- Splash Pad eagle feature will get permanent fix before next season
|
By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
- It will be after the swimming pool and splash pad have closed for the season that one of the features, though sitting in place, actually is working on a permanent basis.
One item of bad news through all the good news surrounding the new splash pad and the enjoyment it has brought to the community, is that what is called the embed, which is part of the base, for the eagle feature is the incorrect one.
For each of the features that Odyssey Water sent to the city, one of these pieces was sent incorrectly.
"Each of these embeds, that they sent to us in advance, as you recall, have been built into the concrete pad and then the features are bolted on to those as the finishing touch," said Randy McKnight, city administrator.
"Unfortunately the difference between a four-inch and a seven-inch concrete base is bad news and we hoped they would work with their engineers and make something happen," said Mark Jones, mayor. "I hope that we can make this positive."
The fixture that was shipped to Nephi to be the base for the tidal barrel with the eagle atop, the second largest feature at the splash pad, was not correct.
"It turns out that the base that was shipped to us was the wrong one and so it was the wrong size for the tidal barrel that we received," said McKnight.
He said that the contractor who did the installing of the splash pad equipment had no way to know, until the tidal barrel arrived, that the part was wrong.
"As they were putting in the toys, it came time to install that one, and it was found that it couldn't fit the way that it was," said McKnight. "We engaged over the next few days before the splash pad grand opening, in a flurry of phone calls and discussions with the Water Odyssey folks who manufactured the features and who sent us the embeds."
The company acknowledged that the mistake was theirs. Having agreed to that, the city began trying to establish the appropriate fix.
"The wrong base is established in concrete in a very permanent fashion," said McKnight. "So either it has to be cut out, which will be a horrific process, or some other solution needs to be found."
Midway through the season, a part was found locally that would allow a temporary fix. An engineer from Odyessy flew to Utah and worked to make the part so that it would do the job and so that the toy could be enjoyed before the swimming season had ended.
There is a very large footing under each of the very large features. The splash pad deck is on top of that so, literally, there are two-feet of concrete under this feature.
It is not going to be simple to cut out and lift out a four- or six-inch piece of deck. Then, in addition, the concrete chunk will be two-feet deep.
"It's nowhere near that easy because you have all of that concrete," said McKnight.
CEM, the contractor who did the installation, proposed an alternative fix to the one that Water Odyssey proposed.
"Water Odyssey says: 'We'll send you the new one. Tear out the old one and put in the new one,'" said McKnight.
CEM proposed an alternate and a drawing was put together and sent to Water Odyssey hoping that their engineering staff would approve the recommendation as an alternative fix.
The alternative was not accepted as a permanent solution.
"In order for the warranty and the product liability insurance to stand on this feature it needs to be installed in the way that it was designed" McKnight said.
The city tried to say, "You know that can't be the only installation design in the world that can work."
Inside the two feet of concrete which forms the base there is also number 5 rebar. It crisscrosses through, there is electrical bonding wire attached in the concrete and then, of course, there is all of the plumbing that's running not only to this feature but to the other features in the vicinity.
"It appears to us to be a very, very complicated fix," said McKnight.
Each of the toys was manufactured according to council specification and then was designed so it's not likely there would be one on the shelf at the manufacturers that would fit and could be quickly shipped.
Plus the size of the eagle tidal barrel isn't something that could be airfreighted, it would have to be trucked.
Water Odyssey has indicated that they made the error and will be responsible.
"They will pay the cost of tearing out the concrete, installing the proper embed and completing the installation so that we have a permanent fix," said McKnight.
The repair will cost several thousand dollars to remove the concrete: replace the plumbing, replace the electrical wiring, replace the rebar and then re-pour the concrete.
"You recall that we presented to the council the offer of a pretty significant discount off the final purchase price if we paid half of the cost up front and the balance at the time they shipped," said McKnight. "We did that."
It was decided to, at least, install it the toy on site so at least the visual part of the design was complete when the splash pad opened. Then the temporary repair was put in place so the toy could be enjoyed. Now a permanent repair will be made prior to the new season.
"We have been voicing our dissatisfaction with the manufacturer," said Jones. "They will pay the costs of repairing their error."
|
