CH45 - Hawai

Scribble, scribble.

"Perfect, huh? This contract doesn't need any revisions."

Silverstein signed the contract with a surprised expression.

Given his experience as a site supervisor at BR, he immediately recognized the perfection of my contract.

"All the credit will be attributed to your achievements. How does that sound?"

"Great, really great."

Silverstein's lips curled into a broad smile.

The contract was crafted to make it seem as though all the ideas for the half-price construction came from him.

If the half-price construction succeeded, Silverstein's value would skyrocket.

All I wanted was a simple reward: surplus U.S. military supplies and double the labor cost.

"Now, don't you need to explain how you're going to make this half-price construction a reality?"

"It's very simple. My construction method doesn't require landfill sites or breakwaters."

"What? No landfill sites or breakwaters? But it's a port!"

Silverstein frowned deeply.

Understandably, it was hard to imagine this with the construction methods of the 1960s.

"It's entirely possible. Just connect the land with an L-shaped seawall."

"Are you planning to create a temporary harbor with mooring buoys or something?"

"What nonsense? Buoys? This is a cement structure. It functions as a breakwater and a vertical docking facility for large tankers."

The structure I was describing was a massive cement grid structure called a caisson, placed like a dock.

Though there are various modifications, it's generally referred to as the caisson method, and by the 21st century, it became a standard in port construction.

This method is cost-effective, durable, accommodates large vessels, and significantly reduces construction time.

"Who do you think you're fooling? Building a cement structure in the sea without landfill? Do they have underwater concrete in Korea or something?"

Though underwater concrete admixtures were common in the 21st century, I had no plans to develop and use them here.

"Why would we need underwater concrete? We build the cement structure on a barge and float it out to sea."

I sketched the concept on paper.

Silverstein looked at it, tilting his head.

At first, his expression read 'Is this crazy? Can this work?' but gradually it changed to 'Maybe it's possible?'

In the 21st century, caissons are built on land and moved using specialized floating dock ships (FD ships), but here we had to make them on barges and tow them out to sea.

We lacked hydraulic jacks to move structures weighing thousands of tons, and we didn't have a dedicated FD ship.

It was amusing that I was using a method well-utilized by GY Construction, a competitor of Daese Construction from my past life.

"... Fine... Let's say you somehow manage to make the cement structure and float it. How long do you think such a flimsy L-shaped structure can withstand rough waves? It'll break apart in less than a month."

"Each concrete unit is designed to jut out like the bow of a tanker, and overall, the L-shaped seawall will be concave. This design breaks the waves (dissipating 20% of wave energy through overtopping) and naturally reflects the remaining 80% of wave energy out of the harbor. This structure is very safe."

"How do you know that? Did you run the calculations?"

Of course, I knew. The wind, depth, and currents here were milder than those off the coast of Ulsan, and I had participated in the construction of the new port of Ulsan.

I still remembered the design dimensions we applied then.

"Send the design to BR's headquarters for computer calculations. The average depth is 21.8 meters, the wave period is 12.9 seconds, and the maximum wave height from the SE direction is 8.7 meters. We measured this data ourselves."

I handed Silverstein the data on the wind, depth, and currents off the coast.

In the 21st century, I could calculate it myself with a numerical analysis program, but in the 1960s, it had to be done in the U.S.

"CS, did you calculate this in your head?"

"Based on my calculations, a 38-meter wide, 3.5-kilometer long concrete structure is sufficient. If you're still skeptical, contact the headquarters and ask them to calculate with incoming waves from the S, SE, and SSE directions."

I was confident.

When we built the new port of Ulsan under harsher conditions, we used exactly 100 caissons, each 38 meters wide and 35 meters long.

"But... this is... too risky."

That was the reaction I expected.

It was rather a relief, indicating that Silverstein didn't find it utterly reckless.

"Hey, Silverstein. How long do you plan to stay stuck in Vietnam? With this method, we can build the port in a year. Partial operation is possible within three months! What happens if we build a port that can accommodate an 80,000-ton Panamax tanker in three months?"

"What happens? If it succeeds, it'll be incredible. The whole world will follow! It's an amazing new method!"

"No, not just the method. What about you?"

"Me? What happens to me?"

Silverstein was dumbfounded.

