 report
Rita Elementary School
Development Plan
Prepared for
Republic of the Marshall Islands
Government
By
Beca International Consultants Ltd
October 2003
RMI Infrastructure Development and Maintenance Plan –
Rita Elementary School Development Plan
Revision History
Revision Nº
Prepared By
A
Richard Woods
Description
Date
Document Acceptance
Action
Name
Prepared by
Richard Woods
Reviewed by
Fraser Vickers
Signed
Date
Approved by
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RMI Infrastructure Development and Maintenance Plan –
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary ..............................................................................................................1
1
Introduction ..................................................................................................................2
2
Basic Brief.....................................................................................................................3
3
Site .................................................................................................................................5
4
Buildings .......................................................................................................................9
5
Site Utilities .................................................................................................................12
6
Project Implementation and Costs ...........................................................................13
7
Maintenance................................................................................................................17
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RMI Infrastructure Development and Maintenance Plan –
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List of Figures
Figure 1 – Location Map ....................................................................................................................3
Figure 2 – Classroom Requirements ................................................................................................4
Figure 3 – Open Space towards Entry .............................................................................................5
Figure 4 – Open Space towards East ................................................................................................5
Figure 5 – Neighbouring Uncladded Building ...............................................................................5
Figure 6 – Entry Fence ........................................................................................................................6
Figure 7 – Police Substation ..............................................................................................................6
Figure 8 – Trees to South East ...........................................................................................................6
Figure 9 – Site Zoning ........................................................................................................................7
Figure 10 – Site Ventilation ...............................................................................................................8
Figure 11 – Building 1 ........................................................................................................................9
Figure 12 – Building 2 ........................................................................................................................9
Figure 13 – Building 1 Clerestory .....................................................................................................9
Figure 14 – Building 3 to be Demolished ......................................................................................10
Figure 15 – Interior of Building 3 to be Demolished ...................................................................10
Figure 16 – Water Tank to be Demolished ....................................................................................10
Figure 17 – Ventilation Analyses ....................................................................................................11
Figure 18 – Window/Ventilation Detail .......................................................................................11
Figure 19 – Staging of Existing Infrastructure Works .................................................................13
Figure 20 – Staging of New Works .................................................................................................14
Figure 21 – Cost Estimate (US$) Summary ...................................................................................15
Figure 22 - Building Element Lifespans ........................................................................................17
Figure 23 - Expected 20 Year Maintenance Expenditure -Classroom Building at Rita ES.....18
Appendices
Appendix A – Existing Site Plan
Appendix B – Proposed Site Plan
Appendix C – Proposed Classroom Building 10 - Floor Plans
Appendix D – Proposed Classroom Building 10 - Elevations
Appendix E – Proposed Classroom Buildings 7, 8 and 9 - Floor Plans
Appendix F – Proposed Classroom Buildings 7, 8 and 9 - Elevations
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RMI Infrastructure Development and Maintenance Plan –
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Executive Summary
Development of Rita Elementary School for its planned enrolment of 692 students requires extensive
building removals and replacements. All required civil works can be done in two stages, without
interruption to academic operations. Some modifications to existing buildings, beyond these two
stages, would also improve retained building performance.
Backlog maintenance and need for specific demolitions and/or alterations has been assessed by Beca’s
Asset Information Management System (AIMS). The development plan is predicated on the
assumption that backlog maintenance will be funded and carried out, and that a programme of routine
maintenance will be sustained in the future.
The development plan proposes the retention of the large open central area for recreation purposes,
with minimal encroachment by new construction. New tree plantings, walkways and a designated
parking area will further enhance the school’s image and performance.
Building design focuses on good response to climatic concerns. Natural ventilation and lighting are
introduced via windows and clerestory roof features. Time proven construction materials (e.g. concrete
blockwork walls and wood truss roofs) are usually specified.
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RMI Infrastructure Development and Maintenance Plan –
Rita Elementary School Development Plan
1
Introduction
This Project Development Plan (PDP) provides a guide for the future development of the existing Rita
Elementary School (Rita ES) on Majuro Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). Rita ES is
administered and maintained by the RMI Ministry of Education (MOE) which is also responsible for its
further development.
The PDP identifies site and facility development requirements for both the short and long term. Site
development focuses primarily upon the location and relationship of existing and proposed buildings
as well as site circulation, external facilities and site services. Facility development identifies the type
and intended use of proposed buildings, their layouts and elevations, general dimensions and key
construction details. The PDP also discusses critical aspects of project implementation.
The Rita ES base data and development brief derive mainly from information obtained from MOE, the
ADB Education Project Manager and Beca’s site investigations in March and April 2003.
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2
Basic Brief
Rita Elementary School is located at Djarrit on Rita Island, Majuro Atoll in the Ralik group of atolls.
Figure 1 – Location Map
The current elementary enrolment of 521 is projected to increase to 600, plus 92 kindergarten students.
All students and staff live off site. There is no brief for housing on the site although a local request for
two staff apartments is noted.
As Section 4 elaborates below, two existing classroom buildings (both badly deteriorated “Enewetak”
buildings), a toilet block and two large water storage tanks are in poor condition. They should be
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demolished and removed. Two other buildings can be retained with proper backlog maintenance.
They provide classrooms, a computer room, administration space, small stage and auditorium, storage
and toilets.
In light of the planned 692 student enrolment, the 30:1 students/classroom ratio, buildings to be
retained or demolished, and requested other space, a total of 16 new classrooms should be provided,
along with associated facilities. Existing facilities can provide for all other built space requirements.
Figure 2 – Classroom Requirements
Room Description
Subtotals
Required Elementary Classrooms (600 students ÷ 30 students/
classroom)
Required Kindergarten Classrooms (92 ÷ 30 students/
classroom)
Required Computer Rooms
Required Library
Existing Classrooms
Classrooms to be Demolished
New Classrooms required
Totals
20
3
1
1
18
-9
25
9
16
Site development requires clearance of the demolished buildings and siting of proposed new buildings.
Further requirements include surfacing of a ball court, as well as upgrades to walkways, landscaping
and site utilities.
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3
Site
The existing Rita Elementary School site layout is shown in Appendix A. Other site features include:

