5.1. SR 09-19-1994
I ~\.(
( II
IIi{ River
ITEM 5.1
MEMORANDUM
TO:
MAYOR & CITY COUNCIL
FROM:
PAT KLAERS, CITY ADMINISTRATOR
DATE:
SEPTEMBER 15, 1994
SUBJECT: PROPOSAL FROM INSPEC, INC.
Attached to this memo is a report from Building Official Cliff Skogstad
regarding the proposed services from Inspec, Inc., to help the City with its
",Fire Department J;oofproject. We have asked Eos Architecture to review this
Inspec proposal and they have indicated that the scope of services and the
fees are in line with this type of project. By percentage, the fees are high
based on our estimates for the total cost of the project, but professional
services on a small scale project are always high when looked at on a
percentage basis. We certainly hope that by using Inspec on this project we
will get some very good bids and some cost savings in the project.
.
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the hiring of Inspec, Inc.,
to work with the City on the Fire Station roofrepair project.
.
P.O. Box 490 . 13065 Orono Parkway · Elk River, MN 55330 · (612) 441-7420 · Fax: (612) 441-7425
r I ~\.(
( II
!Ii{ River TO:
MEMORANDUM
FROM:
PAT KLAERS, MAYOR, AND
CITY COUNCIL
CLIFF SKOGSTAD, BUILDING 'I. IJ
OFFICIAL C:b
DATE:
SEPTEMBER 8, 1994
SUBJECT: BIDDING PROCESS FOR
RE-ROOFING THE FIRE
STATION
.
On September 8, 1994, I met with Mr. Fred King from Inspec, Inc. I
requested this meeting to acquire a price for services of site verification,
construction documents, and special inspection and test on the Fire Station.
Attached to this memo is Inspec's fee for the services requested. The last
three items in the proposed fee are for construction observation, testing, and
reimbursable items; the price on these items will depend on the construction
contract. If the bids come in at approximately $30,000 dollars, the total of the
three aforementioned items would be $840.00 dollars; with a total estimate
of $5,400 dollars for services. With the use of these services, I feel it will pay
for itself in the long run, considering a longer lasting life of the new roof,
minimal call back and repairs, and a complete bid package with no unseen
over-runs. In addition, the special inspectors will assure proper application
of the construction package.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at the City Offices, or, if you
wish, I could attend Monday nights meeting.
.
CS.bidJBZ
P.O. Box 490. 13065 Orono Parkway · Elk River, MN 55330 · (612) 441-7420 · Fax: (612) 441-7425
SEP - g 1994
/
""NSPEC, INC.
.
580 I Duluth Street
Minneapolis, MN 55422
Ph.612.546.3434
Fax 612.546-8669
555 West LaytooAve.
Suite 420
Milwaukee, WI 53207
Ph. 414.744.6962
Fox 414.744-6981
.
Engineering &
Architectural
services fOr
. roofS,pavements,
exterior walls, and
outdoorsports
mcilities.
September 8, 1994
Mr. Clifford Skogstad
City of Elk River
P.O. Box 490
13065 Orono Parkway
Elk River, Minnesota 55330
Re: Proposal for Engineering Services for Reroofing of
Elk River Fire Station, Meeting Room and Apparatus Area Roofs
Dear Mr. Skogstad:
As requested, we are pleased to provide this proposal to furnish engineering services
for the development of construction documents and to provide construction
observation and quality control testing for District reroofing projects.
SCOPE OF SERVICES
Site Verification
Roof-related details will be verified in the field using test openings to allow for
dimensioning and sketching of the actual existing conditions. Along with
dimensioning the building, this information will be used to provide a basis for the
development of the reroofing design.
Construction Documents
Drawings and a project manual will be prepared for this project. If, during the
design phase, it is determined there is a reasonable potential that one or more new
roof systems could offer performance and/or cost advantages, but would add
significant load to the existing structure, we would recommend a structural evaluation
be conducted. This structural evaluation would determine the total load capacity of
the existing structure based on the original building drawings. The fee for the
structural evaluation would be determined upon review of the original building
drawing s.
