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| O'Fallon Watchdog |
Exposing Corruption, Injustices and the Truth.
Blame the heat for street creep
Engineer explains the reasons for, solutions to shifts in concrete
By Nina Kult
O'Fallon Journal
Saturday, May 19, 2007 3:54 PM CDT
For years, the expansion and contraction of concrete, more commonly known as street creep, has been plaguing
communities.
O'Fallon officials are not only helping fix the problem in neighborhoods, they are establishing long-term solutions to
prevent street creep from occurring in the future.
Bill Guerdan, professional engineer and senior vice president of St. Charles-based SCI Engineering, was invited
to the May 10 City Council meeting to discuss street creep.
He explains that in the summer heat, concrete expands; the winter cold makes it contract. During expansion and
contraction, dirt, rock and debris collects between slab joints, slowly pushing a driveway slab, for example, into a
home's foundation.
Guerdan, who has been studying street creep for 20 years, said despite speculation as to what causes street
creep, it can be summed up as a thermal expansion and contraction issue. "It has nothing to do with gravity or
vehicles," he said.
One practice to prevent street creep is to install an expansion joint in concrete, which controls contractions in hot
and cold weather and allows concrete to move back and forth.
When installed properly, the system works, but Guerdan said at times, the joints don't span the full depth of the
concrete and street creep still may occur.
Guerdan said street creep is not more common in O'Fallon than it is in other areas, and it is found in other states
such as Kansas and Nebraska.
Councilman Pierce Conley, Ward 2, asked if street creep has anything to do with concrete being poured on top of
gravel or dirt. Guerdan said while the rock base might increase street creep, neither one is a direct cause of it.
"It's on every street," Guerdan said.
The city is doing what it can to at least curb damage to residents' homes.
City Engineer Steve Bender said in 2005, the city completed 194 street creep repairs, followed by 193 in 2006. In
each of those cases, the city installed a 6-inch expansion joint to the resident's driveway at the back of the curb.
The city performs the work at no cost to residents.
Bender said over the years, more has been learned about street creep.
"New streets being constructed today have more expansion joints installed in them and there is more attention to
the installation of these joints to ensure they are being installed properly," he said. "There have also been mailings
to contractors building residential driveways educating them on the importance of installing expansion joints on
their work and to emphasize the importance of installing these joints properly."
Bender said in O'Fallon, developers and their engineers are required to identify on their plans areas that are prone
to street creep and special requirements are made for those properties.
To request the joint expansion service, homeowners are asked to complete a form available online at www.ofallon.
mo.us or call the Highway Department at (636) 379-5607 or (636) 379-5593.
Watchdog Response:
Simply put, Pierce Conley is trying to use Mr. Guerdan as a means to lower the standards for street construction in
O’Fallon. Standards that were raised by the prior Board. Pierce Conley’s only purpose in doing this is to increase
the profits for his campaign supporters at the expense of the citizens of O’Fallon.
I wonder what recommendations Mr. Guerdan would make if he knew his professional license would be at stake
and the company he works for would be financially responsible for the damage caused by his recommendations?
One thing to keep in mind about the Engineering firms in St. Charles County is that much of their business comes
from Home Builder’s and Developers in the area. These Engineering firms have to juggle between specifying what
they know is the best practice to keeping their clients happy. If they don’t do what their clients ask the client will just
go down the street to the next Engineering firm who may not be so scrupulous.
Street Creep, O’Fallon’s dirty little secret is out in the open. Unfortunately Street Creep isn’t the only reason streets
fail. Other reasons include improper joints and joint maintenance, improper design and the inability for the soil
beneath it to supports the roads weight. And YES in some instances gravity does play a part in street creep.
Quality has been sacrificed for years in O’Fallon which is why we have the premature failures in our roads.
If your are one of the unfortunate citizens to have your home damaged by street creep you will quickly find out the
city will take no responsibility for the damage. They will however give you a substandard fix to the problem but they
will leave you high and dry when comes to helping you fix the damage to your home. It’s amazing the streets are
built to the cities specifications, they should have a inspector present to ensure they are built to the cities standard
and then they take ownership of the streets. So how are they not liable for the damage?
Select Home Builders in O’ Fallon want to build streets in their new subdivision without a rock base in order to
increase their profits and it allows them to get in and out of a subdivisions sooner. Most only care if the roadway
last long enough to get their escrow returned from the city.
The watchdog feels the citizens of O’Fallon deserve the same high quality infrastructure that the people of St. Louis
County enjoy. The following link is to St. Louis County specifications. St.Louis County Subdivision Street Spec's
Specifications that are highly respected throughout the country. They require a minimum of 4 inches of rock under
any subdivision street regardless if its concrete or asphalt. Even some of our neighboring cities require rock under
subdivision streets. Does anyone have an idea why these Home Builder only have a problem in O’Fallon with
building quality subdivision streets?
Make no mistake about it, This is political payback to the special interest that supports the campaigns of the
majority members of this council. To learn more about the causes of Street Creep and it consequences click on
the links below.
