What’s the best way to solve a problem with a project? Anticipate and act on it BEFORE it becomes a problem!
That was exactly the goal of a team from our Caruthersville (Missouri) Area Office when they joined representatives from Dumey Contracting for a “Partnering” meeting on Feb. 19 at the beginning of work on the Elk Chute Levee Setback Project.
Partnering is a system for resolving issues on a project. It is built on trust, dedication to common goals and open communication. The whole point of partnering is to freely surface problems and concerns so they can be solved by a team effort.
The Elk Chute Levee Setback Project, located in Dunklin County, Missouri, will set back the existing levee embankment and flatten its slopes to ensure the levee crown is at or above authorized grade, reduce stability problems on the levee and ditch slopes, and improve the drainage into and along Belle Fountain Ditch.
Additionally, the workers will replace 25 existing culverts within this stretch with four single, double and triple barrel cast-in-place reinforced concrete box culverts.
At the Feb. 19 meeting the USACE construction team and Dumey Contracting discussed partnering principles and how best to incorporate these principles into the project. At the end of the meeting they produced a charter with the following goals:
- Job completed on time, within budget, per the plans and specifications and a safe work environment
- Maintain and foster a Partnering mindset throughout the project
- Use collective experience to provide the best quality work possible
- Maintain a safe and clean job site
- Open and clear communication throughout the duration of the project
- Meet all project milestone dates
- Process all requests for information timely to avoid delays
- Have fun!
Representing the Memphis District at the meeting included Mike Clark, J.R. Holloway, Gerrit Myers, Daimon McNew, and Jack Ratliff. From Dumey Contracting were Danny Dumey Jr., Tom Jansen, and Harold Sanders.