Council fixes one footpath crack, leaves another

Auckland City ratepayers have paid $18,400 to fix a newly laid footpath at Mountain Rd in Epsom that cracked.

Engineers believe the cracking was probably caused by late cutting or pouring.

The same engineers at Beca Infrastructure found similar causes for cracking at another footpath at Apirana Ave in Glen Innes, but the council has not repaired the damage.

More than three years after the cracking was discovered at Apirana Ave, the footpath is an unsightly mess with painted crosses showing the cracks and painted circles where core samples were taken. This is at odds with the council policy of a consistent look and feel throughout the city.

The cost of repairing the cracks in Mountain Rd in July last year was $36,847.74. The bill was split 50/50 between the contractor, John Fillmore Contractors, and the council.

Transport general manager Don Munro said this was because an engineering report did not definitively conclude that the cracking was the result of poor workmanship.

A report by Beca Infrastructure in February 2006 said seven slabs on the west side of Mountain Rd, 30m from Clive Rd, were cracked.

Late sawing and/or insufficient depth of joint forming, concrete drying too quickly, a late pour or poor quality concrete were among likely causes.

The report concluded that the two main probable causes contributing to the cracked slabs in Mountain Rd, Apirana Ave and a third street, Torrington Cres in Glen Innes, were late sawing and/or too early joint forming and late pouring.

A second report by Beca - that included taking three core samples each from Mountain Rd and Apirana Ave - reached a similar conclusion about the possible causes of cracking.

Mr Munro said the council and the contractor acknowledged there were cracks in the three streets, but believed the most likely reason was ground conditions and a weather change on the day the concrete was laid in January 2006.

He said at the time that the council would monitor the cracks. Because the cracks did not close, the high pedestrian use associated with Auckland Grammar School and several complaints from residents, a decision was made to repair Mountain Rd.

Mr Munro said there were no plans to repair the cracked slabs in Apirana Ave unless the integrity of the footpath became a pedestrian hazard.

John Fillmore said he had been told by the council that he could not talk to the Herald.

Two weeks ago Mayor John Banks ordered an inquiry after it was revealed that the council had been paying twice for some footpath work.

Last month, the Auditor-General announced a separate inquiry into the management of the council's footpath contracts, which have cost ratepayers more than $100 million since 2004.

The Mountain Rd problem is the first to occur in Mr Banks' tenure. Until now, he has said the events took place under mayor Dick Hubbard.