News

In response to the information disseminated in mass media about revealed defects at the construction site of the school for 600 seats in Kenkiyak village of Temir district of Aktobe region, Samruk-Kazyna Construction JSC (hereinafter - Directorate) informs about the measures taken and control regulations in force within the framework of ‘Comfortable School’ project implementation.

In the process of implementation of the national project ‘Comfortable School’ The Directorate carries out strict quality control of works. Technical supervision at the facilities differs by capacity: for facilities with 300, 600 and 900 seats it is performed by private companies, and facilities with 1200 seats are inspected by Samruk-Kazyna Development LLP.

There is a shortage of professional construction companies and qualified specialists in the western region of Kazakhstan. Competitive procedures for technical supervision of the construction of the Kenkiyak school have been held several times, including on 3 September and 17 October 2023, but no bids were received from potential suppliers. Therefore, Samruk-Kazyna Development LLP was selected on 15 April 2024 to perform technical supervision of the site in a special order.

Works on the Kenkiyak site were suspended due to defects identified in the structure, according to the results of the planned comprehensive inspection of the Working Committee of Samruk-Kazyna Construction, which arrived to check the technical condition of the building on 19 October 2024.

According to the results of the commission's work the following defects were identified:

• Cracks in the prefabricated foundations of blocks A and B along axes 7 and 11 at -3.200;
• Cracks in brickwork at 0.000, +3.200 and +6.400 on a number of axes, affecting bearing walls and partitions;
• Superficial failure of the concrete monolithic belt and support pads.

A video circulated online shows the locations where marks from samples taken for laboratory tear-off tests and structural strength analyses can be seen. The video has misled the public: the marks visible in the video have caused criticism online, but they are the result of laboratory tests initiated by our technical supervisor, who conducted a routine inspection of the school building for technical compliance. These samples were performed by a commission commissioned by the management of Samruk-Kazyna Construction even before the video was released.

According to the preliminary conclusion of the technical supervision, the defects were caused by poor maintenance of concrete in hot weather. According to the production log, at the time of casting the concrete structures, the air temperature was +33°C, which could have affected the quality of the concrete if insufficient care was taken. In such conditions, the contractor should have applied protective measures to ensure the strength of the concrete.

It cannot be ruled out that the responsibility for the identified defects also lies with the responsible technical supervision representative, who failed to notify the management in a timely manner. The mortar at this site was prepared using a carmix machine due to the lack of a nearby concrete plant, which may have resulted in non-compliance with standards.

The Commission instructed the general contractor to engage a construction laboratory to conduct non-destructive testing or tear-off tests to determine the strength of the concrete of the monolithic belt and additionally provide a report of the technical inspection of the building to an independent accredited laboratory.

Laboratory tests of the structure strength are currently being carried out and the results are expected on 29 October 2024. Based on the results of the tests, a set of measures will be developed to strengthen the load-bearing elements and eliminate defects. A company from Astana, which has experience in eliminating similar defects, has been selected to carry out the work and will promptly start bringing the load-bearing structures to a proper condition after the studies are completed.

At the start of construction of the Kenkiyak School in 2023, a 1.5 block monolithic belt was found to be out of compliance with the Concrete Strength Meter (CSM). As a consequence, the contractor was obliged to dismantle three rows of blocks and redo the entire work.

Taking into account these facts, by order of the head of the Board of Samruk-Kazyna Construction JSC, a special independent expert commission has been established, which will conduct a thorough investigation of the identified defects. The commission should determine the current technical condition of the building, as well as make proposals for further actions. At the same time, although the first laboratory samples have already been sent for testing, it has been instructed to engage at least two more independent laboratories, including the specialised Kazakh Multidisciplinary Institute for Reconstruction and Development, to conduct additional tests.

The commission will check the technical compliance of all facilities under construction under the national project, which will be a kind of double quality control and will ensure that any irregularities are prevented by all participants, including contractors, suppliers and engineering staff.

For the time being, all construction activities at the Kenkiyak site have been temporarily suspended. The engineering staff has also been completely replaced. Project managers from both the contractor and the Directorate have been suspended from their duties until the circumstances are fully clarified. Completion certificates have not been signed, payment has not been made and will not be made until quality issues are resolved. No facts of misappropriation of funds have been revealed.

All photo and video materials and other necessary documents have been uploaded to the e-qurylys system for comfortable schools. Representatives of technical supervision are at the sites on a daily basis and keep a log of works, and author's supervision is conducted 2-3 times a week.

It should be noted that under the terms of the EPC contract the general contractor has warranty obligations for 5 years for building structures and 3 years for technological equipment. The issue is under control of the Head of the Directorate, technical supervision specialists and Samruk-Kazyna Construction.

In addition, measures have been taken to strengthen technical and author's supervision at all sites in Kazakhstan. In order to prevent similar cases, all facilities under construction by this contractor, Antarium Group LLP, in the region will undergo additional inspection.

It should be reminded that Antarium Group LLP passed the competitive selection in accordance with strict requirements to the tender documentation of the Directorate. The company had all necessary licences, experience in construction, qualified specialists, special equipment; there were no litigations and tax arrears. All procurements were conducted through an online platform, which eliminates corruption risks. The rules of tender procedures and requirements to potential suppliers were agreed with the authorised bodies - the Agency for Protection and Development of Competition, the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Atameken.

Samruk-Kazyna Construction JSC and its partners strictly adhere to quality standards and promptly respond to any deviations from the established norms. We intend to ensure a high level of safety and comfort at the facilities of the national project. All identified defects at the school in Kenkiyak will be eliminated and construction processes will be brought in line with the requirements ensuring long-term reliability and safety of the building.