As a concrete truck rumbles in for a pour, Paulino Ortiz, foreground, drills a hole in the roadway to make way for rebar. Cracks in the roadway along Kasold Drive have forced the construction crews to tear out parts of the newly poured roadway. Construction crews worked on the project on Thursday.
Kasold Cracks
Dena Mezger, assistant director of the Lawrence Public Works Department, explains recent construction on the northbound lanes of Kasold Drive between 15th and 22nd streets. Enlarge video
Construction project on Kasold Dr. hits a bump in the road
If you've noticed construction work in the northbound lanes, that's because the contractor recently noticed several unexpected cracks in the new pavement. Enlarge video
Those are the breaks.
Concrete crews on Wednesday and Thursday were busy tearing out and replacing parts of the recently constructed $6 million Kasold Drive project because several cracks had developed on the new road - which runs from about Clinton Parkway to Bob Billings Drive.
But Chuck Soules, the city's director of public works, said none of the work is costing the city a dime, and he's confident that the road is going to be a fine one for the city for years to come.
"It is not like the street isn't structurally sound," Soules said. "It is a good street, but we don't want a brand-new street with cracks in it. The contractors want it to be a great job too, and they've been really good to work with."
Despite the extra work, the road is still scheduled to open in late July - more than two months ahead of schedule.
The street project - the most expensive the city has undertaken on its own - is one of the first in Lawrence that is using a concrete driving surface instead of an asphalt top. With concrete, cracks will occur. But crews try to control the cracks by making cuts across the road's surface. Theoretically, cracks that do develop should be within the cut, where they can be controlled.
But Soules said he believes 30 to 40 of the more than 2,000 cuts that were made along the road were not cut deep enough. That's allowed cracks to develop on other portions of the street.
"They were really small cracks that drivers wouldn't even see, but over the next several years they would become larger cracks that could let water get under the road," Soules said.
Permanent Paving, an Overland Park-based company, did the concrete work. Steve Bird, the company's president, said he's not sure the problem came from cuts being made too shallow, but it also is not an issue he wants to quibble over.
"We're taking the high road here," Bird said. "I'm not sure there is really any rhyme or reason why it happened. There are always issues on a job. The big thing is how you deal with them, and our philosophy is to jump in and take care of them."
The cracks only occurred on the east lanes of the project. Soules said the cracks were discovered before the west lanes were poured. He said concrete crews were alerted to take extra precautions to prevent cracks from forming.
Soules - who has had a city inspection crew on the site every day of the project - said no cracks have developed in the west lanes.
Kasold Drive
- Quickwork speeds Kasold reopening (05-31-07)
- Kasoldwork projected to end by this fall (04-21-07)
- SoundOff: I was wondering if there will be a sidewalk constructed along thenew area of Kasold Drive north of Clinton Parkway and if it will be acontinuation of the bike path? (04-11-07)
- Kasoldrepairs may finish ahead of schedule, city says (09-28-06)
Comments
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Godot (anonymous) says…
Will ICE be checking the employment records of the contractor? Is Paulo making a living wage while doing this work for the city?
SeaFox (anonymous) says…
Ha! This project is taking so long the road will need to be replaced from OLD AGE before they finish it.
ukillaJJ (anonymous) says…
Kasold used to look like a minefield after years of neglect, and now after a rough-and-tumble life of having cars cruise over it's new surface at breath-taking speeds of UP TO 20 mph it is already cracking!!! Just wait until it's winter and the first freeze comes - maybe Lawrence can win an award for being America's Pothole City. I always thought roads in KCMO sucked, but Lawrence definitely has one-up on them now.
Sigmund (anonymous) says…
I predict a much better road. Sounds like the City and the Contractors are doing a pretty good job and correcting known problems as they go. Opening Kasold to four lanes should relieve some pressure on Iowa. I'm hopeful, but then again I'm an optimist.
KS (anonymous) says…
A few things about cement/concrete. It "WILL" crack. If you don't want it to crack, leave the cement in the bag. It also gets hard and nobody will steal it. I applaud the city and the folks involved in taking care of the problem. Some of the aforementioned posts just reflect that given the opportunity some folks will complain about anything.
grimpeur (anonymous) says…
I'm sure the city insisted on a warranty for this project for material and labor. I'd say 15 years should be the minimum for cracking or spot repairs, and 25 for any replacement.
paladin (anonymous) says…
Usted los americanos es tan duro a por favor. Picky, picky. Usted nunca está satisfecho.
inatux (anonymous) says…
Translation:
You Americans are so hard to please. Picky, picky. You never are satisfied.
salad (anonymous) says…
The "I want it yesterday!!!" mentality. A guy I work with has an applicable quote on his wall:
" You want it bad, you get it bad.
You want it worse, you get it worse."
dorothyhr (Dorothy Hoyt-Reed) says…
Paladin,
Quit using the online translators. They traslate literally, and you just can't do that. That's why electronic translators will never work.
monkeyhawk (anonymous) says…
"Will ICE be checking the employment records of the contractor?"
...as the photographer warned "hide your faces - we are about to click the pic."
On the rare occasions I took that road, I had to wonder if the city was paying illegals to "fix" our roads.
I guess these early completion rewards are full of unintended consequences.
Bubbles (anonymous) says…
paladin (Anonymous) says:
Usted los americanos es tan duro a por favor. Picky, picky. Usted nunca está satisfecho.
