Construction Manager Alcoa Fjardaal
Dated on 28 August 2007
Are you satisfied with the performance achieved by Fives Solios on their contracts execution?
Yes, I am very happy. We did not have any major problems with the equipment supplied by Fives Solios, only minor things as is the case on every project. All equipment were delivered on time and have met the quality requirements of the project.
In your opinion, what was the most important challenge on this project?
Our main challenge was to get the construction manpower and qualified supervisors for the project.
The second challenge was the weather and mainly the wind more than anything else…
What is the most important lesson learnt from this project ?
Timing: it is essential to get engineers and material at a very early stage.
The project execution is a question of getting all the right people and it takes a lot of coordination to ensure that everybody works in harmony with the overall plant, like a Jazz Group….
Would you use the same execution strategy for the next project ?
It depends on the location and the project specific constraints in terms of availability of manpower as well as fabrication services.
- For Iceland, yes I would use the same strategy and may increase the level of pre-assembly. As an example, for the bath treatment plant we should have included the cladding in the pre-assembly package to be done in the shop. It was very difficult to install the cladding on site because of the wind and the height.
- For projects in land, we cannot use the same strategy due to limitation of transportation.
The shop pre-assembly helps us to gain on the schedule and the quality which are two major aspects of the project execution.
What about the environment aspect in a country where it is considered as a major concern?
In regards to the environment, we have met all the requirements and we were very successful during construction in recycling of material.
Safety is another success story on this project.
Would you consider Fives Solios as one of potential supplier for Alcoa future projects?
Absolutely yes for Fives Solios.
Our business is based on good relationships; it creates trust and good faith.
We have to think always in a “win-win” relationship to be able to get the best price & products and this happened with Fives Solios.
It is important to have an understanding of the needs of all parties concerned in the project and work accordingly.
