Honolulu Rail Transit Project Monthly Progress Report Summary

Clifton M. Hasegawa
President and CEO
Clifton M. Hasegawa & Associates, LLC
1044 Kilani Avenue 12
Wahiawa, Hawaii 96786-2243
Telephone: (808) 463-1057
Email: clifhasegawa@gmail.com
Internet: http://www.linkedin.com/in/cliftonhasegawa
May 3, 2015
Senate President Donna Mercado Kim
Members of the Hawaii State Senate
House Speaker Joseph Souki
Members of the Hawaii State House of Representatives
Mayor Kirk Caldwell
Members of the City & County of Honolulu City Council
Dear Senate President Kim, House Speaker Souki, Senators and
Representatives of the Hawaii Legislature, Mayor Caldwell, Members of the
Honolulu City Council,
The State of Hawaii and the City & County of Honolulu have been
patient and understanding to and for the beleaguered and financially troubled
Honolulu Rail Transit Project. On each occasion, many times over, precious
time and resources have been expended to "find money" to accede to the
Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit (HART) demands.

Giving money to this troubled project, even with assurances "this is
the last time", is fool hardy and resource wasteful. The root cause of the
problem is not addressed and the situation lingers until the money runs out,
most assuredly soon enough. This has happened many times over during the
course of this project and will recur unless and until proactive aggressive
action is taken to get to the core issue and impose best management,
knowledge-based solutions to correct and remediate a problem that surfaces
and resurfaces time and time again, each time more massive and more
abhorrent than the time before.
The HART Monthly Progress Reports for January 2015, February
2015 and March 2015 highlight and underscore quality assurance and safety
considerations that have not been addressed satisfactorily and resolved to
prevent reoccurrence for many years. The cumulative effect is the cost
overruns and delays in meeting the delivery schedule. Most recently,
HART to replace rail segment after large crack in concrete
By Kristine Uyeno, KHON2, April 16, 2015
http://khon2.com/2015/04/16/hart-to-replace-rail-segment-after-large-crack-in-concrete/
“Oahu’s rail system is far from complete, but there’s already damage to
partsof the guideway.
A viewer contacted KHON2 via Report It, alerting us to a large crack at the
top of the column.
The rail line winds through Kapolei, but if you take a closer look, you’ll
notice something that shouldn’t be there.
On Kualakai Parkway in Kapolei, you can see the columns and guideway
going up and it looks consistent until you get to one particular spot. Then
there’s a horizontal crack in what is called a segment.

“Large-sized cracks are not normal, only hairline cracks are acceptable in
concrete,” said University of Hawaii engineering professor Panos
Prevedouros.
Prevedouros said there’s reason for concern because right now, the segment
is not structurally sound.
“How does a crack appear in heavy-duty concrete?” KHON2 asked.
“It’s actually a part of the natural curing of the concrete from being very wet
in the beginning and then getting dry,” he said.
In a statement, HART said, “The segment and column highlighted in the
photos were already identified by HART and are in the process of being
either replaced or repaired by Kiewit at their cost.”
Kiewit is the company that’s building rail. HART officials do not know how
long it will take for the replacement, but workers will have to make a new
segment, because even though they look alike, each is unique.
It takes five days to make one segment.
KHON2 also found out this isn’t the first time this has happened.
Another part of the guideway was damaged near Farrington Highway
last June. HART officials said it was damaged when it was installed.
Nearly a year later, workers are still trying to replace it.
“This is actually very complex because although it looks like a simple thing,
it’s a bridge. And every time you have a component that is questionable on a
bridge, it’s not very easy necessarily it’s easy to fix it,” Prevedouros said.”
[Emphasis Supplied]

