POOR QUALITY OF CONSTRUCTION IN THE USSR CONTRIBUTES TO FUTURE PROBLEMS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T01003A001800050003-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 6, 2000
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: October 24, 1963
• Content Type: BRIEF

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CONFIDENTIAL
Current Support Brief
POOR QUALITY OF CONSTRUCTION IN THE USSR
CONTRIBUTES TO FUTURE PROBLEMS
CIA/RR CB 63-87
24 October 1963
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Office of Research and Reports
CONFIDENTIAL
GROUP 1
Excluded from automatic
downgrading and
declassification
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This material contains information affecting
the National Defense of the United States
within the meaning of the espionage laws,
Title 18, USC, Secs. 793 and 794, the trans-
mission or revelation of which in any manner
to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
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C -O-N-F-I-D-E -N- T-I-A-L
POOR QUALITY OF CONSTRUCTION IN THE USSR
CONTRIBUTES TO FUTURE PROBLEMS
The poor quality of construction in the USSR has long been recognized
by Soviet authorities to be a significant problem. Recent eyewitness re-
ports by qualified Western observers and surprisingly candid articles in
the Soviet press provide fresh insight into the nature of this problem and
indicate that the USSR is increasingly aware of the need to improve the
materials and technology of construction. Poor construction practices
will force the Soviet authorities to make larger outlays for repair and
maintenance or to allow buildings to deteriorate and be withdrawn from
service earlier than would be normal for well-built and well-maintained
structures. Poor construction also gives foreigners a very unfavorable
impression and creates a measure of discontent among Soviet citizens.
On the other hand, projects of highest priority in the Soviet construction
program -- that is, projects of major importance to the development of
key industries and advanced weapons systems - - generally would be of
relatively good construction, at least functionally.
Criticism by US Delegation
The delegation of US construction men who made a 10, 000-mile tour
of the USSR this year surveying industrial, hydroelectric, housing, high-
way, and subway projects characterized Soviet construction as being of
generally very poor quality. * The delegates, although aware of the pain-
fully unattractive appearance of the monotonous, poorly built structures,
were more concerned with making an evaluation of the quality of the
basic construction. One delegate stated that with few exceptions the con-
struction which the delegation was shown by the State Committee on Con-
struction Affairs (Gosstroy) would not pass inspection in the US. The
quality of materials, skill of labor, availability of power tools and modern
The photographs in Figure l and 2 (following p. 2) are typical of the
quality of construction at some of the sites chosen by the USSR to show
the US delegation. When the delegates departed from the planned itinerary,
they found some construction that was even worse.
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C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L
equipment, supervision on site, and quality control were all criticized.
The delegates were critical of the basic structure (foundation, walls,
and roof), which would require extensive repairs in the future. They
did not think, however, that the structures themselves would collapse
because of deficient engineering or workmanship. On the other hand,
they were harshly critical of the finish (especially outside and inner
wall surfaces and flooring) and the plumbing and wiring, contending
that the work was so poor that a great deal of expensive repair work
and replacement would have to be done in order to maintain the build-
ings in proper operating condition.
In sharp contrast to this general characterization, however, was
the view of the delegates that a few high-priority projects which they
saw were well executed. The Bratsk hydroelectric power project and
the Irkutsk aluminum plant, for example, were rated as relatively good.
Clearly these projects reflect the work of well-trained engineers, good
designers, and competent organizers and managers, and they demon-
strate that Soviet builders have the capability to perform creditable work
on almost any kind of selected project. The lack of depth of such a capa-
bility, however, is apparent from the observations of routine industrial
and civic projects and housing, where the quality of construction decreases
in approximate proportion to the decrease in priority.
This judgment is consistent with that of earlier delegations, which
concluded without reservation that Soviet construction was unbelievably
poor. The harsher judgment by previous groups probably is the result
of their exposure being limited mainly to housing construction and to
the early stages of research and development programs. The 1963
delegation, on the other hand, had the advantage of a schedule :tilling
for exposure to a far broader array of construction, including a number
of high-priority projects. In addition, the 1963 delegation profited from
the improved international relationships, for their Soviet hosts were
much more willing to satisfy spontaneous requests to see projects that
had not been included in the schedule. Thus the most recent judgment
of US construction men is based on wider observation but nevertheless
agrees with earlier judgments.
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Thermal Electric Powerplant
Under Construction at Kona-
kovo, Kalininskaya Oblast.
Note the disorderly house-
keeping practices; the use
of precast rather than
poured-in-place concrete
footings; and the failure
of the reinforcing bars of
the column to match those
of the footing, making it
difficult to weld the bars
together.
Thermal Electric Powerplant
Under Construction at ona-
kovo, Kalininskaya Oblast.
Reinforcing bars do not
match, and most of them do
not even meet, making it im-
possible to weld the footing
to the column properly (it is
the usual US practice to pro-
vide an overlap equal to 20
times the diameter of the bars;
in this case the bars were
1-1/2 inches in diameter).
Thermal Electric Powerplant
(TETs 21) Under Construction
at Moscow. View from the top
of the boiler; note the uneven
joints of the precast concrete
wall panels, a result of in-
attention to details in cast-
ing the panels.
Figure 1. Illustrations of Faulty Construction practices at KonakOVO and Moscow, USSR ~pproved For Release 2000/05/12 : CIA-RDP79TO1003AO01800050003-4
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Cancer Research Center Under Construction at
Leningrad. Mortar joints are not filled and
pointed, thus allowing moisture to collect be-
tween the bricks where the freeze-thaw cycle
will cause damage to the exterior wail. tote
also the large batch of mortar dumped on he
ground and the piles of rejected bricks --
further evidence of shoddy workmanship and
sloppy housekeeping.
Precast Concrete plank in Tashkent.
The precast concrete wall panel
has an uneven surf ace and rough
edges, a result of improper con-
crete mix and dirty forms.
Road Under Construction ac Bratsk. Woocir forms
and crude screen.