Engineer explains the reasons for, solutions to shifts in concrete
By Nina Kult
O'Fallon Journal
Saturday, May 19, 2007 3:54 PM CDT
For years, the expansion and contraction of concrete, more commonly known as street creep, has been plaguing
communities.
O'Fallon officials are not only helping fix the problem in neighborhoods, they are establishing long-term solutions to
prevent street creep from occurring in the future.
Bill Guerdan, professional engineer and senior vice president of St. Charles-based SCI Engineering, was invited
to the May 10 City Council meeting to discuss street creep.
He explains that in the summer heat, concrete expands; the winter cold makes it contract. During expansion and
contraction, dirt, rock and debris collects between slab joints, slowly pushing a driveway slab, for example, into a
home's foundation.
Guerdan, who has been studying street creep for 20 years, said despite speculation as to what causes street
creep, it can be summed up as a thermal expansion and contraction issue. "It has nothing to do with gravity or
vehicles," he said.
One practice to prevent street creep is to install an expansion joint in concrete, which controls contractions in hot
and cold weather and allows concrete to move back and forth.
When installed properly, the system works, but Guerdan said at times, the joints don't span the full depth of the
concrete and street creep still may occur.
Guerdan said street creep is not more common in O'Fallon than it is in other areas, and it is found in other states
such as Kansas and Nebraska.
Councilman Pierce Conley, Ward 2, asked if street creep has anything to do with concrete being poured on top of
gravel or dirt. Guerdan said while the rock base might increase street creep, neither one is a direct cause of it.
"It's on every street," Guerdan said.
The city is doing what it can to at least curb damage to residents' homes.
City Engineer Steve Bender said in 2005, the city completed 194 street creep repairs, followed by 193 in 2006. In
each of those cases, the city installed a 6-inch expansion joint to the resident's driveway at the back of the curb.
The city performs the work at no cost to residents.
Bender said over the years, more has been learned about street creep.
"New streets being constructed today have more expansion joints installed in them and there is more attention to
the installation of these joints to ensure they are being installed properly," he said. "There have also been mailings
to contractors building residential driveways educating them on the importance of installing expansion joints on
their work and to emphasize the importance of installing these joints properly."
Bender said in O'Fallon, developers and their engineers are required to identify on their plans areas that are prone
to street creep and special requirements are made for those properties.
To request the joint expansion service, homeowners are asked to complete a form available online at www.ofallon.
mo.us or call the Highway Department at (636) 379-5607 or (636) 379-5593.
Watchdog Response:
Simply put, Pierce Conley is trying to use Mr. Guerdan as a means to lower the standards for street construction in
O’Fallon. Standards that were raised by the prior Board. Pierce Conley’s only purpose in doing this is to increase
the profits for his campaign supporters at the expense of the citizens of O’Fallon.
I wonder what recommendations Mr. Guerdan would make if he knew his professional license would be at stake
and the company he works for would be financially responsible for the damage caused by his recommendations?
One thing to keep in mind about the Engineering firms in St. Charles County is that much of their business comes
from Home Builder’s and Developers in the area. These Engineering firms have to juggle between specifying what
they know is the best practice to keeping their clients happy. If they don’t do what their clients ask the client will just
go down the street to the next Engineering firm who may not be so scrupulous.
Street Creep, O’Fallon’s dirty little secret is out in the open. Unfortunately Street Creep isn’t the only reason streets
fail. Other reasons include improper joints and joint maintenance, improper design and the inability for the soil
beneath it to supports the roads weight. And YES in some instances gravity does play a part in street creep.
Quality has been sacrificed for years in O’Fallon which is why we have the premature failures in our roads.
If your are one of the unfortunate citizens to have your home damaged by street creep you will quickly find out the
city will take no responsibility for the damage. They will however give you a substandard fix to the problem but they
will leave you high and dry when comes to helping you fix the damage to your home. It’s amazing the streets are
built to the cities specifications, they should have a inspector present to ensure they are built to the cities standard
and then they take ownership of the streets. So how are they not liable for the damage?
Select Home Builders in O’ Fallon want to build streets in their new subdivision without a rock base in order to
increase their profits and it allows them to get in and out of a subdivisions sooner. Most only care if the roadway
last long enough to get their escrow returned from the city.
The watchdog feels the citizens of O’Fallon deserve the same high quality infrastructure that the people of St. Louis
County enjoy. The following link is to St. Louis County specifications. St.Louis County Subdivision Street Spec's
Specifications that are highly respected throughout the country. They require a minimum of 4 inches of rock under
any subdivision street regardless if its concrete or asphalt. Even some of our neighboring cities require rock under
subdivision streets. Does anyone have an idea why these Home Builder only have a problem in O’Fallon with
building quality subdivision streets?
Make no mistake about it, This is political payback to the special interest that supports the campaigns of the
majority members of this council. To learn more about the causes of Street Creep and it consequences click on
the links below.