The potential exists for asbestos-containing roofing materials to exist on this project.
Should this be discovered during the field verification work an asbestos consultant
would be required to properly address this concern and we suggest these costs be
paid directly by the City of Elk River.
.
.
.
City of Elk River
September 8, 1994
Page Two
Based on the background information, viable roof system alternatives will be determined and
presented to you for a final decision regarding the reroofing design to be fully deveioped into
construction documents for this project.
Once the construction documents have been developed, we will assist you in issuing the project for
bid. We will send a set of the documents to the State for their review. We will consult with you
regarding the more qualified contractors to notify regarding the availability of this project to bid, and
will then contact those contractors.
A pre-bid conference would be held one to two weeks prior to the bid opening to discuss the scope
of work with the contractors at the project site. We will attend the bid opening and provide bid
tabulation forms. Once bids are received, we will assist you in the evaluation of the bids and
provide a letter of recommendation if requested.
Construction Observation
This service would include the review of contractor submittals, a pre-construction conference with
all parties, periodic construction observation during reroofing, verification of pay requests and a final
walkover of the roof.
Our on-site observer not only would act as your representative regarding the technical aspects of the
project, but would also act as a liaison between you and the contractor with regard to coordination
issues that affect the building owner, such as access and staging areas, shutting down air intakes and
resolving other unforeseen problems that may develop.
Testin2
Testing of the roof materials and the completed roof system will be conducted. The types of tests
will depend on the type of roof system specified.
Our on-site observers have the capability to conduct many of the roofing tests on site, providing
prompt test results to the contractor, avoiding "after-the-fact" conflicts. Those tests that cannot be
conducted on site will be conducted in our in-house laboratory.
PROPOSED FEES
Site Verification
Construction Documents
Bid Process
Construction Observation
Testing
Reimbursables
NTE $1,000
NTE $3,000
NTE $200
NTE 2 % of the construction contract
NTE 1 % of the construction contract
Actual - 0.8
.
.
.
City of Elk River
September 8, 1994
Page Three
Reimbursables would include such items as the advertisement for bids and the State Plan Review fee.
REMARKS
We request that you review this proposal and, if satisfactory, sign and return, or prepare a purchase
order as our authorization to proceed. We appreciate your continued interest in our services.
Very truly yours,
INSPEC, INC.
J~:ifr,
FK/jmk
Accepted By: City of Elk River
Ene.
By:
Title:
Date:
37
...MINIMIZING PONDING USING
....LAT INSULATION
DWIGHT F. JENNINGS and DWIGHT D. BENOY
INSPEC. Inc.
Minneapolis, Minn.
In the 1950s, designing totally flat roofs was common
practice. When roofs were designed to be totally flat, the
end result usually was not. Unless camber was built into the
structural system to allow for anticipated dead and live
loads, deflection between bearing points resulted in low
points on the roof.
Typically, roof drains were located along beams or bear.
ing walls, which turn out to be the high points in the roof
system. There also was very little room for error in construc-
tion. Everything, from the footings on up, had to be con.
structed to very close tolerances in order to end up with
equal elevations across the building.
The industry gradually learned that ponding water acted
to reduce the serviceable life of a built-up roof. Getting the
roof dry enough to patch a leak was also a problem. And,
much more water entered the building if leaks did develop.
Most major manufacturers in the United States eventually
. came to recommend V.-inch-per-foot slope for new roof
design using built.up roof membranes or manufactured
single-ply membranes. However, there are many, many
buildings out there already that have no slope and have
excessive water ponding. The most opponune time to cor-
rect this condition is when reroofing becomes necessary.
Ideally, eliminating all ponded water would be the best for
the long-term performance of the roof system. However,
there are times when eliminating ponded water is not prac-
tical because of the complexity of the solution or limitations
posed by the existing conditions. It is imponant to keep the
design as simple as possible. A complex design may be the
most effective, but costs will rise proponionately, and the
contractor may have difficulty in actually executing the
work. In these cases, the cost to eliminate the ponds exceeds
the advantage of doing so. Many expens believe a roof pond
that dries within 48 hours of a rainfall will have little effect
on the long-term performance of a roof membrane.
