HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/22/1927 Board of Public Works Minutesr1,9J
Wednes&ayy, Larch Nth., I927.
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This being the date set, _bids were rece.ved., opened and read for the construction
of a sewer along Irvington, Fairview, Eckman and Marine Street under Improvement
Resolution No*1784. Bids as follows:
T5 " I2" 8" 6" Manholes Complete
Edward D'Julio 240 2.45 .50 I.I0 75,00
L. K. stolen 21695 260 I.00 1.00 8000
John F. Hipskind 2.90 2.60 .50 I.10 80.00
No Ind. Con.st. Co. 2.7@ 2.40 .50 I.00 75.00
The above bids were tabulated immediately and upon the recommendation of
I City 1rnginaer, H. G. Wray the Board awarded the contract for said work to
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the Indiana Construction Ooot at their low bid of 7,208.00.
Tabulation of bids as follows:
Edward DeJulio L. K. Molen John F. Hipskind Northern Ind. Const. Cc
!� 77425.80 79757,00 70798.80 7,208.00
aids having been received for the construction of a sewer along Irvington,
.;Fairview, Eckman and- urine Streets under Improvement Resolution No,1784, the
Board this I6th., day of March, 1927i hereby awards the contract for said impro-
vement to the Indiana Construction Co, at their low bid of 7,208,00
Continued hearing on Assessment roll for the Vacation of Alley between. Lot
66 Hendricks =nd Grants Addition and Lot IO -in,Kent and Garrisons dub, of Lot
I Hendricks & Grants Addition under Vacation Resolution No.1763.
In the above assessment roll, hearing continued until April 12th., I927
Meeting adjourned at 9 P. M.
attested:
*e4o-'th6 Boar-
TUESDAY MARCH 22, I927.
Board met in regular session at 9 A.,M. All members present.
Minutes of meetings held March I5th., and March 16th., 1927, read and approved.
The Board approved the Guarantee Bond of L. H. VF`ebster on the Mtgnolia Street j
pipe sewer under Improvement resolution Ko.1739. Amount of bond being I0 of the
contract price or $IOO.76 signed by -the Massacheutts Bonding Co.,.
Board approved the excavation bond of John G. Kestler, signed by the Hartford
Accident and. Indemnity Co for $I,000.00.
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Board approved the excavation bond of Fred P. Futter, signed by the London
& Lancashire Indemnity Co., for 31,000.001
Upon the recommendation of am. F. Qualls, the Board approved the following
street lights:
Installation of a 4000 lumen light at the corner of Corby and Arthur Street.*.
Installation of a I000 lumen light at the rear of St. Peuls Church between
Colfax Avenue and LaSalle Avenue on Laporte Avenue. Cost $22.00..
Installation of a 4000 lumen light at the intersection of McKinley & Jacob
Street. Cost 945.00.
Qualls, the Board. granted. the Postal 1ele
Upon. the recommendation of °m. F.
294
Tuesday, Yarch 82n&., 1927.
eraph effe Co.
J , permission to plate three poles on Laurel street .between Vashihgtan and
rson Street.
City Engineer, Mr. H. G. Wray, submitted. the tab-alatioiis'of bids
on the Northwest Trunk Sewer Improvement under Improvement Resolution No1774, Mr.
Wray's tabulation and analysis of bids on this improvement Is given in the following
letter addressed to the 'Board:
?Boa r of Public Works
City Hall,
BeW, Indiana.
Gentlemen:
I submit, herewith, for your fonsideration a tabulation and analysis
of bids received for the construction of the North-west Trunk Sewers'
It may be pertinent to remark that I believe the City to be fortunate
in having received rather exceptionally low bids. This is due in part, no doubt, to
our having been able to invite bids very early before the contractors had other work 1
on their hands for the season.
Our estimate for the construction of this sewer, while being a maximum,,,
figure, was nevertheless estimated closely and conservatively. The two lowest bids
are more than $250,000,00 below this estimate.