Large 2.3284 acre partially fenced site
with open recreational area in centre
and public road on the southwest.

Ocean to northeast and lagoon to
southwest across road.

Generally flat site about 9’ above sea
level, potentially subject to flooding by
extreme tidal surges.

Palm trees along the northeast and
southeast boundaries, a few large trees
in front of Buildings 1 and 3.

Police substation and two roofed
containers used by school between
Building 2 and the road.

Bus stop along the road between entry
gate and Building 1.

Sewerage pumping station (use not
confirmed) on site near entry and bus
stop.

Cladding stripped from previous
school buildings mostly on
landowner’s property across northwest
boundary.

LDS church to northwest behind
neighbouring landlord’s stripped
buildings.
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Figure 3 – Open Space towards Entry
Figure 4 – Open Space towards East
Figure 5 – Neighbouring Uncladded Building
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Figure 6 – Entry Fence
Figure 7 – Police Substation
Figure 8 – Trees to South East
Assessment
The Rita ES site provides adequate space to accommodate its planned development and possible future
expansion. Conclusions include:

Potential for siting planned new construction to take advantage of winds and to avoid disruption
of academic operations during implementation.

Little conflict between school functions and the police station or bus stop. The former may
improve security. The latter provides a pick up and drop off area for students.

Containers in bad location for air circulation and public image of school. Proposed new
construction will eliminate their need.
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

Sewerage pumping station inappropriately located on site.
Need to preserve some but not all of the open space in centre of site.
Recommendations
Appendix B shows a Proposed Site Plan which addresses known difficulties and proposes new
construction and landscaping. The 16 new classrooms are housed in four separate buildings arranged
at an angle to the prevailing wind for good site and building air circulation.
Figure 9 – Site Zoning
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Figure 10 – Site Ventilation
Proposed features include:

Designated parking for administration in Building 2, directly related to the entry gate and public
road.






Retention of the central open space and shade trees.
Removal of the containers and sewerage pumping station.
Construction of a ball court in the southeast corner.
Provision for a flagpole near the entry and rubbish collection area near the road.
Relocation of playground equipment and softball screen.
Upgraded boundary fence.
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4
Buildings
Building 1 is a recent two storey
construction of typical concrete block with a
clerestory roof profile clad in aluminium
sheets. However, there are few vents in the
clerestory which could have been used for
better air circulation. Building 2 is older but
in fair condition. Its single storey
construction is of concrete frame, concrete
block walls and aluminium roofing over a
wood frame. Both of these buildings can be
retained if backlog maintenance is carried
out. However, some modifications could
enhance their performance.
Figure 11 – Building 1
Existing Rita ES facilities consist of four
large and six smaller buildings. Building 3
and 4 are old “Enewetak” constructions in
poor condition and performance. Their
aluminium cladding is especially
environment and user unfriendly. Both
should be demolished and removed.
Figure 12 – Building 2
Building 5 is a water storage construction
which is in poor condition, as is the toilet
Building 6. Both should be replaced with
new facilities. Similarly, the concrete water
tank near the entry should be demolished
and removed in order to improve school
appearance and in light of proposed new
water storage in retrofitted polyethylene
tanks – part of a comprehensive upgrading
of water and sanitation systems.
Figure 13 – Building 1 Clerestory
Floor levels of most existing buildings are
about 1’ above ground level which is a little
less than preferred for flood protection.
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Construction of 16 new classrooms in four
buildings is proposed. Appendices C and D
show their floor plans and elevations. They
are two storey designs sited at an angle to
prevailing winds, with similar profile and
layout to Building 1 but with better natural
ventilation and light. Other features
include:

