Builders to reinforce Lincoln arena to fix rebar

By: Cole Miller
cmiller@klkntv.com

Remember the Rebar problem at the site of Lincoln's new arena? Engineers say they've come up with a way to fix it.  They say it was a pretty unusual problem, rebar that was bent incorrectly.  But it's nothing engineers say a little extra concrete can't take care of.

Construction on the Pinnacle Bank Arena is in full swing.  It all looks good, but the project hasn't gone perfectly.  Late last December, workers found bent rebar in some major pieces of the foundation.

“This was a serious incident that occurred on the project,” John Wood of Mortonsen said. The problem was isolated to 26 of the arena's 52 pile caps.  So, what is a pile cap? Basically, it's a large concrete base constructed above the deeper foundation. They help transfer the load of the structure.

“All of these fixes are underground. When the project is finished, you will not be able to see them. It's not going to be anything that's noticeable to the public,” Structural Engineer Matt Farber said.

Farber is a structural engineer with the DLR Group.  He says the caps will be fixed by using a compression ring, or “concrete jacket” for reinforcement.  They'll help reduce stress on the rebar, and Farber says no demolition will have to be done to start over.

With a solution now in place, the question becomes who pays the bill. Engineers say due to extra testing and project oversight, it's likely that cost could come back on the rebar company.

Although it's still unclear as to how much will have to be spent, all things considered, the project should finish right on time.

“The corrective work has begun and will take place over the next 2 months, concurrent with the overall construction schedule,” Mayor Chris Beutler said.

Officials say they will inspect every piece of steel that comes in to make sure it's okay. The Mayor says, the project is still on schedule, which is September of 2013.