The surface of Paul Brown Stadium's concrete plaza is starting to crumble, and county officials and the construction company that built the plaza aren't in agreement on who's to blame.

        Large portions of concrete are cracking, and the top layer of some of it has broken apart, leaving rough and uneven sections. Some of the concrete already has been replaced because steel reinforcing bars popped through to the surface.

A little more than a year old, the surface of Paul Brown Stadium's plaza is beginning to crumble. Portions of the plaza already have been replaced. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

        It's unclear exactly how much it will cost to fix the problem, but county officials and stadium managers want it corrected by construction manager Turner Barton Malow D.A.G. after the football season.

        Turner has responded with a report from a consulting engineer that says stadium managers are to blame for the so-called “surface scaling” because of deicing salts and chemicals used last winter.

        Hamilton County officials hired their own consultant, which said concrete produced in accordance with the stadium's specifications would have held up under the salt.

        “The most likely cause of scaling is poor finishing ... and excess water at the surface during finishing,” says a report issued by Aurp, the county's Los Angeles consultant.

        Joe Feldkamp, assistant stadium director, said the concrete doesn't present a safety problem at the moment.

        “This is a long-term maintenance issue,” Mr. Feldkamp said. “It's happening in patches and we're afraid it could happen everywhere.

        “If they (Turner) walk away, we could end up having to replace all of the concrete. That's a lot of daggone concrete.”

        All of the patch work to date has been done at the construction manager's expense because the stadium is still under warranty.

        Hamilton County Commissioner Tom Neyer, a developer by trade, said five questions have to be sorted out: how widespread is the problem; who caused it; what's the solution; who pays for the solution; and how do you treat snow and ice in the future?

        “We clearly have to be confident in the slab's integrity,” Mr. Neyer said. “We are now evaluating what needs to happen to restore that confidence.”

        Commissioner Todd Portune doesn't buy the construction manager's explanation that salt caused the cracking.

        “They built a stadium in southwest Ohio,” Mr. Portune said. “What did they think was going to be used to melt the snow?”

        The stadium opened in August of 2000 after crews rushed construction and worked around the clock for months to get it ready on time. When the dust settled, the stadium was $51 million over budget.

        The county has hired an Indianapolis law firm to try to get some of that money back.

        Ken Butler, an executive for Turner Construction, declined to comment on the concrete problem.

        “Personally, I'd like to respond be we are still employed by the county,” Mr. Butler said.

        Eric Brown, managing director of Paul Brown Stadium (no relation to Bengals' owner Mike Brown), said the concrete has cracked after freezing and thawing. If left unchecked, the scaling concrete could become a safety issue, he said.

        “I personally believe we have a combination of problems,” Mr. Brown said. “Part of what happened is in order to get it done on time, things were probably put on top of the concrete before it was totally set. There are also questions about whether the concrete meets specifications, and Turner says there were design issues.

        “Sounds to me like everyone has a different reason.”
       

Apology follows offer to hijack victims' families
Concrete cracking at stadium
Agencies sweat out fund drive
Flyboys keep My Gal Sal in their hearts
Officials ask God for guidance at Red Mass
Police can air ideas in private
Police investigate 3 bank robberies
Tristate A.M. Report
UC loses $11.2M from subsidy
MCNUTT: Warren County Witches' persecution examined
SAMPLES: Displays oddly comforting
Court may reconsider school funding
Sheppard family won't auction handkerchiefs
Spiff up your state Web sites, political parties advised
Tugs can't free freighter
Witness: Fantasy could turn real
Best bands show off brass
Industry reps miss meeting on mining rules
Kenton Co. considers more security
Kentucky News Briefs
New rail link boosts readiness at post
Outdoor education area for blind, disabled
Schools's garden is growing peace