Window designs and clerestory vents
to provide natural light and cool the
interior without need for air
conditioning or ceiling fans (see Figure
17 and Figure 18).

Floor levels 1’-6” above ground level
for flood protection.

Toilet (one per classroom) access from
within classroom for improved hygiene
and maintenance.

Standard 20’x30’ classroom and
spacious lockable storage.

Durable watersealed concrete block
wall and non-corrosive Onduline roof
construction.

Non-corrosive fittings specified
throughout, including fibreglass rebar
in reinforced concrete.

Rainwater collection from all roofs and
storage in polyethylene tanks.

Building 1 should be retrofitted with
additional clerestory vents.
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Figure 14 – Building 3 to be Demolished
Figure 15 – Interior of Building 3 to be Demolished
Figure 16 – Water Tank to be Demolished
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Figure 17 – Ventilation Analyses
Typical Existing Ventilation
Proposed Ventilation
Light



Still/hot air zones trapped above/
below air stream
Air stream too high to flow over
sitting bodies
Radiant heat from poorly ventilated
ceiling space





Raked ceiling gives extra room
volume
Clerestorey louvres exhaust hot air
Natural light introduced through
clerestorey
Hot air ducted to clerestorey vents
Low sill height eliminates still air
zones
Figure 18 – Window/Ventilation Detail
Light
Air
Plywood sliding
panel
Louvres


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Ventilation separated from natural light
Air supply controlled by plywood sliding panel
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5
Site Utilities
Site development will require revisions and extensions to water and power networks. Existing water
tanks are in poor condition and require removal and replacement. Specific observations include:




New construction to feature polyethylene tanks for rainwater collection from every roof.
Existing Buildings 1 and 2 to be retrofitted with polyethylene tanks.
Local water mains supply to act as backup for rainwater.
Local power supply to be extended to all new construction.
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6
Project Implementation and Costs
Overall, implementation is not negatively impacted by site conditions. New buildings and site works
can be undertaken without interruption to academic operations, if new classroom buildings are built in
two stages.
Staged implementation of new classrooms and associated works will spread funding requirements over
several years with some benefit to overall budgeting. An economy of scale can perhaps be achieved by
bundling all Rita ES works into one contract specifying staged implementation and a mid-term
contractor performance evaluation.
Figures 19 and 20 graphically indicate the two stages of recommended works on site plans, starting
with construction of two four classroom buildings in an open area of the site, followed by demolition of
badly deteriorated buildings and construction of two more four classroom buildings in their place.
Figure 19 – Staging of Existing Infrastructure Works
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Figure 20 – Staging of New Works
Figure 21 shows that estimated costs for works total US$2,555,000, of which $1,240,000 represents first
stage implementation in 2004. The remaining $1,315,000 would fund the second stage in 2005. These
totals are comparable to those indicated by RMI in the 10-Sep Executive Summary to its “The Portfolio
Budget Statements FY2004 – Infrastructure Development and Maintenance”. Given the noted 10-15%
margin of error in estimation, development of Rita ES works (e.g. final design and documentation) can
now proceed toward implementation without major revisions to the design brief or recommended
works.
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Figure 21 – Cost Estimate (US$) Summary
Description
Total
Construction of buildings 7 and 8
Demolitions
Construction of buildings 9 and 10
Site Works
Construction Contract Total
FF&E
Fees (15% for A & E and Project Management)
Project Contingency (15%)
Estimated Project Totals
765,000
65,000
765,000
105,000
1,700,000
230,000
290,000
335,000
2,555,000
Stage 1
Stage 2
FY2004
FY2005
765,000
55,000
820,000
115,000
140,000
165,000
1,240,000
65,000
765,000
50,000
880,000
115,000
150,000
170,000
1,315,000
Notes:
Estimates are based on present day costs and have an accuracy range of plus or minus 10-15%.
Construction works for each stage will be carried out under competitively bid contracts.
It has been assumed that the FF&E will be purchased direct by the client and in such a fashion as to
optimise shipping costs. The FF&E allowance for Rita ES is based on 30 students per classroom and
includes the following:





