Letter to KP governor by University’s Faculty Staff Association cites discrepancies in structural reinforcement and contractor payments
Zulfiqar Ahmad
ISLAMABAD: The Chitral University Faculty Association (CUFA) has sought an independent investigation into alleged irregularities in the construction of the university’s Phase-I academic block.
It cited discrepancies between approved structural designs, reinforcement reportedly installed at the site and quantities included in contractor payment documents.
In a letter to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, copy available with ChitralToday, the association has called for a technically qualified Governor’s Inspection Team to examine the execution of the publicly funded development project and determine whether construction work and payments were carried out in accordance with approved specifications.
The concerns raised by the association include alleged differences in stirrup spacing, reinforcement at column overlaps and beam-column junctions, the use of different approved column designs, and discrepancies in lap splice measurements recorded in the contractor’s fourth Interim Payment Certificate (IPC-04).
According to a technical presentation cited in connection with the complaint, the approved structural drawings specify six-inch spacing for stirrups, the steel rings used to hold the main reinforcement bars of concrete columns in position. However, photographs included in the presentation reportedly show gaps of approximately nine to 10 inches in certain ground-floor columns.
The presentation reportedly identifies one column in which 16 rings were found against 22 required under the approved design.
The association has also raised concerns about reinforcement at column overlaps and beam-column junctions, where additional rings specified in the structural drawings were reportedly not visible in the site photographs, although quantities for such reinforcement appear to have been included in IPC-04.
The presentation contains an inconsistency on this point, citing seven rings required at column overlaps in one section and eight in another. The discrepancy would require clarification through examination of the approved drawings and original site measurement records.
Another issue concerns the two approved column designs, identified as C1 and C2. According to the presentation, all 232 columns constructed under the project appear to be of the C1 type. However, IPC-04 reportedly also includes quantities for C2 reinforcement, which requires four additional number-four bars.
The association’s concerns also extend to lap splice lengths, referring to the portions where reinforcing bars overlap to maintain continuity in reinforced concrete structures.
According to the technical review cited in the complaint, the overlaps observed at the site were approximately 30 inches, compared with 42 inches recorded in the payment measurements.
The approved drawings specify 30 inches as the minimum permissible lap splice length. If the site observations and payment measurements are confirmed, the 12-inch difference per splice could raise questions about the accuracy of the quantities recorded and certified for payment across the 232 columns.
In its letter, CUFA has sought an independent forensic engineering and financial audit covering the approved structural designs, actual construction, original measurement records, IPC-04 and IPC-05, and payments made under the project.
The association has also called for responsibility to be determined wherever negligence, procedural violations or financial irregularities are established through an impartial investigation.
CUFA has urged the governor to order an independent structural assessment to determine whether the reported deviations have affected the building’s structural integrity and whether remedial work is necessary.
ChitralToday attempted to obtain the university administration’s response to the concerns raised in the report. The Vice Chancellor did not respond to telephone calls made by this correspondent.
When the correspondent sent him a WhatsApp message seeking his comments on the allegations, the Vice Chancellor blocked the correspondent on the messaging platform. His response was therefore not available at the time of publication.
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