Questions to be Addressed, Going Forward:
a. Is the root cause defective specifications and/or a failure to execute
and perform in conformance with the specifications by the contractor?
b. If the root cause is defective specifications, does this compromise
all Spans built and to be built, place in jeopardy the overall safety of the
Honolulu Rapid Transit (HART) system, and throw into harms way
passengers choosing to ride The Rail?
c. If the root cause is contractor performance, does this compromise
all Spans built, place in jeopardy the overall safety of the Honolulu Rapid
Transit (HART) system, and throw into harms way passengers choosing to
ride The Rail? Whether the contractor pays for the correction is part of the
remedy but the overall safety of the project is called into question as the
problems may surface later during the course of construction or during
operations when the guides and spans are stressed by the moving cars fully
loaded with passengers.
d. What remedies are available to the Legislators, to the City &
County of Honolulu and to HART?
Recommended is a thorough inquiry and investigation BEFORE committing
more money $$$$$ or more resources $$$$$. Money DOES NOT and
WILL NOT make quality assurance and safety related issues, ingrained and
systemic, go away or disappear; it just buys time and delays the inevitable.

Ensure that the inevitable is not the loss of life, the proximate cause
being defective work anywhere along the Honolulu Rail Transit Project.
Your duties and responsibilities extend beyond being the protectors of
the Treasury and the public funds, your duties and responsibilities are to
protect and safeguard the lives of the people. There is no room for
compromise when a life is placed in jeopardy of harm or injury, particularly
and especially when and where avoidable and preventable.
Thank you very much
Aloha
Respectfully,
Clifton M. Hasegawa
Enclosures: a. HART Progress Report January 2015
b. HART Progress Report February 2015
c. HART Progress Report March 2015

Honolulu Rail Transit Project Monthly Progress Report
January 2015
4.2 Section I – West O‘ahu/Farrington Highway: East Kapolei to Pearl
Highlands
A. West O‘ahu/Farrington Highway Guideway (WOFH)
Contract No.: DB‐120
DB Contractor: Kiewit Infrastructure West Company (KIWC)
Contract Start Date: December 2009
Contract Substantial Completion: July 2016
Projected Substantial Completion: October 2016
Project Description: Design and construction of 6.8 miles of rail alignment, starting at
the East Kapolei station and ending at the Pearl Highlands station.
KEY QUALITY ISSUES:
Span 67 Damage and Repair Procedures – During the erection process of
Span 67, the underside of Segments 67‐11 and 67‐12 were damaged due to unbalanced
support from the temporary bearings. NCR 00144 was opened on June 17, 2014, to
address this issue. In January 2015, KIWC began the process of constructing the
temporary falsework needed to slide Span 67 from its current position. This will allow
the span to be de‐stressed and the segments replaced. Both segments were casted by
month’s end.
Drill Shaft Quality – Nine additional drill shafts were Crosshole Sonic Logging (CSL)
tested in January 2015. Seven of the drilled shafts were found to have velocity
reductions outside of the acceptable design criteria limits potentially because concrete
was segregated during concrete placement, and two of the shafts had no issues. Of the
211 drilled shafts that have been tested to date, 38 shafts (18%) were found to have
issues. KIWC continues to have weekly Drill Shaft Quality Meetings with HART to discuss
testing results, quality issues, the concrete mix, and methods for repair.

