Title
Emergency Storm Sewer Repair at Franklin Loebe Center
History
On Friday, May 17, 2024, Public Works crews responded to a sinkhole that formed in the driveway to the Franklin Loebe Center (FLC) parking lot. The initial investigation showed that the sinkhole formed over the corrugated metal pipe (CMP) that connects the Village Hall pond to the waterway in front of the Recreation Admin building. Further investigation revealed the CPM is failing. Large holes in the pipe are causing water to erode the ground on the outside, which is causing the sinkholes.
The sink hole took two (2) full loads of a one (1) ton dump truck to fill in, to make it safe for vehicle traffic. The parking lot and drive were scheduled to be paved soon, so a decision was needed whether to repair the pipe or fully replace it. Patching the pipe would be a temporary solution, while replacement would be a permanent, albeit it costly, solution. The site has continued to settle and lose dirt and stone under the road, and a permanent repair needed to be made.
Due to the size and location of the storm sewer pipe, Airy’s Inc. of Joliet, Illinois, was contracted to replace the sixty-inch (60”) CMP with concrete pipe. The Village has utilized Airy’s Inc. for emergency repair work for over the last fifteen (15) years, and their pricing has beat any other contractor. As the Village’s primary emergency response contractor for utility work, Airy’s routinely postpones other customer work to address the Village’s emergencies. Airy’s total cost estimate of the repair was $323,188.00. Pricing included the new piping material, stone, full restoration of the area, along with specialized equipment like a vactor truck, backhoe, trench boxes, and support vehicles during replacement.
The cost estimate was evaluated/compared for similar past work related to storm sewer main installations with other contractors and deemed fair and reasonable. Due to the time-sensitive nature of the repair, and to have the r...
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