Dumb Tempe City Council members asked for a 20 year warranty but they got suckered when the vendor only included a 10 warranty in the contract. Now it looks like the on Tempe Town Toilet will overflow after 10 years and the stupid Tempe rulers will be stuck with a 16 million dollar bill. When you need morons to do a job and waste money you can always count on government rulers.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=61787
Town Lake dams showing early wear By Garin Groff, Tribune March 25, 2006
Much like tires that wore out faster than they were supposed to, the rubber dams on Tempe Town Lake are aging faster than promised. Instead of holding up 25 to 30 years, the dams may wear out in just 10 years, city officials said this week.
Though the city thought another generation of Tempe leaders would worry about replacing the dams, officials are preparing to set aside at least $16 million to buy new air-filled dams in the next few years.
The dam is safe despite premature wear, city officials said.
I really doubt that it would all of a sudden burst and go, said Roger Hallsted, who oversees Town Lake finances.
The Valleys intense sun, heat and low humidity triggered the dams to age so quickly. Thats why the four sections on the west end which take the brunt of the afternoon sun are what the city is most worried about.
Its too soon to tell exactly how much longer the dams will last. But after frequent inspections with the manufacturer, Bridgestone, the city is looking to replace a section on the west end in three or four years. Bridgestone will take it to its factory in Japan and subject it to abuse to see how much or little strength the material has.
At that point, the city will know if it needs to immediately replace the other three western sections.
We may find out that we have three more, five more, seven more useful years on the ones we have left, said Nancy Ryan, the Rio Salado Project manager.
Each western section 240 feet long and 19 feet tall costs about $3 million. The city is planning to bank about $16 million to cover installation and eventual replacement of the less expensive eastern dams.
Tempe installed the dams in 1999 when it created the 2-mile Tempe Town Lake. It used inflatable dams so it could lower them on the rare occasions water flows through the Salt River. Traditional dams would block too much water and lead to flooding.
The city envisioned a thin sheet of water would constantly flow over the western dam to protect it from the sun and heat. Pumps would return the water to the lake.
But when the city lowered the dams a bit, they sagged in the middle, Hallsted said. Because water flowed only over the middle, the city pumped the dams back up.
Bridgestone representatives said in 1999 that their dams could last 50 years, but that Tempe should expect 25 to 30 years because of the intense heat.
Bridgestone had no way of being certain, Ryan said, because of the dams size and location.
This was the first time they had installed a dam that tall in a desert, Ryan said.
A Bridgestone representative did not return calls Friday.
The eastern dams should hold up at least 15 years because they dont get as much afternoon sun, Ryan said. And since last years wet winter, water has gathered and protected the dam from sun and heat.
The city can replace dam sections without draining the lake by dropping temporary metal sections into grooves on the concrete piers that support the dam.
City officials said theyll explore legal action against Bridgestone. Mayor Hugh Hallman said hes already located a video of a meeting where a Bridgestone representative assured city officials the dams would last 25 years. Councilman Hut Hutson said the high replacement cost should make the city consider false representation claims or other legal remedies.
Id like to look at that, Hutson said.
Tempe Town Lakes rubber dams
Made in Japan by Bridgestone
Four inflatable sections at each end of the lake
Installed in 1999 for $4 million
Inflated with air at seven pounds per square inch
Originally expected to last 25-30 years
Tear resistant and can repel a bullet
Temporary dam can be placed to allow dam repair without draining the lake.
Contact Garin Groff by email, or phone (480) 898-5938
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/tempe/articles/0325tr-dam0325Z10.html
Sun does a number on dam bladders City could spend $16 million to fix lake structures
Jahna Berry The Arizona Republic Mar. 25, 2006 12:00 AM
Arizonans know that some things in the desert don't last.
Snowfall on a cactus.
A Cardinals winning season. advertisement
A salon blowout during monsoon season.
Apparently neither do the rubber, inflatable dams that create Tempe Town Lake.
In this desert sun and heat, it looks like the dams' rubber bladders will make it to the lifespan of a 10-year warranty, but not much longer.
City leaders, however, were told the seven-year-old dams were built to last 20 years.
It may cost $16 million to replace the dams, the city's financial chief said.
Tempe Town Lake was filled in 1999, transforming a bleak dry riverbed into a recreation mecca and a hot spot for swanky offices and tony condominium projects.
The city has invested millions into building, operating and molding the attraction into one of the city's crown jewels.
