5.0. SR 10-23-2000 - Laserfiche WebLink

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. Howard R. Green Company CONSULTING ENGINEERS October 23, 2000 File: 812420J-0325 Mr. Pat Klaers City Administrator City of Elk River 13065 Orono Parkway P.O. Box 490 Elk River, MN 55330-0490 RE: DOWNTOWN SIDEWALK ANALYSIS Dear Mr. Klaers: . As requested, we have done some preliminary analysis of costs for the various options being discussed regarding the Downtown Sidewalk Replacement project. As I understand it, the City is considering replacing the sidewalk currently in the downtown area with either "pavers" or a combination of "pavers" and regular sidewalk. As we looked at the downtown area, we included all areas on Main Street from TH 10 to Lowell Avenue, and Lowell Avenue, King Avenue, and Jackson Avenue from Main Street to TH 10. These areas are shown on the attached exhibit which indicates the width of the existing sidewalks. The red colored sidewalks in the downtown area are noted on the exhibit as "paver" sidewalk. As the City moves forward in analyzing the installation of individual pavers in the downtown area, there are several issues that they will need to discuss and decide upon. First, there are basically two different types of pavers. One is a concrete material, while the other is a brick material. The brick material is somewhat more expensive, but tends to maintain itscolor better. I believe most large installations are the concrete type of paver. Secondly, there are different methods of installation. The most expensive would be to essentially construct a concrete sidewalk underneath on which the pavers could be placed. This, of course, will remove any potential settlement problems. However, this may create a slippage plane that could cause trouble with turning mechanical equipment. The less expensive method would be to use some type of sand and gravel mix underneath the pavers, which is cheaper but could potentially allow for differential settlement if not properly compacted. I believe that most manufacturers recommend installation on regular subgrade with a small sand cushion to eliminate the potential of a slip plane being created between the concrete and the pavers. From a maintenance standpoint, there is the positive that if the sidewalk is created out of paver blocks and needs to be crossed with a utility line, many of the blocks would be salvageable and able to be reinstalled. There appears to be no problem with properly installed pavers from a snow removal or mechanical sweeping of the sidewalk causing pavers to become dislodged. . Ltr-10-23-00 Klaers.doc 1326 Energy Park Drive. St. Paul, MN 55108 . 651/644-4389 fax 651/644-9446 toll free 888/368-4389