Illinois Constructors Corp. v. State

45 Ill. Ct. Cl. 124, 1993 Ill. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 148
CourtCourt of Claims of Illinois
DecidedApril 6, 1993
DocketNo. 86-CC-3563
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 45 Ill. Ct. Cl. 124 (Illinois Constructors Corp. v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Claims of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Illinois Constructors Corp. v. State, 45 Ill. Ct. Cl. 124, 1993 Ill. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 148 (Ill. Super. Ct. 1993).

Opinion

OPINION

JANN, J.

This matter is before the Court on Claimants complaint for declaratory relief, claiming a total of $191,582.70. Claimant, Illinois Constructors Corporation (hereinafter referred to as ICC), was under contract with the Illinois Department of Transportation (hereinafter referred to as the Department) to build two bridge piers for FA Route No. 412 at the Illinois River near the City of La Salle, Illinois. ICC brought this action pursuant to section 8(b) of the Court of Claims Act (Ill. Rev. Stat., ch. 37, par. 439.8(b)). At the close of ICC s case in chief, Respondent moved for a directed finding pursuant to section 2 — Ill. of the Code of Civil Procedure (Ill. Rev. Stat., ch. 110, par. 2 — 1110). The motion was taken under advisement and the Respondent presented its defense without prejudice to its motion. Oral arguments were heard November 12,1991.

During excavation for Pier 35 on the north side of the river, ICC encountered difficulties which it claims slowed the progress of the work and resulted in a substantial increase in cost. ICC seeks an equitable adjustment in compensation pursuant to the changed condition provision of its contract. ICC claims that it encountered subsurface conditions that differed materially from the conditions indicated in the contract documents. ICC presents its claim in the following three parts:

(1) $37,330.96 in additional costs for excavating harder material;

(2) $109,054.22 in costs for reinforcing the cofferdam and $21,467.52 for other rental charges associated with extended time for excavation operations; and

(3) $23,730 for the recovery of liquidated damages assessed by the Department.

The Respondent contends that ICC has failed to prove that the conditions it encountered constituted a changed condition as defined by the contract. Respondent maintains that ICC encountered the materials during excavation that it had reason to anticipate based upon the contract documents and pre-bid soil borings.

It is necessary to examine the scope of work required of ICC and determine the conditions actually encountered by ICC. The critical issue is whether the contract documents provide sufficient notice of the subsurface conditions encountered.

BACKGROUND — THE CONTRACT

On April 29, 1983, ICC submitted a bid in the sum of $2,675,110.82 in response to the Departments notice to bidders, specifications, proposal, contract and contract bond (hereinafter referred to as the Notice). The work described in the Notice was for “the complete construction of Piers 34 [south] and 35 [north] for the highway bridge over the Illinois River east of La Salle, in La Salle County, Illinois.”

On June 1, 1983, the Department accepted the bid by ICC and the parties subsequently entered into a contract for the work. The contract incorporated all provisions of the Notice, the plans for the project and the “Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction” (hereinafter referred to collectively as the Contract).

The principal items of work, as described in the Contract, were for:

(a) the construction and later removal of temporary cofferdam;

(b) the construction, maintenance and later removal of any necessary system of protection for the main river piers during construction, excavation, furnishing and driving steel piles; and

(c) all appurtenant, auxiliary and collateral work necessary for the completion of the substructure.

The contract specified that ICC was to excavate material within the cofferdams to the elevation of 400.5 feet. The base of the seal coat of concrete was to be poured at that level. The pertinent boring logs indicated that the riverbed was at an elevation of 434.8 feet. ICC therefore needed to excavate vertically 34.3 feet.

The special provisions of the Contract has a section which describes “WORK NOT INCLUDED IN CONTRACT” That section specifies:

“Not included are the furnishing, fabricating, erecting and painting of the structural steel for the main span tied arch and the approach span superstructure, approach span piers, abutments, approach pavements, and the construction of the bridge deck.”

R.M. Schless, secretary and employee of ICC, testified that in preparing ICC’s bid he assumed that the Notice and the Contract did not require any excavation of rock. He also assumed that if rock were encountered, the Department would pay for rock excavation as a changed condition. His assumptions were based on the express exclusion of rock excavation from the scope of work for cofferdam excavation and because the Contracts schedule of prices contained no pay item for rock excavation.

At the time of bidding, Schless believed that ICC could excavate the material in the north cofferdam with soft ground excavating equipment, i.e., pump or clamshell bucket. His belief was based on low recovery rates of rock indicated in the bridge foundation boring logs (boring Nos. B-135 and B-136).

The log for Boring No. B-135 for Pier 35 describes the material at an elevation of 421.8 feet as “[m]edium, light brown, GRAVEL, broken weathered limestone with sand.” Boring No. B-136 indicates that “[m]edium to dense, brown, coarse to fine GRAVEL with sand and several 2' layers of weathered limestone” will be found at 422.3 feet. According to B-135, the material at an elevation of 413.8 is “[h]ard, light gray LIMESTONE with weathered limestone pieces, gravel and sand.” According to B-136, “[hjard, light gray LIMESTONE, with coal and sand in wash water” is at elevation 412.6.

Schless testified that rock is often encountered inside a cofferdam. He knew it was likely that rock would be encountered. He assumed, based upon the boring samples, that the material to be encountered would be loose. He believed the low percentage of recovery stated on the boring logs indicated that the rock was not solid. Because there was not a unit price for rock in the contract he further assumed that the Department would make some adjustments when rock was encountered. Schless stated that he was aware that the Departments engineer was the sole person who would make a determination as to whether rock was encountered. Contrary to his assumptions that the Contract did not require the excavation of rock, Schless also assumed that there was a ledge of limestone.

Work necessary for cofferdam excavation is described in the Contract as follows:

“COFFERDAM EXCAVATION: The work under this item includes all foundation excavation, except rock excavation, within the limits of the cofferdams, backfilling around the piers to the stream bed elevation, and disposal of excess material. The work shall be done in accordance with the requirements of Section 502 and as specified herein. (Emphasis added.)
Cofferdam excavation shall be measured in cubic yards in place within the cofferdam. The horizontal dimensions shall be the design dimensions of the concrete seal. The vertical dimensions shall be the average depth from the surface of the material to be removed to the bottom design elevation of the concrete seal.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
45 Ill. Ct. Cl. 124, 1993 Ill. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 148, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/illinois-constructors-corp-v-state-ilclaimsct-1993.