01-23-1978 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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� Mr. Rober DeGregory page 21 Page 2 June 8, 1977 . Based on the information presented on the evening of June 2 by Mr. Trees and members of the association, I believe that there are several questions concerning the adequacy of the proposed alurninum sheeting system which have not been satisfactorily answered. I also believe the design of the sheeting system which was presented would not be considered adequate �by the current standards of the engi_neering profession. Specific questions and areas of uncertainty are as follows: 1. The soil borings were not carried sufficiently deep to adequately explore the subsurface conditions. In this instance soil borings should be carried to a depth of at least S feet below the anticipated bottom of the sheeting. 2. The angle of internal friction apparently used in the com- puterized design was 28.5 degrees whereas the angle of - internal friction for silty-clays or clayey-silts is nor- mally in the range of 15 degrees to 20 degrees. The angle of internal friction may be higher than 20 degrees if suf- ' - - ' - ' • ficient sand is present in the soil. Zn any event, the • shear strength and cohesion of representative samples of the soils should be verified by laboratory tests in order to provide information which is adequate for the purpose of design. 3. Mr. Ellis has stated that the existing timber retaining walls in some portions of the lagoon are displaced upward from 2 inches to 4 inches per year by frost action. I have not been able to formulate a theory that would explain the reason for this phenomenon, however, if Mr. Ellis' state- � ment is accurate, the proposed aluminum system would prob- ably also be subjected to the same type of displacement. In addition to the points enumerated in the preceding paragraph, there - is also a question regarding the warranty of the system. Mr. Trees stated that Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Sales, Inc. would warranty their design only for a period of one year. However, I beleive that under the laws of the State of Minnesota, it is required that the plans for a project of this nature must bear the signature of a registered professional engineer who certifies that the design was prepared by him or under his direct super- vision. By certifying the design, the engineer assumes responsibility and can be held liab�e for errors and ommissions in the design. At this time, there is no statute of limitation regarding the desinger's liability. If my interpretation of the state law is correct, Kaiser Aluminum � Chemical Sales, Znc. as the designer of the aluminum sheeting system must provide plans certified by a professional engineer registered in Minnesota and would, therefore, be unable to limit their liability for the design of the system to a period of one year. I hope that this letter is of some assistance to you and that you will contact me if I can be of any additional service to you. Sincerely, � �� ��.�'�-�'�_-C�'�' Lawrence W. Gubbe LWG/mb