Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-08-10
City Hears Status
of Improvement Jobs

in concise statement prepared by j.
ID. Justin, principal engineer of the
Board of Public Works, anc submit
ted to Council by City Commissioner
w. H. Lynch, superintendent of streets
and public Improvements, ii response
to resolution adopted at last weeks
meeting.
In brief the Paxton creek fund
shows that there is still owing the
contractor S2,565.14 on the completed
work and that an additionaI $500 Will
be needed to build the remainder of
the invert through the section under
which the changed water mains will
be placed. This will make total OF
$S,165.14.
Four or Five Weeks to Finish
In the river dam there is still owing
the contractor S2,46426, and about
$500 more will be needed to place the
additional slabs and filters" of con-
crete. This will make a total of S3,-
064.26.
In conclusion Mr.. Justin ngures that
with favorable weather conditions
what yet remains to be done can be
finished within four or five weeks from
time of starting. This includes the
closing of the River Wall gap at Mar
ket street.
The balances however, need not be
paid for at once. In agreeing on the
final estimates, the contractors on
that they will be entirely satisfied to
wait eight months and six months
respectively for the remainder of the
money due them.
The Weather
In his statement Engineer Justin
points out that the total of the esti-
mate, on the creek work is s97, 7,79S.60
and the engineers estimate of what
it would be was $96, 6,720, an unusually
small difference. The sum due the
contractor was S15,9S362 and there
is a balance on hand of $13, 3,41S.4S to
pay it. The final estimate includes
$3,4S565 for replacing bridges and
sewers not considered in the original
contract.
aside from such incidental fea-
lures as the strengthening of walls as
at railroad embankments ETC. says
Justin in his report, the fact that the
appropriation is short is due almost
entirely to the delays occasioned in the
prosecution of the work.
Three Years TO Complete Creek
The contract was let in September,
1912. 1t called for the completion of
the work in 150 working days. 1t re-
quired three years to do the work.
The cost of engineering and overhead
| is in almost direct ratio to the length
of time required to do the work. Thus,
the cost of engineering on this con-
tract has been nearly three times what
| it would have been had the work been
completed within the time required.
The contract has largely through un-
! favorable weather conditions Dut part
| ly because of the difficulties OF the con-
tractor been delayed.
1T should be remembered" con-
cluded the report, that the contract
i has been through three hands and has
proved a losing venture for the con-
tractor. If the city were to pay for
| = ~ l. al i
many thousands more than the total
of the final estimate"
Why the river dam cost more than
was estimated is explained in detail
by Mr.. Justin also On THIS improve
ment work the principar engineer
says
The ''FIoated Formation"
"On July 81. 1914, the City Council
appropriated the sum of SIS, 5,000-to
cover the cost of additional founda-
tions made necessary by the lack of a
rock bottom A series of pot holes
requiring special treatment were also
found throughout this section of the
dam. Rock bottom was indicated by
the original tests throughout, but
when the foundation was uncovered
it was found that the test rods had in
many cases struck mere boulders. Ac-
cordingly, it became necessary to use
'floated foundation over a consider
able portion of the dam.
"At the time the appropriation was
made the writer stated thar 1t should
be ample to cover the co..;pIetion of
the work. In this he was mistaken.
When asked if he was absolutely sure
that the 81 5000 would be enough to
complete all of the remaining work,
he replied that no one could be abso-
lutely sure that some unusuaI condi-
ton might be encountered. 1t was.
fn
foundation method on nearly the en-
tire remaining construction. This is
the sole explanation of the shortage.
The engineers estimate or the cost of
meeting these unknown conditions
| (although at the time apparently
| liberaD proved inadequate, wnen the
unknown conditions were actually un-
covered. Your engineer regrets that
he did not emphasize more emphatic
ally the great uncertainty which at
taches to any estimate or cost where
foundation conditions are uncertain.
The Unit Contract
"In considering the shortage in these
funds, it should be remembered that
| thees contracts are unit pr-ce' con-
| tracts that is, to take a specific case,
contractor agrees to place concrete
at, say ss per cubic yard. Tne num-
ber of cubic yards which he places un-
der the contract is variaoTe within
wide limits. The total of the bids gen.
orally published by newspapers wnen
contract is awarded is merely the
engineers prediction of the amounr
of work that will be done under the
contract 1t should be considered in
much the same manner as the esti-
mate made by some business r1rms, as
to the amount of business they expect
| to do during the year Conditions at
the time unknown may, when they
develop, cause considerable variation
/ between the estimate or prediction and
the accomplished facts
Engineers. nowadays, the world
over, prefer the unit price contract,
! as it removes much of the uncertainty
! in bidding and thus saves money as
contractors do not have to tack a
! large sum on their bid to cover un-
unknown work. The lump sum style
of contract is now generally used only
on small sewer contracts. These facts
have an essential bearing on the sub
| ject as many people have the err
roneous impression that our contrac-
tors had agreed to perform their work
for certain fixed sum-"
Mr.. Lynch's Statement
In submitting Mr.. Justin's report,
Commissioner Lynch said:
"Mr President and Gentlemen
"In presenting the concise state
ment of Mr.. Justin concerning the
| financial status of the moneys used for
constructing the dam across the river
and the paving of Paxton Creek which
! statement shows shortage, / have to
say that taking into consideration the