A desk & chair per student
One teachers desk & chair per classroom
Two blackboards per classroom
One cabinet per classroom
A sundries allowance (5% of the cost of the above)
It has been assumed that planting and landscaping will be carried out as part of a community project
and accordingly no allowance has been made in the estimate.
An allowance has been included in the construction costs for GRT (3%). No allowance has been made
for the following:





Escalation
Planting and landscaping
Re-use of existing FF&E
Temporary student re-location
Legal fees
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

Consent costs
Land purchase
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Maintenance
7
The purpose of this section is to give an indication of the maintenance expenditure required to keep
each new building in an appropriate condition (termed as “very good” by AIMS in its separately
presented report) during its life. This required maintenance expenditure should be recognised and
budgeted for in addition to the capital works cost set out in Section 6. It should be noted that the
expenditure requirements for existing buildings are reported separately in other documents.
Each element of a new building has an expected lifespan during which it deteriorates to a point where
it no longer meets its service potential. At that point, it is necessary to maintain or renew the element
to return it to “very good” condition.
This life cycle approach to maintenance at the element level has been adopted for the purposes of
maintenance programming and budgeting on a 20 year timeframe. The elements included for
maintenance in this PDP are listed in Figure 22.
Figure 22 - Building Element Lifespans
Building Element
Expected
Lifespan
(in years)
Roof Cladding
External Windows
Doors
Stairs
Floor Finishes
Wall Finishes
Ceiling Finishes
Sanitary Plumbing
Fire Services
Electrical
External Works and Sundries
20
20
20
10
10
3
3
10
10
8
20
It is assumed that:

No maintenance will be required on the roof structure, foundations, framing or site works, as
these elements have a lifespan well beyond the 20 year programming and budgeting
timeframe.

The above elements will start service in “very good” condition and planned maintenance work
will return the elements to the same condition.

The condition of all elements will be regularly monitored and unexpected problems will be
identified and resolved promptly, regardless of expected lifespans.
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Using the above lifespans and assumed condition information, the AIMS methodology (see the
separately presented AIMS report for elaboration) gives the following maintenance forecast for a 20
year period. As the four new buildings at Rita ES will be essentially the same, expected expenditures
for only one building are illustrated.
Figure 23 - Expected 20 Year Maintenance Expenditure
Classroom Building at Rita ES
20 Year Maintenance Expenditure
100,000
90,000
80,000
$ (USD)
70,000
60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
Maintenance Expenditure
Year 20
Year 19
Year 18
Year 17
Year 16
Year 15
Year 14
Year 13
Year 12
Year 11
Year 10
Year 9
Year 8
Year 7
Year 6
Year 5
Year 4
Year 3
Year 2
-
Year 1
10,000
20 Year Average
Cost of Building Maintenance
Figure 23 shows that the total cost of maintaining one of the new classroom buildings at Rita ES over its
first 20 years of service is expected to be $135,000, or an annual average of $6,750. The total for the four
new buildings is $540,000, or $27,000 annually. This equates to 1.07% per annum of the total
construction contract cost including fees and contingency. Actual expenditure per year will of course
be determined by how the required maintenance is packaged into contracts.
Cost of FF&E Maintenance
In addition to the building elements, FF&E (furniture, fixtures and equipment) also deteriorates over
time. For the new buildings at Rita ES, the initial cost of FF&E is calculated to be $230,000. FF&E is
assumed to require replacement three times in 20 years for a total additional maintenance budget
requirement of $690,000, or $34,500 annually.
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 Appendix A
Existing Site Plan
Drawing A801
Drawing A801 Key
01
Existing Classroom Block
02
Existing Administration/Library Building
03
Existing “Enewetak” Classroom Building
04
Existing “Enewetak” Classroom Building
05
Existing Water Storage Building
06
Existing Toilet Block
 Appendix B
Proposed Site Plan
Drawing A802
Drawing A802 Key
01
Existing Classroom Block
02
Existing Administration/Library Building
07
Proposed Classroom Block
08
Proposed Classroom Block
09
Proposed Classroom Block
10
Proposed Classroom Block
 Appendix C
Proposed Classroom
Building 10
- Floor Plans
Drawing A803
 Appendix D
Proposed Classroom
Building 10
- Elevations
Drawing A805
 Appendix E
Proposed Classroom
Buildings 7, 8 and 9
- Floor Plans
Drawing A804
 Appendix F
Proposed Classroom
Buildings 7, 8 and 9
- Elevations
Drawing A806