"You'll become the greatest port engineer of this century. You'll skip the chief engineer title and become a master. Then, you can enjoy cocktails on the beach in Hawaii, living a lavish life. That's the life!"

"Hawaii... living lavishly... that's the life..."

Silverstein started to imagine.

Once the imagination starts, it's hard to stop.

"Rent me two cranes, four cement trucks, one pile driver, two dredgers, and two barges. I'll prove it within a month."

"... Can you really do it?"

"If you don't believe me, watch for a month. If you're convinced, report it then. How about it? You have that authority, right?"

"..."

"Silverstein, why? Don't you believe me? If you're going to give up, tear up the contract now. Then I'll deal directly with the engineers."

"Wait. Who said I was giving up?"

When I tried to grab the contract, Silverstein was startled and grabbed my arm.

"Decide. Are you in or out?"

"A month... Just one month. You need to show results within that time."

"Why worry? I'll prove it. If I wasn't confident, I wouldn't have started. Sign the equipment rental agreement too."

Silverstein hesitated briefly, then signed the equipment rental agreement. Okay!!!!

"Use the construction equipment as you please. But only for a month. No more!"

"Don't worry, Silverstein."

Once the equipment is in my hands, it's mine.

The first button was fastened perfectly.

***

Bustling sounds.

After signing the contract with Silverstein, I drove the truck to the storage yard, where employees were already gathered.

No one cared about the scorching sun.

They were making $70, sometimes $100 a week; no one worried about getting a tan.

Moreover, everyone wore Polytech face masks and sleeves, so they didn't get tanned much.

"How are you all holding up?"

"Yes! Boss. It's great."

"Good food, plenty of water for washing, it's perfect."

"The most important thing is not getting shot! Everyone knows that, right?"

"Hahaha."

Everyone laughed at my words.

The atmosphere was good. Even my father, who had been shot once, added to the laughter.

"Alright, enough talk. Ready to make money?"

"Yes!!!"

"We're starting three shifts today, and you know overtime pay is 1.5 times the hourly rate after hitting the quota, right?"

"Wow!!!"

"What's the most important thing?"

"Safety! Safety! Safety!"

"We're making caissons, which are grid-like concrete structures. Think of them as empty apartments. We'll make them on the barge and then float them out to create the port."

"?????"

The employees looked bewildered.

They probably didn't understand a word I said.

"Hang this on the flagpole."

"Yes, boss."

I handed over a banner from the truck.

There was a Taegukgi at the B section storage yard.

This was where the Korean army was stationed... something like that.

Hanging the banner under the Taegukgi felt good.

Whoosh.

The large banner unfurled in the sea breeze.

Several employees fastened the banner securely, making it taut like a sail in the wind.

As expected, our employees were veterans.

They did what was needed without being told.

"Wow."

The employees cheered as they saw the banner's illustration. The banner depicted the general construction method and the caisson structure, making it easy to understand.

They didn't question whether such a new method was possible.

If I said it was, they just believed it.

"So, a caisson is like an apartment with empty rooms."

"It's more like a multi-family house than an apartment, right? It has 15 rooms. The protruding rooms must be the most expensive."

"It's just setting up a steel frame and pouring concrete to make walls. It's not that hard."

"Look, our team only has to do dredging."

"Our team is the concrete team."

"Our team is making slip form molds? Moving molds?"

"Foreman, our team is fixing the barge. I guess we're driving stakes into the sea."

Each team was busy analyzing the banner.

"Each team has detailed instructions on these documents. Team leaders, check the quality standards and you can rest after completing your daily tasks."

I distributed the unit specifications I had prepared.

"If we finish the tasks early, do we get more work?"

"Of course. We need

 to make a hundred of these caissons. There's plenty of work. But you need to sleep too. If you fall asleep on the job and get hurt, you'll end your life without becoming rich. Safety! Safety! Safety!"

"Safety! Safety! Safety!"

The employees echoed the call for safety.

"Shout it out. We're definitely going back to our families! We'll make a fortune and go back!"

"Make a fortune and go back!"

"Safety! Safety! Safety!"

"Safety! Safety! Safety!"

"Louder! I will become rich. Aaaah!"

"I will become rich. Aaaah!"

As I shouted towards the sea, the employees followed enthusiastically.

If we built a proper port here, it would change history. Ships much larger than originally planned would dock, and it would develop into a much larger logistics base.

