City of Huntsville Approves Lawsuit Against Contractors (WCP) 6/17/2019

The Huntsville City Council approved a lawsuit against the contractors who built the solid waste transfer station. The transfer station serves as the central trash collection hub for Huntsville and Walker County and handles a large volume of traffic from heavy truck. The pavement of the $3.6 million transfer station began cracking as early as January, only months after the facility began operation. The cracks are continuing to grow as the driveway deteriorates with use.

The city retained a Construction Law firm led by attorney Jeff Chapman of Austin for legal advice about the transfer station and the firm conducted an investigation into the causes of the concrete failures. The investigation revealed that there were three primary causes of the cracking and crumbling concrete driveways.

“There was no lime stabilization provided to the subgrade. Instead of placing reinforcing steel in the concrete as the design documents would require, the contractor and subcontractor used a steel mesh material. And then the third major problem is that the pavement does not have the adequate thickness as it was designed to have” Chapman said in testimony during the City Council meeting.

Councilmember Ronald Allen summed up the problem when he said, “Well they had this Transfer Station built, and the driveway didn’t have any rebar.”

The investigation also revealed that the concrete failures were in the driveways and not the Transfer Station foundation or the concrete of the scales. Repairs could cost over $1 Million. The City Council voted to approve a motion for a lawsuit against Weaver Consulting Group, Anchor Construction, and subcontractor Liberty Concrete and Construction, who are the contractors of the Transfer Station.

The Solid Waste Transfer Station is located at 590 Interstate 45 North of Huntsville.