Eight weeks

Story: Corey Engelsdorfer
Southern portion of Wellington Park approaching third summer closed to the public

Construction on the Wellington Park retaining wall was set to start last May (2018). By terms of the contract, it was to be finished eight weeks later.

It wasn’t finished last summer. Or fall or winter. In fact, nearly a year later, the repair job to the seawall—damaged in the flooding of 2017—still hasn’t been done. Worse, the work done so far has been of substandard quality, according to structural concrete experts.

HOW WE GOT HERE
In April of 2017, the southern portion of Wellington Park was fenced off to the public due to damage to the seawall foundation. Lake Ontario’s waves had battered the block wall, causing water to flow underneath the wall, pulling material from behind it back into the lake. There was risk of the earth on top of the wall, and the wall itself, collapsing.

The formwork suffered an unanticipated shift during the pour which led to sandbags being partially cast into the concrete.

The County called for tenders for structural repairs with a closing date of May 3, 2018. The scope of the work included capping the footing along the entire length of the wall, carrying out corrective repairs to failed mortar joints, strengthening cracked blocks at the south-eastern portion of the wall, and backfilling and regrading behind the wall. Standard Paving of Trenton was awarded the tender, with work to begin on May 28, 2018. Due to high water levels, construction was delayed, and didn’t begin until August 24. Shire Hall said, by way of a statement last summer, that construction would continue for four more weeks.

Only when completed, will the fencing be removed and public access restored to the shoreline and the park’s edge. But as of this week, the project appears still far from complete, with no visible work ongoing.

CURRENT STATE
In an interview with The Times, industry professional Scott Kerr presented his concerns regarding the current state of the work at the Wellington Park retaining wall.

Kerr and his company, A2Z Civil, specialize in civil construction, providing work for municipalities across Ontario.

Kerr acknowledges that he is conflicted, inasmuch as he bid unsuccessfully on the project, but says his interest in the project is motivated by how the County manages its projects, rather than discontent for losing a contract.

“As a County taxpayer, I started to become concerned about the quality of the work, and the time it was taking to complete the wall,” said Kerr.

Kerr has meticulously documented the repair project, with extensive photographs and contemporaneous notes. By his estimation, construction is roughly 50 per cent complete.

County engineering folks disagree, suggesting the wall is near completion.

Kerr counters that saying, “The concrete work accounts for approximately 50 per cent of the contract. The other 50 per cent is earthworks, mortar repair and site restoration, which still needs to take place.”

Kerr explains that other municipalities put strict guidelines on project completion dates.

“When I complete work for other municipalities, they deduct $500, sometimes even $1,000 from my tender price for every day I am late. It gives an incentive to finish the work in a timely manner,” said Kerr.

Kerr also claims that the concrete work is not correct, and should not be considered certified work in accordance with the contract documents.

“The concrete pour has cold joints, which means the wall was constructed with separate concrete pours, likely due to substandard formwork,” observed Kerr. “Cold joints are not usually accepted because they lead to water intrusion which can cause early failure.”

Honeycombing and cold joints in the new retaining wall.

Kerr also points out extensive honeycombing on the wall, which he says is a deficiency. Honeycombing in concrete occurs when the material is mixed poorly or is not vibrated properly. The exposed aggregate leaves a rough honeycomb appearance.

The County agrees with this analysis, writing in response to Kerr’s observations, that “there are portions of the work which have been identified as requiring corrective work, and payment has been withheld until the work is resolved to the satisfaction of the municipality.”

Another troubling bit for Kerr is that the County claims the scope of the work was aimed at stabilizing the failing wall, and the goal was to extend the life expectancy of the current wall by five years.

“Had the work been done properly, this would be more than a short-term fix. The structural fix would last 15, maybe even 20 years,” says Kerr.

Director of Development Services Peter Moyer said the condition of the wall and the threat of collapse demanded a quick response.

“We wanted to implement an immediate resolution to mitigate the chance of complete structural failure of the wall,” said Moyer. “The principal project will require an environmental assessment where different long-term solutions will be explored, which may include a new wall.”

Kerr points to a litany of ways the contract has been violated. He says sandbags used as support on the shoreline were to contain only pea gravel according to the contract. But instead the bags used on this project contained crushed stone, contrary to environmental regulations.

The contract also stipulated that running boards were to be installed in Wellington Park to protect the lawn from vehicle damage during wet conditions. This also was not done by the contractor, and the park is in need of repair this spring.

Ultimately, he worries the work won’t survive outside scrutiny.

“The concrete does not meet municipal or provincial standards,” opined Kerr.

Moyer, however, remains confident that the County and the contractor will see the project through to a satisfactory conclusion.

“Save and except deficiencies identified, the work completed to date is considered sufficient in accordance with the contract terms and provisions,” said Moyer. “To date, Prince Edward County is committed to completing the work with the approved contractor, including resolution of outstanding issues and deficiencies.”

So confident, in fact, that the County has awarded the contractor additional concrete seawall repair at the end of East Street in the village. The same contractor was also awarded the contract to build a standalone washroom and change facility in Ameliasburgh Park.