Opinion ID: 778819
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Floor Repair

Text: 13 Vanalco had ten cell rooms, 6 each approximately 722 feet long and 47 feet wide. Each room was divided into three sections: a center section where the cells were located, an area to one side of the cells known as the tap end, and a narrower area to the other side of the cells called the duct end. The tap end of each room, which varied in size from 7,000 to 8,500 square feet, was where the front end loaders operated, metal was tapped, spent anodes were placed after removal, and excess bath was removed from the cells. 14 Originally, each cell room had a concrete subfloor strengthened with iron rebar overlaid with bricks. The brick on top of the floor operated as an insulator to prevent the risk of electrocution resulting from contact with the concrete rebar. This type of floor had been used for over 40 years with the brick replaced as necessary by ALCOA using a full-time brick replacement crew. Over time, however, the brick floors began to wear down (in some areas to the sub-floor), creating safety and production concerns. The brick floor was damaged due to mechanical equipment traffic, as well as the fact that it came into direct contact with molten aluminum and bath, crucibles of aluminum, and the spent anodes removed from the cells. The old brick floor was also very irregular from the replacement of sections of floor bricks over the years, creating a safety hazard for employees who could easily trip and fall. In fact, Vanalco reported 21 accidents during the first half of 1992 due to the irregular floor surface. 15 Between 1991 and 1995, portions of the brick floors of the tap end and center passage sections of each cell room were removed and replaced with Fondag cement. Fondag cement was more pliable than regular cement, set much more quickly, and was easier to patch. The Fondag cement had other advantages over brick: it was easier to clean and repair; it became electronically non-conductive in 24 hours, in comparison to seven days or longer for brick; and it enhanced safety by creating a more level surface and leaving a smoother wearing pattern. 7 In 1992, Vanalco replaced bricks with Fondag cement in the tap end in cell room 20, the tap end and center areas of cell rooms 16 and 22, and the center areas of cell rooms 10, 12, 14, and 18. In 1993, Vanalco replaced bricks with Fondag cement in the tap end areas in cell rooms 8 and 10, as well as the tap end and center areas of cell rooms 14 and 18. 16 In connection with these replacements, Vanalco reported $386,327 in expenditures in 1992 and $408,154 in 1993. The bulk of the expenditures were for tap end repairs.