Photo By Sgt. Brian Johnson | Spc. Micah Mahadeo, from Stanley, N.C. checks his equipment Feb. 10 to ensure a road...... read more read more
When Army engineers build, quality assurance is an important part of the job to ensure their construction is performed to a specific standard.
Ensuring those standards are reached are the members of 621st Survey and Design Team. They have been working alongside 1192nd Engineer Company at Camp Taji, north of Baghdad, to create an important access road into part of the camp.
When complete, the road will provide direct access for Iraqi workers and prisoners' family members to Camp Taji Theater Internment Reconciliation Center without forcing them to travel across the U.S. side of the base.
The 621st has been ensuring the engineers construct the road according to plan.
"After we do the initial survey and the construction crews begin their work, we help to ensure that the elevation and construction of the road meet the original design specifications," said Spc. Micah Mahadeo from Stanley, N.C.
Factored into the original design is a safety concern; ensuring the road is solid enough to withstand a daily flow of traffic from heavy vehicles. Members of 621st measure this capability with a compaction test.
The test involves hitting the ground three times with a 20-pound hammer. Measurements are taken at the site and calculated to ensure the road is compacted enough to support any vehicles traveling along it.
Sgt. Jason Andrews, from Akron, Ohio, serving with 1192nd, observed how well the road was constructed.
"With the 621st's help, we have built the road to even higher standards than what was required," said Andrews. "One of our construction scrapers, fully loaded, weighs over 45,000 pounds. The road has no give when the scraper is driving on it."
The original specifications required the road to support nearly half of that weight, but soil conditions made their work more challenging.
"The soil that was here was not a good quality for a road base. The 1192nd Soldiers have had to take out almost three feet of that soil to just get to a good base that we could work, pass compaction tests, and begin construction," said Mahedo.
They faced other challenges, including rain, wind and curious children.
"During part of our construction mission, we have had many Iraqi children come over and observe what we are doing," said Spc. Phillip Ford of Gastonia, N.C. "As much as we enjoyed reaching out to the children and giving them things, they became a bit of a distraction."
Leaders expect to complete the project in late February.
| Date Taken: | 02.13.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 02.13.2010 05:14 |
| Story ID: | 45298 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 266 |
| Downloads: | 203 |
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