Evening journal., 1916-04-22

Nhth lhlo lnCItdSe OF QeCledSe is 10
be made and no information is given
as to the probable extent of the
decrease or increase in quantities. As
the requirements provide for lump
sum bid, there should be no increase
or decrease made at the time the bids
are received and the contract is
awarded.
Specifications On page Z, section 8,
occurs the statement that the con-
tractor shall not devote from the in
tent of the plans or specifications
without the written order of the con-
tracing parties and the highway COM
missioner. This is an exceedingly
dangerous proceeding, as it would
seem to allow the highway commits
sion to deviate from the intent of the
plans if he saw fit. which practice is
bad procedure.
On page the general subject OF
grading is covered. including general
reference to the requirement that
grading shall be done in accordance
with the plans and cross sections. On
page 8, section 70. reads: SLOPES in
both embankments and excavations
shall be one and one-half GIb) bori-
zontal to one % vertical. unless
otherwise shown on the plans or or
uered Dy the highway commissioner
OF supervisor The cross sections are
maze at such a small scale that it is
lmpractlcable for a contractor to de-
termine the amount of grading at
given section OF the highway. II can
easily be determined in advance of
the advertisement Of the contract
where 1t is practicable to do grading
TO the required slopes and i'm cases
where 1t IS not practicable. the cross
section should definitely indicate
where other slopes will be used and
the dimensions OF such stones Due
TO narrow rights of way. il is impos-
sible in many cases to grade with
slopes OF one 1) on one and one-half
(l92) without grading operations he
ing extended beyond propertv lines
Grading generally being confined TO
the right OF way, the slopes are neces-
sarliy IN many cases steeper than
one Q) on one and one-half az.
The utilization of section u necessi-
tates that cross sections be made. al
a larger scale than the present prac-
tice.
In Section 10 occurs phrase
found in many OF the Sections of the
specification, namely. cor order hv
the Highway Commissioner or Su-
perVisor." II one official should give
one direction and the other official
another, which should the contractor
carry out? The indefniteness is ap-
parent. The word cor" is used in
the same way in many parts of the
contract. For example, IL is pro-
vided in Section II, page s, that the
layers in the embankment "shall be
rolled to the satisfaction of the Su-
pervisor or Engineer" II the Super-
visor were satisfied and the engineer
were not. would not the contractor
be fulfilling his contract even il the
work were not good? AS a further
Illustration, Section 13 provided for
Water to be applied in advance of
the roller when, in the opinion of
the engineer and Supervisor. it is
necessary" Under this wording,
unless both OF these officials thought
1t was necessary, it would seem that
the contractor would not be reuuir-
ed TO use water. One official should
be the final authority so as TO avoid
trouble and to permit the contractor
TO know to whom he "Or engineer" !"
as the case might be. should be
eliminated. In other words the au-
thority for changes In construction
details should rest wholly with the
Highway Commissioner and the
specifications should further provide
/ specifically and definitely that such
changes would, of course, affect the
| final contract price and increase or
, decrease dependent upon the guam
titles as shown by the final survey,
and estimate. This plan, of course,
involves a recommendation that pro-
posals be made upon items. that the
contract be awarded on the basis Of
a summation Of the products of the
quantities and the respective prices
bid for each item and that the final
contract price be based upon the
summation Of the products Of the
quantities as determined by the final
survey and the united bid prices as
contained in the original proposal.
Section Z, page Z. states that "The
earth taken from any cut or ditch
shall be deposited where The High
way Commissioner or Supervisor
may direct, either within or without
the line of the road" and Section 9,
page s, states Material taken from
! the excavations. except when other
/ wise directed by the Highway Com
! missioner or Supervisor, shall be de-
posted in spoil banks or waste
piles, as and where the Highway
Commissioners or Supervisor may di-
rect" II would seem that if such
! work is described, II would be prac-
! ticable 10 determine in advance
where the spoil bank should be
! that all bidders would submit bids
on the same basis.
Section 19. page Q, states that
Shoulders Of the proper height and
not less than feet wide shall be built
and rolled hard before any stone is
put in the roadbed" This section
should be worded as follows so as to
provide definitely for the width OF
shoulders to be constructed in each
case. Shoulders shall be of the height
and width shown on the plans and
cross sections They shall be built
and partially compacted before any
stone is placed on the roadbed the
final compaction by rolling being Sc
cured after the second course oi
broken ss)ne has been rolled"
The specifications allow the use Of
ten-ton roller only. For example
Sections l3. IA. 16 20. etc, all read
as follows: ROLLED with a ten G0)
ton steam roller" This provision Is
unwarrantably restrictive. Il should
read. "Rolled with a ten 90 to fifteer