CECB/CPCDP/JAEQR/AS/2022082 7th July 2022

Eng. Raja A Edirisuriya

Executive Project Management Director
Project Director - Colombo Port City Development Project
Ministry of Urban Development and Housing,
Chaithya Road, Colombo-01

Mr. Zhao Lei,

Authorized Representative -CHEC Port City Colombo (Private) Limited,
4th and 5th Floors, Central Point Building,
No. 54, Chatham Street, Colombo 01.

Dear Sirs,

COLOMBO PORT CITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT (CPCDP)

Jointly Appointed Employer’s Quality Representative (JAEQR) Services for Infrastructure, Landscape Works
and Additional Services
Contract No: CHEC/CPCC/318
Subject: Additional Service-Issuance of Certificates for Development Land Plots in Phase II Area

After completion of issuance of Completion Certificates for 17 Development Land Plot requested by
Project Company, JAEQR conducted a review of that handing over process. Accordingly, we could
summarize the history of the entire process and would like to share it, especially as we feel that the current
management of the CPCC may not be aware about the entire process to reach up to the current level
(Please refer to Attachement1).

In order to overcome delays in future land plot handing over works related to remaining 12 Development
Land Plots, 02 roads and 06 Public Areas, we have prepared a summary of outstanding works and would
like to share with the CTR to take quick action to submit the required documents for review and to install
22 outstanding Surface Settlement plates (Please refer to Attachment 2).

Yours faithfully
CENTRAL ENGINEERING CONSULTANCY BUREAU

Eng. A. Galketiya
Team Leader

Encl: Attachment 1 - History of Ground Evaluation of Phase II and Reasons for Land Handing Over delays
Attachment 2 - Summary of remaining land plots

