Dear Editor,
I refer to Mr Charles Sohan’s letter in KN dated February 25 re the interview with Mr Phillip Allsopp of February 23 in the same newspaper about the recent flooding in Georgetown and the location of new Marriott Hotel. I would like to state that it would be more appropriate for Mr Allsopp as a soil expert to comment on the type of foundation designed for this structure by the Chinese rather than dabbling in drainage and irrigation concerning which he has little experience.
This type of foundation known as caissons is normally designed and built on a rock foundation and not on a clay foundation. I believe in the Marriott’s case it is probably founded on the coropina clay below, and I have doubts in my mind about the pile-bearing ability to sustain the loadings if this is the case.
Normally in Guyana timber or concrete piles are designed to be supported by adhesion and some end bearing in the coropina clay. I would like to comment more if I can see the drawings and know how the piling works were carried out.
As the engineer who was involved in the construction of the Georgetown Sea Defences in 1972, if you have erosion in front of the Marriott all you have to do is continue the sea defence construction westwards.
I would also welcome the comments of other soil experts in Guyana as well.
Yours faithfully,
Malcolm Alli
