Aesthetic

Wellington Park Centennial Wall progressing, slowly

Work on the Wellington Park Centennial Wall is underway, and a group of residents have come forward with a list of concerns regarding the reconstruction.

The County awarded the tender for the retaining wall to Standard Paving of Trenton. The same company was also awarded the Ameliasburgh washroom redevelopment project.

The Times visited the work site last week, and noticed that the project is far from completion. It was also noticed that the concrete poured for the retaining wall has major honeycombing.

Honeycombing is a term used to describe areas of the surface that are coarse and stony. It may be caused by insufficient fine material in the mix, perhaps due to incorrect aggregate grading or poor mixing. Small, shallow areas of honeycombing are mainly cosmetic. However, deeper areas could potentially lead to a local reduction in the protection to the underlying original wall and hence possibly durability problems in the future.

Peter Moyer, Director of Development services for the County, admits that there have been some bumps in regards to the pouring of concrete.

“Complications occurred during the first stage of concrete pouring, including honeycombing and intermediate concrete ledges along cold joints. Remedies will be implemented to ensure an aesthetic and sustainable approach moving forward,” says Moyer.

The Times also noticed that there are sandbags sitting along shore, allowing fines to enter the watercourse, but Moyer stressed that the work on the Centennial Wall is considered near-shore activity as opposed to in-water activity, and that what Standard Paving is using for environmental protection on the project is considered appropriate.

The contractor was also supposed to have placed running boards in Wellington Park to safeguard against damage to the lawn.

“Protection boards to guard against damage to grassed areas within the park were not implemented by the contractor due to variable weather conditions and scheduling complications. Accordingly, some rutting within the grassed areas has occurred and will be corrected by the contractor in accordance with contract provisions,” says Moyer.

Even though some issues have arisen, Moyer remains confident that the project will be completed both on time and correctly.

“The municipality remains confident the work will be completed to the specified standards. We expect completion prior to winter setting in. This work is a short-term fix to stabilize the Centennial Wall in Wellington Park. The municipality is conducting this work in order to extend the life of the existing wall while the environmental assessment and design processes take place. Once the design is done, the replacement project will be put on the capital program and scheduled accordingly,” says Moyer.