What began as a routine, five-day, street overlay project on Pickett Street in Garden Grove quickly became a two-and-a-half month situation public works staff had never encountered before.
It not only tested their knowledge of reconstruction, but of geology as well.
What began as a routine, five-day, street overlay project on Pickett Street in Garden Grove quickly became a two-and-a-half month situation public works staff had never encountered before.
It not only tested their knowledge of reconstruction, but of geology as well.
During the removal and replacement of the 300 yards along Pickett, street maintenance workers and foremen discovered the sub-grade was comprised of four different, natural materials: clay, silty clay, sand and silty sand. Typically, just one or two of those elements lies beneath a street’s surface.
This resulted in city staff having to not only double the amount of drills they normally use for subsurface testing, but nearly triple the depth of street that needed to be removed, ground up, and resurfaced.
“What we found under Picket completely defied any prior knowledge we had,” said Public Works Supervisor, Bob Moungey.
Moungey said that while these unusual issues challenged his concrete and asphalt crew, they more than rose to the occasion, utilizing their state-of-the-art-training and exceptional customer service skills.
“Because the city has maintained a high level of training for streets personnel, inspectors were qualified to not only correctly assess each new problem that arose, but find a solution as well. This resulted in the city saving significant funds on outside consultants, and changing future protocol for street reinforcement,” said Moungey.
The process was time-consuming though, and delayed completion, which inconvenienced the residents living in that area. Public works staff worked closely with them on a daily basis, providing a mini-shuttle service and opening a no-parking lane on Lampson Avenue.
“While this discovery was tedious for those homeowners, the city was determined to give them the 20-to-30-year street they deserve, not a quick-fix, 10-year one. The residents realized this, and showed great patience,” Moungey said.
For more information about this recently-completed project, and the newly-incorporated design, call Moungey at 714-741-5385.
