Document text
Bad cement postpones work on Applegate Library APPLEGATE - A faulty cement mixture will delay construction of the Applegate Library branch for nearly a week and force contractors to rip out the building's flawed foundation. According to Jackson County Deputy Administrator Dave Kanner, the problem was discovered Tuesday afternoon, bringing work to a halt. "This is a problem with the concrete poured," Kanner said. "In the meantime, we've stopped work." A batch of flawed cement created bulges and bowls on part of the library's concrete base after it was poured and hardened, said project leader Dennis Nicely of Eric Artner Construction of Jacksonville. "It's not a huge area," Nicely added. "We'll be starting (work) again on Monday." Nicely said crews will tear out the flawed concrete and begin pouring a new foundation first thing next week. Kanner said the county isn't financially responsible for the mistake. The contract gives the county's architect the authority to make Artner re-do certain work at the contractor's expense if it isn't up to par, Kanner said. Kanner added that he's thankful the problem was discovered before walls were built on top of the foundation. Nicely said he does not know, at this point, how much the mistake will cost but estimates it won't be "huge." Repouring the foundation isn't expected to delay the library's expected completion by late August or early September, Nicely added. The 2,850-square-foot Applegate Library will cost an estimated $350,000. Work on the new facility began in March at the North Applegate Road site near the community's fire station. The existing library is located at 15095 Highway 238 and has just 500 square feet of space. Applegate's new library, along with 13 other new or remodeled branches throughout the county, is being paid for through a voter-approved $38.9 million bond measure. Even with a new and larger building, the Applegate library will remain the smallest of the county's 15 branches . Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.