Copies to e-mail:
Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development and Housing - secretary.udhousing@gmail.com,
Eng. G.K.K.A. De Silva, Deputy Project Director (Engineering) (MUD & H) – ariyaratna1958@gmail.com
Eng. G.R.A.S. Gunathilaka, General Manager, Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau, (CECB) - gm@cecbsl.com,
Attachment1: History of Ground Evaluation of Phase II and Reasons for Land Handing
Over delays
Summary of the ground evaluation process
1. In 2016, Royal HaskoningDHV (RHDHV) was entrusted as Employer’s Quality
Representative and they reviewed and approved all design documents, specification,
Method Statement etc. Moreover, RHDHV attended for Dynamic and Vibro
compaction filed works and ground verification tests such as filling material tests,
CPTs, PLTs, Settlement Monitoring works etc. and reviewed those field reports
(ROFs), Test Reports etc. pertaining to Reclamation and Ground Improvement works
in Phase I. Accordingly, By June 2020 RHDHV could finalize the handing over
documentation arrangement, certificate formats etc. and issued 39 no of completion
certificates for the ground improved Development Land plots after fulfilling the
technical and contractual requirements.
2. In 2019 CPCC revisited their ground improvement process and decided to hand over
Development Land Plots in the phase II area without applying mechanical energy and
prepared Justification report (AECOM Report) with recommendation of local Experts.
However, both RHDHV and Geotechnical Expert of CECB did not approve the content
of AECOM report due to following reasons;
I. Adopted PGA value in AECOM calculation was 0.043g and which was a very
lower value than the generally applied PGA (0.1g) in Sri Lanka. Moreover,
different PGA values were discussed in Expert’s review report and which was
contradictory with the original report.
II. AECOM report discussed only the area having 300mm allowable residual
settlement (for on or above four stories buildings) and considerable number of
land plots should have been considered for 100mm allowable settlements (for
below four stores buildings) as per the Master Plan used by then.
3. Meanwhile CPCC conducted 156 CPTs as completion test using a layout prepared by
themselves, but Ministry refused to attend for those tests. With absence of GOSL for
the tests, a contractual issue was raised against acceptance of those 156 CPTs as
completion tests under the provisions of Tripartite Agreement (TPA). However,
JAEQR verbally agreed only to attend those tests merely for witnessing purpose even
under a controversial situation, but not to comment on their layout etc. nor review CPTs.
4. Based on AECOM Report, CPCC submitted Design Calculation Reports, Specification,
Method Statements applying non-improved condition and reviewing of such reports
were not within our scope, since those submission are consisted of drastic changes in
approved design and as per Joint Instruction issued by the Joint Employers such design
review for ground evaluation has not been included in our scope.
5. Meanwhile Ministry submitted JAEQR another Expert report prepared by a Technical
panel appointed by the Secretary to the Ministry and which recommended not to accept
any non-improved lands unless otherwise JAEQR gives their consent for such
condition.
6. Subsequently CPCC sent us few CPT reports prepared using few of aforementioned
156 CPTs and JAEQR could not review them due to contractual issue based on GOSL’s
absence for those tests. CECB sent a letter to Joint Employers on this issue under the
signature of GM.
7. However, during that period JAEQR issued five completion certificates for ground
improved area in phase II, where RHDHV reviewed the construction and JAEQR
reviewed the completion test reports after CPCC agreed to adopt the phase I Design
and Specification for those areas too and to conduct alternative tests for rejected PLT.
8. Under that circumstance, with mediation of JAEQR, fresh talks were started with CPCC
and we could get CPCC agreed 0.08 PGA (approved value by RHDHV for phase I)
instead of different values given in different reports.
9. In order to solve the settlement issue, CPCC provided JAEQR the modified master plan
which consisted only buildings above 4 stories in all land plots.
10. Meanwhile JAEQR noticed that 156 CPTs have been done based on review method
used for Phase I ground improvement design and specification, but not following the
provisions of TPA.
11. Hence, in order to move forward of this handing over process, JAEQR suggested to
amend the approved design calculation report and Specification to allow JAEQR to
review the available 156 CPTs if GOSL agreed to adopt those 156 CPTs as completion
tests.
12. Under that mutual agreement, JAEQR and CPCC convinced to Executive Project
Management Director (EPD) in few meetings with support of Dr. Fowze and finally
EPD agreed to consider those CPTs as completion tests during the technical meeting
held in April 2021and then JAEQR got the permission to review the 156 CPTs.
13. However, in those 156 CPTs, there were many non-compliant areas with presence of
silty layers and sand mixture layers and CPCC Engineers did not have any idea to
technically justify them as non-liquefiable layers. That was the main reason for CPCC
to work hard for obtaining our consent for 0.04g for PGA through AECOM report.
14. Then JAEQR gave the reference documents to modify their calculation to justify those
layers as non- liquefiable and guided CPCC technical team to do necessary analysis
using CPT data.
15. In order to complete the frequency of PLT for phase II, CPCC finally agreed to conduct
few PLTs for phase II non-ground improved areas with contracting ELS, but ELS report
included some controversial notes on the consistency of the ground and which could
make doubts in all parties’ mind. Hence, PLT reports were inconclusive and ELS
refused to remove those notes or to justify the consistency of the ground.
16. Since JAEQR wanted to move forward, again JAEQR guided the CPCC team to draft
a report to convince GOSL on that matter and to give our consent for PLT results.
17. After all parties agreed on the handing over process, first of all JAEQR issued three
land plots but later we got to know that GOSL had refused to issue their certificate for
lease out some of those lands mentioning that those lands should be checked for
compliance on degree of compaction requirement considered in the Design. (In the
Phase I design, degree of compaction is considered, but not in TPA)
18. Accordingly, CPCC had submitted those calculation directly to GOSL without
informing JAEQR and later on both Employers wanted JAEQR to review them. On that
request, JAEQR reviewed those reports and gave our consent after correcting
calculation errors.
19. But subsequently CPCC wanted to remove that document from the process due to some
lands does not comply with the degree of compaction target. Then JAEQR with
assistant of Dr. Fowze convinced EPD that it is not required technically for
 Development Land plots and which was not used to review by RHDHV for phase I
area. In that meeting GOSL wanted to remove those unnecessary parts in the design
report and specification and EPD issued a letter to both JAEQR and CPCC not to issue
any certificate until submission of Layout for all CPTs, all PLT, all settlement plates
and approval of the amendments done for the Design calculation report and the
Specification by removing unnecessary part such as degree of compaction.
20. In addition, CPT frequency issue has been raised by GOSL for some land plots
21. Then CPCC wanted to include earlier done 34 CPTs to CPT layout as completion tests
but which had been done with GOSL and RHDHV as construction tests. Due to that
dispute CPCC could not completed the layouts and documents as requested by GOSL
but JAEQR technically accepted the adoption of 34 CPTs as completion tests.
22. Since, CPCC was waiting for a long time to discuss the above matter with EPD and
complete those required submission, recently JAEQR suggested to submit the CPT,
PLT, SSP layouts with amendments to the requested documents though adopting of 34
CPTs is not yet finalized and accordingly JAEQR could issue few Certificates for few
land plots which does not have CPT frequency issue.
23. Accordingly, JAEQR suggested to submit justification and Risk Analysis for remaining
land plots to issue certificate without violating evaluation process adopted for the
project.
24. By now JAEQR has issued all of 17 certificates after issuance of TRRs for construction
CPTs, DRs for additional submissions by addressing comments given by GOSL on
Specifications, Design Calculations etc.
Additional Commitments by JAEQR
1. During this period, JAEQR has to negotiate the GOSL to finalize new format of the
Completion Certificates and covering letter to include conditions and undertaking set
by GOSL and which was a difficult task and took a long time and prepared many
versions of those documents.
2. JAEQR has provided the technical assistance to CPCC to convince GOSL with correct
approach with no technical error.
3. JAEQR has allowed CPCC Engineers to work even in CECB Head office to complete
relevant handing over files and gave facilities to take print out etc. from CECB office.
4. Hence, it is obvious that so far JAEQR has moved an extra mile to help CPCC to settle
handing over issues by providing yet technical and contractual guide lines, more
significant reference documents, calculation sheeting and commenting for even their
draft documents.
5. In addition, before issuance completion certificates for land plot, we had to make sure
the completion of completed tests, installation and monitoring of Settlement plates,
topographical condition with refence to grading plan and physical condition of the land
since most of lands are disturbed for temporary construction by CPCC or the
Contractor. JAEQR jointly check each of above conditions with CPCC staff and issued
certificates by amending the documents suite to the prevailing condition.
6. Certificates have been issued in advance before receiving the final hard copies of the
taking over documents.
Attachment 2 : Summary of Remaining Land Plots for Review

