HomeMy WebLinkAboutWater Board - Minutes - 06/15/1965MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE WATER BOARD HELD JUHE 15, 1965, AT
• 7:30 O'CLOCK P.M. IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
Present: President Ward Fischer, Mayor Harvey Johnson, Vice Pres-
ident Frank Ghent, Secretary John Bartel and Board Member Fred
Feit, also present: City Manager Robert Boos, Administrative
Assistant Harold Lynch, City Engineer Adam Fischer, Water Super-
intendent Eddie Hilgenberg, Engineers from J. T. Banner & Asso-
ciates Jack Hull and Harry John.
President Ward Fischer presented a large amount of
information he had obtained concerning Ductile Iron Pipe. A
paper presented by Melvin Rohe noff, Physical Chemist, National
Bureau of Standards, Washington D.C. and a paper by F. L. LaRuet
Vice President, International Nickel Co., New York, N.Y., to-
gether with a letter from American Water Works Association,
• were read by everyone present. After considerable discussion,
it was unanimous that Ductile Iron pipe be recommended over
prestressed Concrete and all other types. Water Superintendent,
Eddie Hilgenberg, stated that the City has used approximately
8000 feet ductile pipe in the past three years under allt ypes
of soil conditions with the best of results. Motion was made by
Secretary John Bartel, seconded by Board member Fred Feit, that
Rrech,IPly
Turnpike Construction Co. of B 'dz^, Colorado, be awarded the
contract due to the fact their bid was low and they specified
Ductile Iron pipe would be installed through out the 1965 water
expansion program. Council to be advised of the Boards recom-
mendation by President Ward Fischer.
• The following communication was presented and read
at length at the June 24th, 1965, Council meeting:
E
• WATER BOARD
OF THE
CITY OF FORT COLLINS
Honorable Mayor and Council Members
of the City of Fort Collins
Fort Collins, Colorado
Messrs. and Madam:
June 16, 1965
The following is the recommendation of the Fort Collins
Water Board concerning the awarding of bids for construction of
water mains:
FACTUAL BACKGROUND
The low bidder for the laying of the proposed new trans-
mission mains was Turnpike Construction with a bid of $1,029,310.24.
Their bid was based upon the use of ductile iron. The next low-
est bidder was Martin K. Eby with a bid of $1,031.763.30, based
upon the use of cast iron in 24 inch and under pipe and pre-
stressed concrete in the larger sizes. The bids reserved to the
City the right to choose any low bid within alternates thus
allowing us to award the contract either to Turnpike Construc-
tion or to Eby depending upon whether it was desired to use
ductile iron or re -stressed concrete. The difference between
the two bids is 92,453.06 and the lowest bid should be accepted
unles there are valid and compelling reasons for going to the
next lowest bid.
THE PROBLEM
Because of the relatively short time that ductile iron
has been used in the United States, the question arose as to
whether or not this product had been sufficiently tested to
insure its permanence. The Water Board has fully investigated
this pipe with the following results:
A. Certain cities and certain organizations, notably
the Bureau of Reclamation, have not used or refused to use ductile
iron pipe. A copy of letter to and reply from the Bureau of Re-
clamation in this regard is attached hereto as Exhibit A. It
should be noted that no city or organization states that ductile
iron is an inferior product. The most that they will Bay against
It is that it has not been used for any length of time.
• B. A considerable number of engineers and cities of
the request of American Cast Iron Pipe Company, the supplier of
ductile iron, have furnished the Water Board with rather glowing
reports concerning this product. In addition, American has
furnished the Water Board with a list of cities and engineers who
have used and specified this pipe. These documents, of course
• tend to show that ductile iron pipe, although new, is a superior
product. These letters, etc. are attached hereto as Exhibit B.
C. The Water Board has also examined various technical
articles concerning the tests of corrosion of ductile pipe as well
as literature produced by ductile iron and castiron manufactures
of concrete pipe. These articles and brochures are attached as
Exhibit C. Most noteworthy in the board's opinion is the study
made by Melvin Ronanoff of the National Bureau of Standards and
hisconclusion, based upon extensive testing, that ductile iron
corrodes generally at about the same rate as cast iron.
D. Perhaps the most compelling information as far as
the Board is concerned is a communication received from the Amer-
ican Water Works Association setting forth its standards for both
ductile and concrete pipe. This communication and its standards
are attached as Exhibit D. The American Water Works Association
is a non-profit organization dedicated solely to the water works
profession. Its standards have wide acceptance throughout the
United States. This association's new standards for ductile iron
pipe are fully complied with in the specifications for the pipe
for the City of Fort Collins as attached by the letter of the con-
sulting engineers attached as a part of Exhibit D. The conclusion
of the association is that either ductile iron or pre -stressed
• concrete pipe will give satisfactory service for a period of from
75 to 150 years.
CONCLUSION
It is the conclusion of the water Board that based upon
a full investigation there should be no hesitancy upon the part of
the City in the introduction of large -size ductile pipe within the
City's system.
RECOMMENDATION
The water Board accordingly unanimously recommends that
the contract for the construction of the water transmission lines
be awarded to the low bidder, Turnpike Construction.
For The Water Board:
/a/ Ward H. Fischer
President
With nothing further to be brought up at this time the
Board adjourned.
�ecretar