.
REROOFING DESIGN APPROACHES
Once the existing conditions and the cause of the ponding
problem are determined, approaches to the reroofing design
can be developed. Many times the addition of roof drains or
scuppers is not feasible. Adding insulation of varying thick-
ness, not necessarily tapered insulation, can be a viable solu-
lion in many cases.
flat and Tapered Insulation System
In response to the industry movement toward slope in roof
systems for complete drainage, manufacturers are market.
inltapered insulation to give slope to relatively large sec.
tions of roof area. Tapered insulation board is available in
several different types, including polystyrene, perlite-aggre-
pie, isocyanurate, cellular glass and fiber glass. The slope
available in each type varies. The slope should be sufficient
to achieve positive drainage, yet not so great that insulation
thicknesses become difficult and costly to deal with al the
details.
Maybe it's not necessary to use tapered insulation to slope
the entire roof area. There may be existing deck slope, no
matter how slight, to take advantage of, even in an essen.
tially flat roof.
Let's look at a simple example of a 50.year-<Jld building
with an essentially flat concrete deck. The deck has gradually
deformed and sagged between suppons through the very
slow process referred to as "creep". To compound the prob-
Jem. new HVAC equipment has been suspended from the
deck. The net result is a slight slope in the roof section from
the suppons to the center. The roof is drained at one roof
edge through scuppers over one of the bearing walls. The
result is substantial ponding in the central ponion of the
roof area (Figure 1).
The reroofing design could include tapered insulation
from the scuppers to the opposite roof edge to eliminate
ponding. But half the existing roof is .a1ready sloping in the
direction for drainage to the scuppers, so why not take
advantage of it. Flat insulation placed over this half of the
roof will have a net positive slope toward the scuppers.
Tapered insulation with enough slope to counteract the
negative slope of the deck in the other half of the roof will
provide a net result of positive slope across the entire roof
area at the membrane level.
This approach minimizes the insulation thickness so one
can better deal with height limitations at existing flashings,
such as through-wall flashings, and at large mechanical
units. Likewise, blocking requirements at the details may be
less. The final product provides the desired drainage at less
cost than a fully tapered system.
Tiered flat Insulation System
Another, typically less costly, method of reducing ponded
water is to increase the thickness of insulation in steps, or
tiers, from the drainage points to the perimeter of the area.
These tiers are typically made in Ih-inch or 'II-inch incre-
ments with tapered edge strip installed to provide a smooth
transition from one tier to the next.
The same basic concept as in the first example is appli-
cable here. Take advantage of the existing deck slope on half
the area. In this case, the insulation is stepped down in four
increments rather than a continuous taper (Figure 2). The
steps are located more closely in the area of greatest ponding,
or negative slope, to minimize the existing highs and low'.
The disadvantage of this approach is that it does not com.
pletely eliminate the ponding in all cases. However, it can
reduce the depth or ponding to a tolerable level by displac.
.
31
.
ing the water in gradual increments. As with the tapered in-
sulation example, height restrictions at the details are more
easily dealt with. The primary advantage of this approach
compared to the tapered insulation approach is cost. De.
pending on the type of roof system and the complexity of
the insulation layout design, the installed insulation cost for
the tiered system can be 10 percent to 40 percent less than the
tapered system. This cost saving can go a long way to offset
any loss in service life of the roof system caused by minor
ponding with the tiered system.
Scuppers Ind Downspouts
Once the surface water gets to the drain, it must be able to
flow off the roof. Often the extra materials used to flash in
the drain, or scupper, result in a build.up around the drain
and some damming of water. This effect can be minimized
by placing the drain, or scupper, in the center of a depressed
area made by tapering the insulation. The tapered area'
should be slightly larger than the largest flashing sheet.
In climates where freezing temperatures often occur, ice
damming at scupper outlets and ice damage to the down-
spout arc often problems. The open.faced down-spout was
developed to minimize the potential for plugging while con-
tinuing to provide the waIl protection and control of water
flow afforded by a totally closed downspout. Using a dark
color for the downspout allows solar heating to help keep
the downspout as ice-free as possible.
