M/V Tustumena Refurbishment

Port of Portland Shipyards, Oregon

Owner: Alaska Marine Highway System

Client Name: Alaska Marine Highway System

Engagement Scope

The Sutor Group was engaged by the State of Alaska to review and evaluate claims in the amount of $8,363,501 submitted to the State of Alaska by Northwest Marine, Inc. Northwest Marine was the prime contractor on the project. The Sutor Group was also engaged to present the results of our findings as expert testimony in a contractually agreed upon administrative hearing.

Project description

The project included refurbishment of the Alaska Marine Highway System's Ferry M/V Tustumena. The purpose of the refurbishment was to replace and upgrade all accommodations and facilities in the crew and passenger spaces; to install a new handicapped elevator; expand the fresh water tank and upgrade the electrical distribution system. This was a "performance specifications" type contract with the contractor furnishing all detailed design and construction drawings, labor and material as outlined in the general design and performance specifications.

Entitlement issues

Design liability for working drawings and final design, constructive acceleration, Buy American Act, and differing site conditions.

Type of impacts

Acceleration costs, overtime inefficiency, schedule compression (crowding and learning curve) and out of sequence work. Cumulative effect of change orders. Extended contract performance costs. Direct cost impacts of changed conditions. Evaluation of application of NAV-SEA cost impact guidelines and Department of Labor Bulletin 917 (overtime impact) study.