The `bid of Gedneh and Son's'Company, -being legally defedtive and reject
ed upon the advise of the City Attorney, and subsequently withdrawn by such contragtor,
is not listed in the tabulation. Such bid, however, for Precast Concrete amounted,
without liner plane, to $Is388,809,47, and with plates to $I,453*,6IJ.831,,
The- bids- as carefully checked and tabulated are as follows:
'.;Pteyast Concrete Pipe
Contractor Amt of bid without plates Amt. of bid with _plates,
Byrne Bros. gt5009000,00 I0665t839,88
J. J. Dunnegan Co. 2v4259466.15 Iv55JO85J.25
MONOLITHIC CONCRETE
Byrne Bros, IV6I7vOI0.46 lf,746,,I23,49
Ind, Tunnel Const, Co 1*420,340.06 IF457w626.I4
BRICK
Byrne Bros. Ir625jI53,06
Alternate bids were received for the use of vitrified liner plates,
for both the Monolithic Concrete and 2raftgt Concrete Types of construction. Such
plates.have never been used in South Bend;-r-andiwhjle offering a superior feature in
sewer construction, it is open to question whether the advantages accruing from their'
use are sufficient to justify the extra cost considering that the'Northwest Sewer
district is, at the present time, essentially residential and that liner plates are
only used as a safeguard against the acid action of industrial waftes. A principle
fI argument against them for this sewer is that the bids for their use 'run trery much
bAgher that we had estimated in our figures. Accordingly, it is my opinion that
liner plates are not necessary or -argent for this sewer* In what follows, I am dis-
cussing the bids without plates.
Two contractors have submitted bids for the Monolithic Concrete Type
of construction. The difference between the two bids amounts to $196,670.40.
Of these two contractors, Byrne Bros., who submit the higher bid of
$Ij617,010.46, specify and bid upon the Monolithic Reenforced Concrete and the open cut',
method of construction according to the city's specifications.
The Indiana Tunnel Construction Company submitting a Nonoltthic Concrete
bid in the amount of $1,420,340. i 06 spefifies plain or un-reenforced concrete and the
bid is offered conditionally. '.heir specifications provide that it is'Tunderstood that
the contractor is given the right and option to employ either the tunnel or open cut
method of construction*"
The City's printed form of spud-iftmations in use for a number of years
past, under the heading of Excavation, contains the following provision:
"S. No tunneling will be allowed unless i# the opifiii)% of the Vngineer
it may be necessary in order to pass under street railroads, pipes or other obstructions
to open cut. No tunneling shall be done except by his written order."
In addition to the printed ppedifications- the City's typewritten
portion of the specifications contains the additional provision that exca*ati on shall
be op'en by out.
There are recognized objections to a tunneling process of excavation,
and especially is that true in view of the particular ground. conditions that will be
Tuesday, March 22nd. 9 1927.
encountered: at the .site of the construction of this sewer, not to consider that the -
specifications forbid tunneling, as above referred. to.
As too -the u.se-of reenforcing steel in the Monolithic Type, the Cityfs Specifi
cations fully�-contemplate`reenforeement and the bidding form has the caption "Mono-
lithic Reenforeed Concrete."
The t Indiana Tunnel Construction Co., in bidding upon plain or un-reenforced.
V
concrete offers an alternative by providing in its specifications as follows:
"If a reenforced concrete section is found aesirable by the engineer, the
limbnsions as shown will be reduced in proportion to the amount of re -enforced
steel used*"
kl`
This is a veryyd-efinite form in which to submit a specification for reenforced
concrete, and would leave wide latitude for subsequent interpretation.
The specifications of such Company do not include a design for the 42 inch
and 30 inch sizes as required by the City specifications.
There.are other serious questions to be raised in connection with the Indiana
Tunnel Construction Company's design for a Monolithic Sewer, but I have only pointed
out the items in which this bid has not complied with or conformed to the City!s
specifications,
A Monolithic Sewer has never been cons-L,ructed in South Bend., which -is no ar
meat against it, except that it would be an experiment for South Bend,, and prudence
may warn against an experttent for so large a project as the Northwest Sewer.
One contractor alone offers a bid for Brick Construction, in the amount of
$1,625,152.06. Brick is a.high gracle construction and the bid submitted is within
the City's specifications.
is
The two bidders upon Precast Concrete show a difference in bids of $641533.85.