Drill Shaft Repairs – Of the 38 drill shafts that were found to have velocity
reduction issues, seven new NCRs have been opened and submitted to HART this
month. HART will not close an NCR until KIWC completes another CSL test and
demonstrates soundness of the concrete shaft. KIWC completed repairs at Shaft 245
and began working on repairing Shaft 145. KIWC will move to Shaft 144 in the beginning
of February 2015.
Consistent Span Stressing Trends – In mid‐January, KIWC had stressed six
spans. KIWC has maintained this positive trend and momentum from previous months,
stressing 9‐11 per month. Progress is being made both westward towards East Kapolei
Station and eastward towards Farrington Highway. At this rate, KIWC will reach
Farrington Highway by the end of February 2015 and East Kapolei Station by the end of
April 2015.
Pre‐Cast Segment Progress/Quality – The Casting Yard has been very
consistent in producing approximately 62 segments per week and is currently 64.1%
complete with segment production for the overall project. 2,028 segments have been
casted to date. Although 85 of the total 283 NCRs (30%) have been related to segmental
issues like damaged shear keys, concrete voids, and spalls, proper correction
procedures have already been developed and are being implemented.
Closing Out NCRs – NCRs were being promptly corrected, validated, and closed
out during this period. Both KIWC and HART have been working together to complete all
the needed processes for timely validation. A total of 22 NCRs have been closed in
January 2015. Of the 22, 15 were related to pre‐cast segment issues and 5 were related
to drill shaft issues.
D. Maintenance and Storage Facility (MSF)
Contractor: Kiewit/Kobayashi Joint Venture (KKJV)
Contract Start Date: July 2011
Contract Substantial Completion: April 2016
Projected Substantial Completion: April 2016
Project Description: The MSF contract consists of the operations and servicing
building, maintenance of way, train wash facility and wheel truing building. In addition
to the four (4) facility buildings, MSF includes rail procurement, special trackwork, ties,
third rail and other track material for the four guideway segments on the project.

KEY QUALITY ISSUES:
Two NCRs remain open solely until the dispositions are constructed including removal
and replacement of column base plate grout and MOW steel edge form, both underway.
OSB Grout Under Columns – The grout mix installed under the columns at the OSB
was installed without accurately measuring the water added to the mix and without
accurately timing the grout mixing time. The contractor is currently removing the
non‐conformance grout and replacing it with proper grout.
MOW Steel Edge Form – In order to erect the tilt‐up panels, the metal edging that
was welded to the beam flanges along line 4 was cut off of the beams. In the cutting
process, the flange of the beam was gouged at every location the fillet weld was air
arc’d out. The gouging is approx. 1/16 to 1/4 inches in depth along the flange at every
location on every beam.
Establishing satisfactory sub grade in track work areas which involves geotechnical
exploration resulting in limited removal and replacement of unsuitable expansive
material. Although the limit has not been determined, it is envisioned that sufficient
satisfactory material can be obtained from on‐site borrow areas.
4.3 Section II – Kamehameha Highway: Pearl Highlands to Aloha Stadium
A. Kamehameha Highway Guideway (KHG)
Contractor: Kiewit Infrastructure West Company (KIWC)
Contract Start Date: June 2011
Contract Substantial Completion: September 2016
Projected Substantial Completion: April 4, 2017
KEY QUALITY ISSUES:
Design – Design packages seem to lack QC prior to submittal for review to third
parties, resulting in longer than expected review times and additional review
requirements.

Field Design Change (FDC) vs. Notice of Design Change (NDC) – Changes
made to the FDC/NDC process in the latest Quality Assurance Plan (QAP Rev 7) removed
HART from the approval process. NCR 00029 was issued on Aug. 21, with a corrective
action response from KIWC proposed the same day. The proposed revision continues to
be reviewed by a HART FDC/NDC task force.
Sidewalk / Curb & Gutter installation – Workmanship on portions of the
sidewalk and curb & gutter does not meet specifications. Non‐compliance reports have
been issued, and a quality stand down was ordered by KIWC. A field meeting with the
responsible sub‐contractor has been scheduled to address deficiencies.
http://www.honolulutransit.org/media/315607/201501-monthly-progress-report.pdf
Honolulu Rail Transit Project Monthly Progress Report February 2015
Highlands
KEY QUALITY ISSUES:
Span 67 Damage and Repair – During the erection process of Span 67, the
underside of Segments 67‐11 and 67‐12 were damaged due to unbalanced support
from the temporary bearings. NCR 00144 was opened on June 17, 2014, to address this
issue. In February 2015, KIWC completed the temporary falsework needed to support
and slide Span 67 from its current position. The span is expected to be de‐stressed and
the segments replaced. Span 67 will be re‐stressed and brought back into its original
location in March 2015. The replacement is being done to ensure the segments meet
HART’s high quality standards.