More military supplies would come here than to Saigon, located further south.

I could sell my goods more easily and potentially take advantage of the Vietnam boom that Japan once enjoyed. History is meant to be changed for my benefit.

In the fall of 1965, we were ablaze with determination.

Vietnam was still in summer.

***

Two weeks later,

Crash, crash.

The coast of Qui Nhon was filled with all sorts of noises.

Most of the noise came from us.

"Hey, you crazy bastard. Can't you even read that? What's the main pump pressure?"

<It's 20 psi.>

"Damn, the pump is completely blocked. If the pressure is that off, you should radio immediately, you idiot."

<Sorry! What should I do, team leader?>

"What do you mean, what should you do? Radio the boss right now."

There was chaos between the dredger operator and the signalman reading the gauge.

Crash, crash.

'Ah, they're breaking things nicely. Good, good.'

I climbed onto the roof of the B section construction office and enjoyed the noise from the construction site.

Watching the work progress smoothly while the equipment gradually turned to junk was immensely satisfying.

Especially when the expensive dredger occasionally chewed on a rock, it felt even better.

It was an obvious accident, and the employees learned something, making it a win-win situation.

<Emergency! Emergency! Boss, the dredger hose is blocked. What should we do?>

As expected, I received an emergency radio call.

There are various types of dredgers, but BR's dredger used a vacuum pump to suck up sand and silt from the seabed and discharge it.

It's called a suction pump dredger, a more advanced form than a grab dredger, which uses large claws to scoop the bottom.

An advanced form doesn't mean it has no drawbacks.

While scraping the seabed, it sometimes encounters large coral reefs or rocks.

At those times, it must gradually crush them with a cutter attached to the dredger's mouth before sucking them up.

But now, a rock was stuck in the suction hose.

It's like choking while eating in a hurry.

"You can hear it from here. Reverse the winch motor, target speed 500 RPM!"

I'm the jack-of-all-trades in this area.

I spent most of my day watching the site from the roof, which I had equipped with a parasol and a chair.

For an average person, it would be a height inducing acrophobia, but for someone with my experience, it was the preferred spot.

Enjoying the cool sea breeze while overseeing the entire site, there was no better place.

<Reverse 500 the winch motor, target speed RPM>

When the winch motor runs in reverse, the dredger spits out the obstruction in the suction hose.

Amidst another crash, ambiguous-sized rocks were expelled.

I could tell just by the sound.

Experience is mighty.

"Dredging team leader, now. Crush it with the cutter."

<Yes, boss.>

The cutter at the end of the suction hose began to crush the rocks like mashing potatoes with a fork.

"Signalman, read the main pump gauge."

<12 psi, normal, boss.>

"Check the swing anchor tension (dredger position fixation)."

<No more than 20,000 kgf in all directions. Dredger position secure.>

"Okay, stop the winch motor. Restart the main pump!"

<Yes, boss.>

"Situation resolved. Signalman, one warning."

<Sorry, boss.>

Although I gave a warning, such incidents were routine.

Rather, it heightened the tension on-site, preventing major accidents and increasing the employees' experience points.

"Hey, CS."

"Welcome, Silverstein."

As soon as I put down the radio, Silverstein showed up.

"Want a Coke?"

"Sure. Is it cold?"

"Of course."

True to his American nature, he came with a bucket full of ice and cola. And as a site supervisor, he casually climbed onto the roof.

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

We clinked our cola bottles and drank deeply. Ah, 1960s cola was rich and flavorful.

With no option for zero cola, I drank it freely.

"What brings you here? You were always interested in the caissons."

"You talked about moving molds and real-time concrete curing, and I couldn't believe it at first. But now, it's not about believing; it's just reality."

"What's the big deal? Just setting up a steel frame, pouring concrete, curing it, and repeating the process on a barge. If it's amazing, it's only because it's done on a barge."

"Humph! Showing off, huh?"

"Isn't it true that I'm great?"

"... Okay, fine... I came to praise you. The headquarters ran the calculations, and they're in an uproar. They say CS's idea is ingenious, and the design dimensions are really safe."

Finally, a response from BR's headquarters.

The reaction was overwhelming, wasn't it?

Silverstein must now realize how huge this project is.

"So, here's the thing..."

Silverstein hesitated before finally speaking after a long pause.