Schools

Plum School District to Pay Extra for Removal of Unsuitable Fill Material at Pivik Site

The unexpected finding of clay material is going to cost the district $335,000.

Plum School District has to pay an extra $335,000 for the removal of unsuitable fill material from the new Pivik Elementary construction site.

At a special meeting Tuesday night, the school board agreed to pay the money to Nello Construction, the general contractor for the project, for the removal of fat clay—material that can't be reused—under the ground. It will be replaced with suitable fill.

The district has about $700,000 in a contingency fund for the $14 million project. That money has been set aside in case of an emergency or unexpected occurrences.

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Dennis Russo, an independent contractor serving as the district representative for construction, said last month that construction workers unexpectedly found the clay material—decomposed limestone resembling plastic—and have to move it away from the construction site.

Because the soil can't be used as fill for other parts of the construction site, it has to be moved more times than expected. In turn, manpower and machinery use increases, and so does the price, Russo said.

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However, Russo said on Wednesday morning that he thinks the district got a good deal. The price to remove 40,000 cubic-yards of fat clay originally was $377,000.

Russo said the change order approved by board members on Tuesday includes all encounters of unexpected site condition, including some stone and clay at other parts of the site—not just the 40,000 cubic-yards of fat clay.

"It includes all site conditions that we've encountered and will encounter," he said. "It's all encompassing."

Russo said the majority of the material already has been moved and work has been ongoing despite the unexpected discovery.

"We felt that paying them without putting them at additional risk was very crucial at this point," he said.


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