Drill Shaft Quality – HART received four additional drill shaft Crosshole Sonic
Logging (CSL) Reports in February 2015. Two of the drilled shafts were found to have
velocity reductions outside of the acceptable design criteria limits potentially because
concrete was segregated during concrete placement, and two of the shafts had no
issues. Of the 215 drilled shafts that have been tested to date, HART has requested that
Kiewit provide additional testing and/or modifications to 40 shafts to ensure that the
shafts meet the specifications. KIWC continues to have weekly Drill Shaft Quality
Meetings with HART to discuss testing results, quality, the concrete mix, and methods
for repair.
Drill Shaft Repairs – Of the 40 drill shafts that are being reviewed in detail, two
new NCRs have been opened and submitted to HART this month. HART will not close an
NCR until KIWC completes another CSL test and demonstrates soundness of the
concrete shaft as well as when all HART comments are responded to.
KIWC completed repairs at Shaft 145 and began repair work at Shaft 144. The repair at
Shaft 144 will continue until the end of March 2015 and KIWC can continue with column
construction as the span continues its approach eastbound on Farrington Highway
toward West Loch Station.
Consistent Span Stressing Trends – In mid‐February, KIWC had stressed 10
spans. KIWC has maintained this positive trend and momentum from previous months,
stressing 9‐11 per month. KIWC has now left the Ho‘opili area and has reached
Farrington Highway in February as the span erection proceeds eastward towards West
Loch Station. KIWC should reach East Kapolei Station by April 2015.
cast to date. WOFH segment casting should be completed by June 2015. Although 93 of
the total 296 NCRs (31.4%) have been related to segmental issues like damaged shear
keys, concrete voids, and spalls, proper correction procedures have already been
developed and are being implemented.
the needed processes for timely validation. A total of six NCRs have been closed in
February 2015. Of the six, one was related to pre‐cast segment issues, one was design
related, one was for the superstructure, and three were related to drill shaft issues.

Concrete Plinth Quality – KIWC completed work on the concrete plinths under
the double crossover east of Ho‘opili Station on Spans 78 and 79. This is the first of four
double crossovers for this project. HART has inspected the quality of the work
performed and no issues were found. The trackwork will continue to be surveyed and
placed on its final alignment.
Flash Butt Track Welding Operations – Work began on welding trackwork
north of the Maintenance and Storage Facility where approximately 439 welds are to be
completed. KIWC is currently achieving 20‐25 welds per day and this is in‐line with the
current baseline schedule. KIWC will continue to report completed quantities to HART
on a weekly basis.
Quality Assurance and Buy America Audit – In mid‐February, KIWC was
audited by HART in areas of management responsibility, design control, purchasing,
document/process control, product identification and traceability, inspection, handling
and storage of equipment, nonconformance, corrective actions, quality record, and
training. KIWC’s performance was found to be commendable and no major issues were
found.
A. Kamehameha Highway Guideway (KHG)
Contractor: Kiewit Infrastructure West Company (KIWC)
Contract Start Date: June 2011
Contract Substantial Completion: September 2016
Projected Substantial Completion: April 2017
Project Description: Kamehameha Highway Guideway DB Contract (KHG) consists of
3.9 miles and starts 400 feet east of the Pearl Highlands Station and terminates 1,400
feet beyond the Aloha Stadium Station. KHG is made up of utility relocations, highway
widening, drilled shaft foundations, columns and aerial structure.
KEY QUALITY ISSUES:
- Shafts – As shaft construction resumes, the quality of the shafts will be closely
monitored to ensure any quality issues are identified and resolved in a timely manner.
- Sub‐contractor Quality – The Design‐Builder has been asked to improve their QC/QA
efforts as they relate to the work being performed by their sub‐contractors.
http://honolulutransit.org/media/322188/201502-monthly-progress-report.pdf

