CHAPTER |, SECTION 1
materials at all points, it was possible to decrease substantially the norrnal time required
for supply. [In inany cases, changes were received
too late to be incorporated during the initial
fabrication, but ii was possible to re-fabricate
at the Jobsite without anv serious Joss of time.
All materials, supplies and equipment were
packed for export, using where necessary the
facilities of a commercial export packing firm
at Oakland, California. These were transported
to the Jobsite in U.S. Navy or MSTS vessels
and were landed at either Vare or Elmer where
they were warehoused and then distributed as
necded to the varioussites.
Exploration was made early in the program
to aetermine suitable sources of coral aggregate
at Bikini Atoll, and from sampies tested dy the
Field Engineering Division possible reef locations were selected. As the program developed.
estimates were made of tonnages of aggregate
anticipated for various areas and a schedule was
established for quarrying and for crusher plant
operations at those locations. The same general
procedure was followed in determining locations
and timing fer batch plant operations at different sites. This planning, plus the aquisition
of a considerable amount of new construction
equipment, made it possible to follow the construction program with minimum interference
due to lack of equipment. The fact that B'kim
Atoll had not been used in previous operations
of this nature meant that some means had to
be provided, either by channel clearance or by
construction of causeways, to enable equipment
and materials to be taken to cach island containing a Scientific Station. The distance between Atolls and the difficulty of water transportation at Bikini Atoll, because of the roughness of the lagoon, added considerably to the
transportation probicm. The ficid prebiems encountered in construction of heavy preciselylocated reinforced concrete structures of high
strength design were of comparable complexity
to those encountered in previous operations and
required close control at all points. Concrete
samples were picked up at various construction
sites and were taken to Eniwetok for testing
in the laboratory at that site.
In moving to Bikini Atoll, where the then
existing survey data were inadequate, it was
necessary to set up an extensive horizontal control network covering all major islands of the
Atoll. Survey work was started ecarlv in the
program and its progress required a considerable amount of brush and tree clearing on most
islands as well as the rather difficult establishment of a rigid control point in mid-lagoon.
Limited transportation, security requirements and the frequent change ir scope of work
necessitated a careful balance of classifications
of men at any one phase of the entire program
and adequate forcasting of personnel needs.

With the firming up of the requirements of the
Operation, a rapid mobilization was effected
through recruiting offices in Los Angeles, San
Francisco, San Diego, Fresno and Honolulu.
From the effective date of OPERATION
CASTLE (1 January 1943) through 2 May
1954, a total of 3257 Travel Orders were processed covering single and multiple movement
of personnel. The peak in contractual employees
at the Jobsite was 2.313 and was reached on 7
December 1953,
As critical need arose for certain classifications, security clearances became a problem,
particularily with respect to the long investigating and processing period that was required
before an applicant or employee's services were
available to the project. Such problems were
partially resolved through haison with the Los
Angeles office of the Atomic Energy Commission and the Security Section of the office of the
Eniwetok Field Manager. ‘Two basic types of
authority granting access to the PPG were used;
namely, the “P"' approval and the "Q” clearance. As the “P" approval did not authorize
access to information classified ‘Restricted
Data,” it was necessary to send home all “P”
approved personnel from the Proving Ground
for the period of the test operations. This was
accomplished by 24 January 1954,
MANAGEMENT
The Contract was a Fixed-Fee ArchitectfEengineer - Construction - Management Contract
with the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, administered by the Field Manager, Eniwetok
Field Office, under the direction of the Manager,
Santa Fe Operations Office. It was considered
very effective for the purpose of this project.

Within

the

framework

of

this

Contract.

the

Atomic Energy Commission had wide latitude
to change the scope of work or services ta be
performed by the Contractor and at the same
time protect all the rights and interests of the
Government as to control of cxpenditures of
funds. The centralization of authority and responsibility for all features of the project by the
execution of the single consolidated Contract
permits simultaneorts action on architect-engInver services, procurement of construction equipment and materials. recruiting and processing
of manpower, construction, and operation; all
of which are essential ingredients in planning
c complex operation against a rigid end date.
The General Manager of Holmes & Narver,
1s.c.. directly responsible to the President of the
Company, was in charge of the over-all supervision of the Contract through the Controller,
the Contract Administrator, Manager Construction-Operations Div., Chief Security Officer and
Director of Engineering. The Manager,: Construction-Operation Div., exercised supervision
over the conduct of the operations at the) Prov1

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