An adventure in applied science - IRRI books - International Rice ...

34 History of the International Rice Research Instituteming pool, and tennis courts. A second contract with Avecilla was signed on20 March 1961 specifying that four more staff houses would be completed by1 September 1961 and that the eight apartment units and the remaining fourhouses would be finished by 31 December 1961.Avecilla, a former professor of civil engineering at the University of thePhilippines, was always calm and considerate. He was overly optimistic,however, about completing the project on time. In late April, concerned thatthe construction work was running behind, Wortman and I asked the architectto arrange a conference with Avecilla. The latter promised to add extra menand insisted that the work would be completed on schedule. When, in lateMay, the same complaint was made, Avecilla said, “Don’t worry, we’ll makeit on time.” In June it was unmistakably evident that the first eight units wouldnot be finished on time, and a new arrangement allowed Avecilla until 1August to complete the first phase. At that, he didn’t quite meet the seconddeadline.The Wortmans, Drilons, Johnsons, and Chandlers moved into their assignedhouses between 11 and 14 August. Even that timing would not havebeen possible had not Wortman spent the last week supervising the finaloperations. This was largely a matter of scheduling the work of the varioussubcontractors so that one job would not impede another. Without suchoverseeing, delays were inevitable. For example, as the painters finished aroom, the electricians would enter to install wall plates for the outlets and inthe process leave dirty finger marks over the newly painted walls, whichwould then have to be repainted. Wortman saw to it that each room wasfinished in the proper work sequence and that the door was then locked.The entire housing area project was completed, and most of the houses wereoccupied, by January 1962.The Research Center. The first operation undertaken at the research site wasthe drilling of a deep well to supply water needed in the actual constructionprocess and for later supply of water for the research center. The well,completed in June 1960, was 160 m deep and yielded more than 800 liters/minute. It still provides the water supply for IRRI’s research center buildingsat the original site.In August 1960, bids were opened for the site preparation and roadconstruction work and the contract was awarded to Dimson (Manila), Inc. Sitepreparation began on 26 August. The initial work was to level Higamot Hill tomake a plateau for the administration, laboratory, and cafeteria-dormitorybuildings. A gentle grade was then made from the low plateau to the site of theservice building. All this ground then had to be compacted to provide a firmfoundation for the buildings and driveways.When the grading of Higamot Hill was nearing completion, it was discoveredthat a portion of the laboratory building site had a deep deposit of volcaniccinders, too loose a base for the foundations, of course. The decision afterconsultation with the architect was to grout the area — forcing a concrete“soup” into the cinders thus forming a sort of floating base for the building. In