The work on the life sciences building at Gaustad will probably be delayed by one year. It will also be NOK 5 billion more expensive than expected. The new price is NOK 11.6 billion.
In 2018, the Norwegian parliament (Storting) decided to spend up to NOK 6.145 billion on the construction of the life sciences building. Later analyses showed that the cost limit would be exceeded, among other things, due to demanding ground conditions related to quick clay, the newspaper Aftenposten writes.
Over the past year, external consultants have made new analyses of the project. The report was finalized at the end of August. It shows that the expected costs have increased by almost NOK 5 billion.
The building will be the country’s largest university building and will, according to the plan, be filled with academic environments within health subjects, life sciences, chemistry, and pharmacy. It is part of the Oslo Science City project and is the University of Oslo’s (UiO) largest investment ever.
Asheim’s explanation
Henrik Asheim (H), outgoing Minister of Research and Higher Education, explained the increased price as follows:
“The main reason for this is simple – it has been decided that Oslo University Hospital will also be included in the life sciences building, so it must be expanded to accommodate them as well.
Asheim says the government will address the final cost framework of the project in the state budget, which will be presented on October 12.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayEducation
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Unless the problems with the clay have appeared after the previous technical studies of the land where you wanted to build up, I always have thought that these things did not happen in Norway. This is more proper from other countries were responsabilities and ethics are not so clear often, mainly in these matters. Where “technical mistakes” which increase prices in a severe way, are always asume by the State and not by the one who made the mistake. When the State pays, we all pay together because we all pay taxes somehow.