Ratify Contracted Emergency Work - EPO CSO 27-28 Outfall Pipe and Water Main Repair – Selge Construction Co., Inc.

Home Browse Search

INTER-OFFICE MEMORANDUM DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES TO: Members of the Board of Public Works Michael Schmidt, Assistant City Attorney Public Works Theresa Heffner, Clerk FROM: Jacob M. Klosinski, P.E., Assistant City Engineer SUBJECT: Emergency Repair – CSO 27/28 Outfall Pipe and Water Main Repair (PO-0017455) Agenda Request – Ratify Emergency Repair Contract DATE: September 19, 2022 The Department of Public Works Division of Engineering, Utility and Street/Sewer teams contacted Selge Construction Company to assist with emergency repairs following two sewer collapses at the CSO 27/28 outfall pipes. The root causes of the sanitary sewer outfall pipes were identified to be caused by construction work occurring at the East Bank Trail along vacated Sorin Street where American Electric Power (AEP) / Indiana-Michigan Power (I&M) was installing duct bank for a new 69 kV electrical service extending north along the east bank trail to the University of Notre Dame. 04/01/2022 CSO 28 Outfall Pipe Collapse Location 1: During the afternoon of 04/01/2022, Newkirk (general contractor for AEP) and Kokosing were working at vacated Sorin Street near a manhole structure that carries outfall pipes for CSO 27 and CSO 28. A pavement area east of the manhole structure collapsed while a skid steer was traversing the area exposing the sanitary sewer, water main and manhole structure. 04/12/2022 CSO 28 Outfall Pipe Collapse Location 2: During the morning of 04/12/2022, Newkirk (general contractor for AEP) and Kokosing were working on concrete placement work at the East Bank Trail north of vacated Sorin Street. Ozinga Concrete trucks were using vacated Sorin Street as the truck route for concrete. Concrete trucks were traversing over the top of the CSO 27 and CSO 28 sanitary sewer outfall pipes which run parallel and under vacated Sorin Street. At approximately 9:00 A.M., An Ozinga concrete trucks rear wheels fell into the asphalt pavement causing collapse location number two. Assessment The root causes of the combined sewer overflow outfall pipe collapses are generally believed to have been caused by AEP / Newkirk / Kokosing during the construction of the electrical duct bank, construction equipment, and delivery vehicle loadings. With the amount of soil that migrated into the outfall pipe, the initial date of start of the damage and blockages in the CSO outfall pipes are not clear. Migration of soil into the pipe would have occurred over a period of time that could date back to the installation of the duct bank through this section of AEP’s electrical duct bank extension work. An exact reason for the 48-inch and 42-inch brick outfall pipe failures is not known. City of South Bend Legal Department placed AEP on notice and have requested compensation for the repairs.