Both bids submitted -are in accord with all provisions of the City!s specifications.
The lower bid. on Precast Concrete, of the J. J. Dunnegan Construction Co., is
$5,126.09 higher tha3k the bid of the Indiana Tunnel Construction Company on Monolithic
Concrete. It should be explained that the cost of inspection for Monolithic Concrete
sewers is several times greater than for Precast Concrete Sewers. A reliable estimate
pf inspection cpsts for Precast bonstruction for the Northwest sewer is $8,000.00
$
to $I0,000.00. For Monolithic, a conservative estimate is $24,000.00 to 30000.00.
Using the lower figures the Monolithic inspection would cost the city (or property
owners) approximately $16,000.00 more that Precast Concrete inspection. This being
gan Comp $10,000.00
I the case the J. J. Dunne Company's bid is in effect approximately
f a
lower than the Monolithic bid of the Indiana Tunnel C6nstruction Capp 4W
Whichever way figured, the two bids are close, and the difference is slight
as compared with the immense aggregate cost of the sewer. On this account the greater consideration will no doubt be given the comparative merits of the two types of sewers 1;
and to the merits of the bids submitted as relating to the specifications.
It should be stated that upon preliminary investigation it appears that all
bidders are responsible financially and should be able to amply finance their operation..
besides being fully equipped and with records for accomplishing large construction
projects irith &ispatchm& ability.
It may be added that the question arises, in view of the actual lowest bidder,,
being legally disquallified, wlether it might be advisable to re -advertise and invite,
. I new -.bids. I am obliged to say that such a course under all circumstances would
probably be a mistake. As previously stated the bias received are low. It would seem
the b6tter judgement to accept a present favorable and satisfactory ,price -rather than
to indulge in speculation with the mere hope of better price, which involves the chance
of indefinite delay and a possible higher price.
I have discussed the tabulation to some length because of the size of the
project and the importance tb the City of -the interests involved.
Respectfully submitted.,
H. G. Wray, City Engineer."
The following letter from City Attorney,, I. S. Romig, gives legal opinion
in the matter of rejecting the low bid of Gedney &.Sons Construction do. Mr. Romig's
letters is as follows;
March 17th., 1927
d
To the Board of Works,
South Bend, Indiana,
Gentlemen:
You have advised me that a bidder for the contract of constructing the North-
west Sewer has failed to file with his bid the affid.avit known as "non-c-allusion"
and ask what effect, if any, this will have upon the bid... In, answer I wish to, say.
96 Tuesday, Yarch 22nd.. , 1927.
that the failure to file suchaffidavit is an irregularity under our statute and in
my judgement such bid should not be considered by you.
I also wish to say that I have been informed by the bidd.erts attorney
they have another reason, the bidder was disqualified from entering ento this contrac
for the construction of this work. As to this, I have not had time to investigate.
However, both defects are so serious that the bidder's attorney's have advised him to
withdraw his bid and check and this I understand has been done.
Trusting this furnishes the information desired, I am,
Very truly yours, °
I. S. Romig, City Attorney."
The representatives of both the J. J. Dunnegan Constyuction_Oo.,
and The Indiana funnel Construction Co-., appeared before the Board regarding the
awarding of the contract for same. After due consideration of the above mentioned
tabulations of bids -and ala&sis, the motion was made, duly seconded and unanimously
voted by the Board, to award the contract for the construction of the Northwbet
Trunk Sewer -to the J, J. Dunnegan Gonstruction Go., at their bid of 1,425,466.15
for Reinforced Concrete Pipe,,without vitrified clay liner plate. Therefore, the
Board., this 22nd.. day of March, I927, hereby awards the contract for the construction
Of the Northwest Trunk Sewer to The J. J. Dunne Construction Co. at their low
bid of I,425,466.15. for reinforced concrete p pe, precast, their tid being the lowest
and best bid submitted.
Upon the approval of City Engineer, Mr. H. G. stray, the Board
approved the driveway for a Filing Station at the corner of Oswald Street and Walnut
Street. Also for a driveway for a Filing Station at the corner of La6alle Avenue
and Main Street.
Meeting adjourned. at I20101ock Noon.
attested:
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