art and Architecture' issue, but that's a 1,000 miles from Kyrgyzstan. Can't you guys find some Western project to work on? That's central asia! Stick to the coast, man! Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI Senior Member Username: rliebing Post Number: 239 Registered: 02-2003 Posted on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 - 12:50 pm:    You're an acomplished architect, and code official-- fill in the gap and establish your own program. "Easier to beg forgiveness than permission", surely must be a universal axiom! Go IBC!! Ronald L. Geren, RA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, MAI Senior Member Username: specman Post Number: 201 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 - 01:12 pm:    Doug: I have no choice...it's a military thing (don't ask). Ralph: To keep costs down they want to use local materials and methods. It's similar to another project I'm working on somewhere in the middle east (again, don't ask). T-minus 5.5 months and counting until I return to civilian life in the States! Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI Senior Member Username: rliebing Post Number: 240 Registered: 02-2003 Posted on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 - 02:05 pm:    Ron, on a hunch just tried to search Goggle for Construction in Kyrgyzstan, and got several sites including the following for a trade show [note organizers, etc. for possible resources] http://www.biztradeshows.com/trade-events/bishkekbuild.html Also, any cities around that may have architects or engineers to resource? Doug Brinley AIA CSI CDT CCS Senior Member Username: dbrinley Post Number: 137 Registered: 12-2002 Posted on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 - 03:41 pm:    Ron, We're doing nine Engineers Without Borders projects in Sri Lanka using indigenous means. That's a world away from Kyrgyzstan. But, we've done a fair bit of research that helped us to understand developing-world construction and problems. Mostly the problems aren't with the local means and methods but instead how to interface with the developed world. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyrgyzstan Absolutely beautiful place. Separated from Soviet Union in 1991. Heck, I'm ready to move! Transportation is really dicey. Rail crosses the international boundaries, and the whole region is mountainous and mostly impassable much of the year (starting about now). So, you can get some steel there, but if it's like Sri Lanka it'll never make it into (your) building because it will be re-appropriated by the locals (formerly or informally). For our projects our advance team inventoried the local building materials shop in each town (all coastal locations) until they reached the Tamil-controlled zone. The only significant materials we're proposing coming from the West are nuts and bolts, and we're putting those on the plane with the volunteer labor traveling over. We're using lots of 'pin' connections in unmilled lumber to frame roofs, etc. Since small (dicey) trucks and horses are the primary mode of transportation, and you can't easily go very far to get materials, unless you've got a major government enterprise protecting your labor and materials, you're back to whatever wood, stone, brick you can get from the local economy. I use a book I bought in Mexico entitled "Manual de Architecto Descalzo" that helps me 'get into' the spirit of indigenous construction. It's in Spanish, but it's illustrated. What an adventure! These are fun projects! (I'm being serious) Colin Gilboy Senior Member Username: colin Post Number: 8 Registered: 09-2005 Posted on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 - 04:01 pm:    Engineers Without Borders http://www.ewb-usa.com/index.php Susan McClendon Senior Member Username: susan_mcclendon Post Number: 33 Registered: 01-2005 Posted on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 - 04:17 pm:    Doug: Who's the publisher of "Manual de Architecto Descalzo"? Doug Brinley AIA CSI CDT CCS Senior Member Username: dbrinley Post Number: 138 Registered: 12-2002 Posted on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 - 04:44 pm:    editorial concepto, s.a. ISBN 968-405-102-6 I love this book. It's almost as good as Pat Royce's small paperback books on sailing. The illustrations are freehand, and are plainly expressive of the ideas. The author is Johan van Lengen. The complete title is: Manual del Arquitecto Descalzo - Como Construir Casas y Otros Edificios There is one $43 copy on Amazon: http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/ts/exchange-glance/Y01Y2073386Y8177367/qid%3D1129754210/103-6463331-8647823 I paid 50p which at that time was about $6 USD. This book resides in my "what happens if there is a nuclear holocaust and the oceans rise 50 feet and everybody's looking to me (the only remaining architect/engineer) to actually show them how build them a house out of nothing" bookshelf. This shelf is also known as the "what happens if everything since Galileo is just a dream I'm having, and I might wake up and be the only one who noticed". Mark Gilligan SE, CSI Senior Member Username: markgilligan Post Number: 42 Registered: 05-2005 Posted on Thursday, October 20, 2005 - 01:21 am:    Having worked with a Russian Structural Engineer, attended a presentation on post earthquake damage in Soviet Armenia, and other misc sources I would expect the situation to be quite similar to Soviet Armenia. That is to say that they likely use a lot of concrete with the emphasis on precast concrete. Reinforcing steel is likely to be in short supply. Also if the military wants anything approaching their normal quality standards they will likely have to do a lot of materials testing and work directly with local suppliers. Workmanship is likely to be a problem. Whoever is responsible for construction should have a man on site who is scoping out availible materials and skills. This in not something that a stateside Architect can be expected to determine. Tracy Van Niel Senior Member Username: tracy_van_niel Post Number: 142 Registered: 04-2002 Posted on Thursday, October 20, 2005 - 08:16 am:    Ron: You might check with Edd Soenke, I know at one time he was doing architectural consulting work in Russia. I don't know if he's currently doing it or not. But, he could have some words of wisdom for you. Phil Kabza Senior Member Username: phil_kabza Post Number: 143 Registered: 12-2002 Posted on Friday, October 21, 2005 - 04:05 pm:    I did SDs on a design/build project next door in Kazakhstan a couple of years ago. Expect work to be reinforced CIP concrete built to wider tolerances than expected in the US. We anticipated a 1 inch topping underlayment throughout to establish level floors. Watch your seismic design. You'll need someone on the ground there to give you cost info and details. There are a number of large European construction companies around due to the emerging oil industry. Fortunately the work didn't proceed. Tough work to do; even harder to get paid. Ronald L. Geren, RA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, MAI Senior Member Username: specman Post Number: 203 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Monday, October 31, 2005 - 09:33 am:    Thanks all for the input. I had our Corps of Engineers liaison officer contact the COE in the States to get some information. They gave me cost information based on Turkey, which they state is very close. Phil: The construction you mention is very similar to what I'm encountering here in the Middle East...lots of concrete with wide tolerances. Concrete structural frame is used with masonry infill. Walls are covered with concrete plaster, and floors have a layered system (on top of the concrete slab) consisting of a 10cm sand bed, 3cm mortar bed, and concrete tiles that are ground down to create a terrazzo tile appearance. AND (get this) they may cover that with another type of floor covering (vinyl, wood, carpet, etc.) if they don't want the terrazzo finish. Ralph: I found the construction show, as well. Unfortunately, it is scheduled around the time I should be demobilizing back to the States (I'm going to miss the CSI Show, as well). Thanks again!