Honolulu Rail Transit Project Monthly Progress Report
March 2015
Highlands
KEY QUALITY ISSUES:
Span 67 Damage and Repair Procedures – During the erection process of
Span 67, the underside of Segments 67‐11 and 67‐12 were damaged due to unbalanced
support from the temporary bearings. NCR 00144 was opened on June 17, 2014, to
address this issue. In March 2015, KIWC distressed the span and erected the two
replacement segments onto the falsework. KIWC is still determining how to best to
form the closure segment. Afterwards, the span will be re-stressed and brought back to
its original location. This replacement is being done to ensure the segments meet
HART’S quality standards.
Span 17 Damages and Repair Analysis – During the erection process of Span
17, segments 17-1, 17-2m 17-11 and 17-12 were damaged due to unbalanced support
from the temporary bearings. NCR 00314 was opened on March 17, 2015, to address
this issue. KWIC is in the process of evaluating the extent of damage. Afterwards a root
cause analysis and repair procedure will be submitted to HART for review.
[Highlighting and Emphasis Supplied}
Questions:
a. Is the root cause defective specifications and/or a failure to execute
and perform in conformance with the specifications by the contractor?

b. If the root cause is defective specifications, does this compromise all
Spans built and to be built, place in jeopardy the overall safety of the Honolulu
Rapid Transit (HART) system, and throw into harms way passengers choosing to
ride The Rail?
c. If the root cause is contractor performance, does this compromise all
Spans built, place in jeopardy the overall safety of the Honolulu Rapid Transit
(HART) system, and throw into harms way passengers choosing to ride The
Rail?
d. What remedies are available to HART?
Damage Drill Shaft Quality – HART received nine additional Crosshole Sonic
Logging (CSL) Reports in March 2015. Eight of the drilled shafts were found to have
velocity reductions outside of the acceptable design criteria limits potentially because
concrete was segregated during concrete placement; one of the shaft had no issues. Of
the 224 drilled shafts that have been tested to date, HART has requested that KWIC
provide additional testing and/or modifications to 50 shafts to ensure that the shafts
meet the specifications. KWIC continues to have weekly Drill Shaft Quality meetings
with HART to discuss testing results, quality, the concrete mix, and methods for repair.
Drill Shaft Repairs – Of the 50 drill shafts that are being reviewed in detail, eight
new NCRs have been opened and submitted to HART this month. HART will not close an
NCR until KIWC completes another CSL test and demonstrates soundness of the
concrete shaft as well as when all HART comments are responded to. KIWC continues
repair work at Shaft 144 and completion is expected in mid-April. The repair is taking
longer than expected because low strength concrete only be removed and re-grouted in
6 FT zones. KWIC has continued with column construction approaching eastbound on
Farrington Highway toward West Loch Station in preparation for the segment erection.
Span Stressing Trends – In March, KIWC stressed 7 spans to date. A lower
number of spans were stressed due to issues encountered at Span 17 and in the spiral
between Spans 113 and 114. As KWIC continues to evaluate and eventually repair Span
17, span erection has not been able to continue moving westward towards the East
Kapolei Station. Due to mechanical issues and difficulty in keeping the truss system
leveled between Spans 113 and 114, KWIC remained in this area for almost 3 weeks.
The designer-builder has since overcome this obstacle and is now proceeding eastwards
to the West Loch Station.

casted to date. Although 101 of the total 323 NCRs (31.3%) have been related to
segmental issues like damaged shear keys, concrete voids, and spalls, proper correction
procedures have already been developed and are being implemented.
the needed processes for timely validation. A total of 31, 17 were related to pre‐cast
segment issues, one was for superstructure, 10 were related to drill shaft issues, one
welding issue, two concrete strength issues.
Flash Butt Track Welding Operations – Work began on welding trackwork
north of the Maintenance and Storage Facility where approximately 439 welds were
made on the rails. These welds cover track between STA 650+00 to STA 754+34. KWIC
has begun to move their welding operations to the Ho`opili Station area where another
347 welds are expected to be made. KWIC is expected to complete 20-25 welds per day
and quantities will be reported to HART on a weekly basis.
http://www.honolulutransit.org/media/329397/201503-monthly-progress-report.pdf

Honolulu Rail Transit Project Monthly Progress Report Summary

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