Cenain types of buildings, such as school buildings, may
have other special considerations. It is amazing how a new
downspout can provide children with access to the roof. A
W-shaped open-faced downspout securely anchored to the
wall is a design that doesn't leave much for children to grab
(Figure J). Also, there should be no projections or sharp
sheet metal edges that could cause injury. This design has an
advantage over the more conventional open-faced down-
spout when using factory color-coated sheet metal. The en.
tire exposed face will have the colored face showing. The in-
side of the more conventional open-faced downspout shows
the reverse side of the metal, producing a "racing stripe" on
the building unless the inside is painted. This "child-proof"
downspout provides a reasonable solution to a couple of
typical downspout problems. Contractors that have used it
have found it to be fairly easily fabricated and installed,
while providing essentially the same function as the more
.
~
conventional open-faced downspout. Likewise, building
owners are satisfied with the reduced potential for injury
and traffic on the roofs.
Inside-Outside Drains
A beller approach to edge drainage in nonhern climates is to
install an inside-outside drain. This is usually more expen-
sive than an exterior scupper and downspout. But its ability
to remove snow.melt water is much beller, and the risk of
damage from ice falling off the wall is eliminated. It is also
relatively vandal-proof.
This type of roof drain system is simply a roof drain in.
stalled at the low point of the roof surface. The drain leader
runs down the inside of the exterior wall and discharges out
through the waIl a foot or two, above grade (Figure 4). The
interior location keeps the drain and leader open during cold
weather. Ice build-up at the discharge is minimized because
the draining water has warmed slightly. Damage from any
ice development is minimal because it forms at grade level,
not at roof level.
REMARKS
There are still many buildings out there with ponded ,,'ater
on the roof. With some thought at the time of reroofing,
most of these conditions can be reduced or eliminated using
some relatively simple methods. The resulting roof system is
more likely to reach its maximum serviceable life, at the
lowest Iife-cycle cost.
1" insul.
3" insul.
-t
Area of
substantial
ponding
1/e"/ft. tapered
insul.
Scupper-'7
B
ROOF PLAN
No Scale
1"insul.
1/8"1It. tapered Insul.
3" insul.
Root surface
slope
~
.
Deck slope
B
TAPERED INSULATION SECTION
No Scale
FiguTt J
.' ',". .0,
. 'cI'o". "'.? '0"-;' It
Deck Slope
Exist. concrete deck showing
exaggerated deflection between
bearing walls
.
~
1" insul.
I 1" insul.
1 'h " insul.
2" insul.
Scupper ./'
01 (11 4' 4'
ROOF PLAN
No Scale
Tapered edge strip to provide a
smooth transition
1'h " in sui.
2" insul. 2'/." insul.
3" insul.
.
Deck slope
8 TIERED INSULATION SECTION
No Scale'
Figurt ]
.
211z" insul.
3" insul.
Areas of substantial
ponding
A
Roof surface
slope
~
39
L Deck slope
Exist. concrete deck showing
exaggerated deflection between
bearing walls
.
.
.
40
Figure J
Fasten new sheet
metal downspout with
3116' dia. masonry
anchors lhru neoprene
washers at maximum
3'-0' on.center thru
slotted holes
,
, r
\ I
,,______________.;J Cover open face of
/f - downspout with 8'
L-- deflector plate at
top and bottom of
downspout. fasten
with screws or rivets
DOWNSPOUT DETAIL
No Scale
.
.
.
, ,
I,
, ,
, I
, I
I I
Min. 1/S"/ft. slope s' 1 I
Secure leader to deck ~ ---
and wall with straps
Provide insul. pipe
wrap
Carefully bore neat hole
thru wall. fill void w/grout
Splash block
.1
Cast iron roof drain with bottom
outlet and deck clamp
Tapered insul.
lS"
INTERIOR/EXTERIOR
No Scale
Figur. 4
ROOF