With all its success, the lake's price tag is still a sensitive topic at City Hall and the latest news touched a nerve.
Some council members ruefully recalled that city leaders were promised that the dams would last 20 years.
City Councilman Hut Hutson asked the city attorney if Tempe had any legal options.
"They were sold to us on a 10-year warranty, but we were told that they would last 20 years," Hutson said.
If the warranty says 10 years, the city may have few legal options, replied City Attorney Marlene Pontrelli, adding that she planned to do some research on that issue.
Why are the dams wearing out?
The same reason automobile tires take a beating in the desert sun and heat.
Ultraviolet rays and heat are breaking down the rubber, said Rio Salado Manager Nancy Ryan.
"It's not that at year 10 they will fall apart," Ryan said. But now is the time to start planning to replace the seven-year-old dams. Especially since it may have to be replaced section by section over a period of years.
"The last thing we want to do is prolong use until there is a failure," she said.
Ryan said that while the manufacturer has high expectations for the dams, the Town Lake project was new territory. Bridgestone had never used the dams in such an extreme desert environment and had never built similar dams that tall, she said.
Near the end of the warranty, the city likely will replace one of the bladders and fly the old one to the manufacturer in Japan to go through rigorous testing.
That will give Tempe an idea of how much life is left in the dams, Ryan said.
The four downstream dam bladders on the western side of the lake are the biggest and are under the most stress, one expert said.
The layers of rubber are strong, but over time many hairline cracks have formed, said Basil Boyd, Jr. a Tempe water resources hydrologist.
"The type of thing that you would see in an old piece of rubber, like a tire," Boyd said.
Bridgestone representatives have checked on the dam frequently since it was built, Boyd said.
About two years ago, they began recommending that the city begin thinking about gradually replacing the rubber bladders over time.
http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/0325tr-dam0325Z10.html
Sun does a number on dams' rubber bladders City could spend $16 million to fix lake structures
Jahna Berry The Arizona Republic Mar. 25, 2006 12:00 AM
Arizonans know that some things in the desert don't last.
Snowfall on a cactus.
A Cardinals winning season.
A salon blowout during monsoon season.
Apparently neither do the rubber, inflatable dams that create Tempe Town Lake.
In this desert sun and heat, it looks like the dams' rubber bladders will make it to the lifespan of a 10-year warranty, but not much longer.
City leaders, however, were told the seven-year-old dams were built to last 20 years.
It may cost $16 million to replace the dams, the city's financial chief said.
Tempe Town Lake was filled in 1999, transforming a bleak dry riverbed into a recreation mecca and a hot spot for swanky offices and tony condominium projects.
The city has invested millions into building, operating and molding the attraction into one of the city's crown jewels.
With all its success, the lake's price tag is still a sensitive topic at City Hall and the latest news touched a nerve.
Some council members ruefully recalled that city leaders were promised that the dams would last 20 years.
City Councilman Hut Hutson asked the city attorney if Tempe had any legal options.
"They were sold to us on a 10-year warranty, but we were told that they would last 20 years," Hutson said.
If the warranty says 10 years, the city may have few legal options, replied City Attorney Marlene Pontrelli, adding that she planned to do some research on that issue.
Why are the dams wearing out?
The same reason automobile tires take a beating in the desert sun and heat.
Ultraviolet rays and heat are breaking down the rubber, said Rio Salado Manager Nancy Ryan.
"It's not that at year 10 they will fall apart," Ryan said. But now is the time to start planning to replace the seven-year-old dams. Especially since it may have to be replaced section by section over a period of years.
"The last thing we want to do is prolong use until there is a failure," she said.
Ryan said that while the manufacturer has high expectations for the dams, the Town Lake project was new territory. Bridgestone had never used the dams in such an extreme desert environment and had never built similar dams that tall, she said.
Near the end of the warranty, the city likely will replace one of the bladders and fly the old one to the manufacturer in Japan to go through rigorous testing.
That will give Tempe an idea of how much life is left in the dams, Ryan said.
The four downstream dam bladders on the western side of the lake are the biggest and are under the most stress, one expert said.
The layers of rubber are strong, but over time many hairline cracks have formed, said Basil Boyd, Jr. a Tempe water resources hydrologist.
"The type of thing that you would see in an old piece of rubber, like a tire," Boyd said.
Bridgestone representatives have checked on the dam frequently since it was built, Boyd said.
About two years ago, they began recommending that the city begin thinking about gradually replacing the rubber bladders over time.