Settlement Plates to be
No Land Plot CPTs to be reviewed
Intalled
Development Lands
1 2-01-08 C576,C577 SM 106,SM 107
2 2-01-09 C578,C579 SM 108,SM 110
3 2-02-05 C600,C608,C609,C610,C611 SM 97,SM 98
4 2-02-07 C602,C603,C605,C606,C613,C614 SM 100,SM 101
5 2-02-08 C604,C615 SM 102
6 3-02-07 C659,C660,C661,C662,C663,C664 SM 120,SM 121
7 3-02-08 C665,C666,C667 SM 118,SM 119
8 2-03-01 C651,C656,C657,C658 SM44
9 2-02-01A C654,C655 SM60-1
10 2-02-01B C644,C645,C652,C653 SM 54,SM 61
11 2-02-03 C623,C624 SM 57,SM 63,SM 64
12 3-01-02 C683,C684,C685 SM 45,SM 46
Public Area
13 2-P-02 C650
14 2-P-03 C637
15 2-P-04 C638,C639,C640,C641,C642,C643
16 2-P-05 C745,C746,C747
17 3-PF-01 C668,C669
18 3-S-01 C710,C711,C712,C713
Road Area
19 2-RS-00 All CPTs were reviewed
20 3-RS-00 All CPTs were reviewed