7.2.1. Months 7 - 11
- The key to keep costs low during construction is to make the construction period as short as possible. This means planning steps in advance including contracts, labor and materials.
- The construction manager needs to be on the site when construction is proceeding.
- The project director visits the site each day during the construction period.
- The wastewater recycling consultant needs to be available for periodic consultation, as do agronomist and aquaculture expert.
- Construction and operations overlap in the final 60 days.
Check the construction checklist daily.
Construction steps and sequence include:
Day 1 - 30
- Begin log book. This includes a record of work done on site each day, decisions taken on site, and weather conditions. The log is maintained by the operator/trainee under the project director.
- Move detailed working drawings onto site.
- Security on site at night.
- Electrify the site.
- Fresh water line on site.
- Fence and storage shed materials delivered to site.
- Construct equipment/security shed & running water source.
- Construct fence around site.
- Construct drainage channel around site if necessary and if not already done during the survey aspect of planning.
- Move top soil to save for garden if this was not already done during the survey aspect of planning.
- Avoid extra disruption of soil around pond and biogas digester locations. Existing compacted soil forms a good water barrier. Destruction of this barrier requires additional compacting later.
- Stake the area for excavation and structures.
- Check staking with project director, contractor.
Day 31 - 90
- Move heavy machinery on site if required.
- Excavation of ponds in the sequence listed in the Construction section of this website.
- Check and stake levels after each excavation.
- Photographic documentation of finished pond excavation.
- Deliver materials to site for gates, office, accommodation, storage shed, biodigester, animal sheds, water lines.
- Construct structures simultaneously with ponds.
- Construction inspection after excavation complete.
- Change construction drawings as required.
- Check soil composition as excavation proceeds.
- Photographic documentation daily of new construction.
- Construct water barriers on pond walls & floors if necessary.
- Construct pond gates.
- Construct canals between ponds.
- Spread topsoil on garden area.
- Install irrigation system in garden.
- Finalize operator contract with municipality.
- Operator moves on site.
- Start operations log book.
Day 91 - 150
- Bring tree seedlings on site and plant - this is a key procedure to do as soon as possible, as trees require 1-3 years to begin producing.
- Establish operating financial routine per the Operation Section of this website.
- Deliver operating equipment to site per Operations equipment list.
- Interim construction inspection before filling ponds.
- Check operating section of this guide for sequence to use before filling ponds with wastewater.
- Check ponds, canals, flow areas for blockage, garbage.
- Report to community association, municipality.
- Fill ponds with wastewater & observe filling process carefully.
- Amend working construction drawings to show changes during construction.
- Interim wildlife inspection.
- Preliminary pathogen, nutrient tests in ponds, inlet, outlet before adding fish, macrophytes.
- Obtain macrophytes from a local river, lake or facility as identified in planning stage.
- Macrophytes in ponds.
- Check fish ponds for unwanted species.
- Check oxygen levels in fish ponds.
- Obtain fish from local fish farm, weigh & inspect.
- Put fish in ponds after proper acclimatizing.
- Garden soil preparation.
- Plant garden, dykes.
- Construction defect inspection & list
- Report to municipality, community association.