On Monday, July 19, New Fairfield’s Permanent Building Committee (PBC) held a special meeting to discuss unsuitable soils that have been discovered at the Consolidated Early Learning Academy (CELA) site. Colliers International’s Mr. Mark Schweitzer explained that unsuitable soils were discovered while excavating for the footings near Meeting House Hill School’s 5th grade wing, a spot where the CELA addition will connect with the existing school. This was previously identified as an area where extreme care was going to need to be taken due to its proximity to existing leaching fields.

The unsuitable soils were discovered at 10 to 12 feet deep and, as a fix per the specifications and geotech documents, they are supposed to slope that area and replace the unsuitable soil—later described as “organic” materials—with structural fill. To do that, however, “would wipe out the leaching fields that we don’t want to wipe out and part of the parking lot that we don’t want to wipe out” Schweitzer said. Instead, the engineer supported creating a “neat excavation” without sloping the sides and filling the space with lean concrete. The excavated space would be too narrow for a person to safely compact the structural fill, necessit ating the use of more expensive concrete. Both the materials testing lab and Langan Engineering were onsite at the time of this discovery and another one that was found at a later time in excavation.

This matter prompted the request for PBC approval for a Construction Change Directive (CCD) to support either structural fill or lean concrete going forward, as necessitated by each scenario as it arises and the engineer’s directive—PBC members approved the CCD. In addition, Schweitzer went on to explain that the sitework contractors have already exhausted their fill allowances for the CELA addition. PBC Chair Mr. George Martignetti asked if there is a trucking log from O&G that can check and balance the total structural fill that has been delivered to the site. Schweitzer said that there should be tickets to correspond with the fill that has been delivered. He went on to explain that the unit price for structural fill is $75 per cubic yard, where it will be $200 per cubic yard for lean concrete, including excavation, material removal, loading out, trucking, and dumping. All expect that the costs will increase, though O&G’s Mr Jason Travelstead assured the PBC that they will opt for the less expensive option whenever possible.

The PBC will have met for a regular meeting on Tuesday, 7/27. Their next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 10, 7:30 p.m.