Yes, lets not give a crap about things like they do in Mexico. We all know what a wonderful place Mexico is.
whydoyouask2dogs (anonymous) says…
I saw a bunch of guys bent over those holes. Talk about cracks.
Glad they're getting fixed.
roger_o_thornhill (anonymous) says…
ukillaJJ-
Try Ft. Lee, New Jersey for America's Pothole City.
dorothyhr (Dorothy Hoyt-Reed) says…
Years ago I lived in Ottawa and had a couple of Mexican American friends who worked on paving crews. One of their families had been in the US for more generations than my family. Assuming they are illegal, because they are hispanic is just plain racist. And they might be Puerto Ricans, which makes them Americans.
T45HED (anonymous) says…
What no one has mentioned is that cracking can result from poor placement, lack of proper hydration and generally, poor inspection of the concrete placement process. Coming from KDOT, What I have seen around Lawrence as Project Inspection is just a joke. Contractors get paid to do something, whether its done right or wrong.
packrat (anonymous) says…
I wonder how long the delay will be. I go down that way almost every day.
Wilbur_Nether (anonymous) says…
OK...let me get this straight...
* The city inspects the construction daily
* The inspectors caught the cracks when they appeared (and before the lanes opened)
* The contractor is replacing the cracked lanes at their own cost
* The contractor is adjusting its processes to prevent cracking on the re-laid pavement
* Even with rework, the project will be completed 2 months early
* Fixing the problem now will increase the lifespan of this road
What are we all so mad about?
irnmadn88 (anonymous) says…
salad (Anonymous) says:
The "I want it yesterday!!!" mentality. A guy I work with has an applicable quote on his wall:
" You want it bad, you get it bad.
You want it worse, you get it worse."
Better yet...
You can get a job done in two of three ways...good, quick, or cheap.
A good, cheap job won't be quick.
A good, quick job won't be cheap.
A cheap, quick job won't be good.
Dracul (Bill Chapman) says…
I used to work for city as a temporary employee on the road crew (almost 2 yrs).
>Concrete NEVER stops hardening(curing), it just gets drier and drier as time passes. As it cures it gets more brittle. Adding quick-cure compounds cause it to cure faster and shortens the life of the concrete.
>Improper agitation can also cause cracking. Agitation is done to keep the large aggregate from the top, making it easier to get a smooth surface. Over agitation can cause the separation of the aggregate with the small on top and the large on the bottom - this weakens the concrete.
>The concrete mix can also be wrong for the use the concrete is intended for. This can also cause problems later after the concrete is ready for use.
Believe it or not, but there is a place where scientists study the concrete and asphalt mixes under real road stress to test possible improvements. They actually run all types of vehicles over a oval track made up of different road surfaces for days at a time to test it.
Centrist (anonymous) says…
You mean to tell me we will have to drive over 'cuts' aka 'lines' in the road? Oh, great ..
It's bad enough on the 4-lane section of US59 coming in to Lawrence.
Bump, bump, bump, there goes the alignment - yet again.
I HATE driving over those lines .. drives me nuts!
Why is is so difficult to make a top-quality concrete road with minimal cracks, without all those 'cuts'? They do it in other places .. geez.
Wilbur_Nether (anonymous) says…
Dracul wrote "Concrete NEVER stops hardening(curing)...[and]...as it cures it gets more brittle....Improper agitation can also cause cracking.... There is a place where scientists study the concrete and asphalt mixes under real road stress to test possible improvements" and then Centrist wondered "Why is is so difficult to make a top-quality concrete road with minimal cracks...?"
Sigh.
salad (anonymous) says…
Concrete is actually pretty complicated stuff. It doesn't dry, it crystallizes, and the crystalization reaction is very dependant on water content, temperature, and chemical content of the portland cement. Then there's the aggregate componant, which is what does all the load bearing. This is where a civil engineer or chemist would come in and explain it in further depth, but the main point is: We pay for inspectors who should be smart enough to understand how to do it right and get the contractor to comply!!! If the inspector is not a licensed civil engineer, then county and city not meeting their obligation to the public trust.
emilyhadley (Emily Hadley) says…
That "crack" in the photo is the size of my bathroom.
HalsteadHawk (anonymous) says…
Permanent Paving, an Overland Park-based company [delete]
Perpetual Paving Contracts, an Overland Park-based company
Fixed
Moderateguy (anonymous) says…
Everybody keep an eye on these "repairs." They will be constant maintenance headaches for the life of the road. Waiting too long to saw the control joints makes them useless. Stresses start building up in the slab the minute it's placed. Now they have had to cut entirely through the slab and try to dowell in the patches. Hang on, it's going to be a bumpy ride.
person184 (anonymous) says…
Sigmund said.....
but then again I'm an optimist.
___________________________________
first time I noticed that trait. good job.
erod0723 (anonymous) says…
Boo shoddy construction job. Hooray fixing it not at the city's expense.
TtownKUlivin (anonymous) says…
Haha good comment erod.
erod0723 (anonymous) says…
Marion is completely correct. Eisenhower modeled our highway system after the German autobahns with one big distinction-- The base for roads in Germany is 24 inches thick, while it is only 12 inches thick in the US. Eisenhower's rational was that it would be too expensive to create roads with 24 inch bases. The problem with having a less thick base is obvious; it is more prone to wear and tear and the elements. On average, roads with a 12 inch base degrade at a rate 40% greater than roads with a 24 inch base. Thanks for out shoddy roads, Ike!