Dear Mr Pointydexter sir,
That is a mostinteresting and though5 provoking post. You appear to be most knowledgeable in these matters.
Could you possibly give me your views on these following points?
1. All that you have mentioned seems to be a massive total of construction work. Without holding you to anything, do you have any vague idea what sort of costs these building works will entail?
2. What percent of building costs could one reasonably ascribe to the concrete used? 5%? 10%? 15%?
3. One would assume that the project designers and engineers would specify EdenHC if it gave properties like increased flexural and compressive strength and decreased permeability. From independent trials done in the USA, these properties have been proven. So it really boils down to the the question of whether using EdenHC impinges positively on the bottom line, ie the cost savings. Am I right in this line of thought?
4. What is the current cost of a cubic metre of LAID concrete? Could this cost of concrete go up by 50% when all the building work is in full swing and the demand for concrete severely strains supply?
5. Assuming that all the building works detailed get under way, I would assume that there will be a massive demand for concrete in Australia. I am just an ignorant Jamaican uncle, so please bide with me here, but can one assume that within the next couple of years, the price of concrete is slowly but surely going to spiral upwards?
From reading between your lines, I would strongly believe that there is a very good likelihood of a point being soon reached where the demand for concrete outstrips supply in Sydney and Australia, purely because the supply of the ingredients such as fly ash and aggregate will run out. This is going to put upward pressure on concrete costs , but more importantly, on concrete supplies. Am I right in assuming this?
6. If the constituents of the concrete become hard to source for these immense projects, is there a likelihood that the constituents will need to be shipped in, thus blowing out cost estimates? What would be the first concrete constituent that could possibly run out. Where would they have to ship this in from? What extra percentage would shipping this in add to the concrete costs? I am not holding yo7 to anything, as this is a hard call, but what would you say ( I know that that would be a totally wild assumption plucked from the air)?
7. Are unplanned for and unexpected rising cost of materials a major component of cost blowouts in construction? In my ignorance, I would think yes. Am I right?
8. I believe that it has been shown that EdenHC and EdenP will allow for less concrete being used in bridges and pavements. I am not sure as to the percentage saving in concrete if EdenHC and EdenP are used in the concrete mixture.
Assuming EdenHC is used at the rate of 1 gallon per cubic metre of concrete, and taking a stab that this would cost about $40 a gallon, do you think that savings in the amount of concrete used justify the use of Eden in these projects, especially with an eye to th3 concret3 supplies drying out?
9. Would the large construction companies such as Leighton seriously take into account the results of the independent trials on Edencrete already conducted in the USA, if Eden is brought to their attention now, as I believe that the projected squeeze in supply and projected escalating costs of concrete in Australia must surely be weighing on their minds when they competitively tender for these projects?
10. What time frame are we looking at for the big construction firms to tender for these projects? Do you believe that tender processes for these major projects are already under way and that these tenders are very very competitive, with projected cost increases of materials and manpower weighing heavily on the minds of those making the tenders and those putting out the tenders ( i.e. the Governments)?
11. Assuming that there is Australian construction company interest in the benefits of Eden, and assuming that the trial results from USA are accepted at face value, and assuming that these Australian companies will need to do their own trials, what time frame do you think these trials will take, at a minimum, before a company feels confident enough to incorporate EdenHC into its tender price?
12. The family believes that if EdenHC is used in Australua, and based on the costs of the Colorado construction, Eden could easily and quickly build a factory in the Australua, thus saving on transport and handling costs from USA.
As such, do you think Eden has missed the boat in Australia, or do you feel that it is a good product that is placed at the right time to capitalise on this Australian building boom if it can just present itself in the right way to the right people in Australia?
Just some random thoughts from some illiterate Jamaicans talking about this and that over lunch.
Yours sincerely,
Uncle Remus Esq
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