All work performed in the public right-of-way or abutting upon
any public street or alley or abutting upon a private road in a residential
development or subdivision is subject to inspection by the Borough
of Hellertown Code Enforcement Officer, his designee, or the Borough
Engineer.
A. Preliminary. The owner, contractor or laborer, prior to placing any
concrete, shall request an inspection of his forms at least 24 hours
in advance. Permission to proceed will be granted and a preliminary
inspection slip will be issued if the work is in accord with established
lines, grades and applicable standards and specifications.
B. Final.
(1) After concrete has been placed and finished in accordance with standards
and specifications, a final inspection will be conducted. If the work
meets all specified requirements, the owner, contractor or laborer
will be given a final approval slip.
(2) All work not meeting specifications, standards and ordinances as
defined by the Borough of Hellertown Code Enforcement Office is subject
to removal. All costs associated with such removal shall be borne
by the owner, contractor or laborer, as the case may be.
Curbs, sidewalks, handicap ramps, and gutters shall be constructed
to meet current standards and specifications of PennDOT Publication
408 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended.
A. Lines and grades — warrant. The location, dimensions and finished
grades of the proposed walks and curbs shall be marked in the field.
If required by the Code Enforcement Officer, a warrant of survey must
be obtained from the Borough. Lines and grades for the proper location
of the walk shall be furnished by the Borough Engineer, whose duty
it is to establish, locate and field mark such grades for construction.
B. Subgrade preparation. Prior to placing the subbase, the subgrade
shall be prepared to the proper grade, it shall be uniformly compacted
(95%), and any soft or spongy places shall be removed and replaced
with a stable material. Any hard places shall be scarified to a depth
of six inches so that, when rolled, the subgrade will be of a uniform
compaction throughout. On a poorly drained soil, either four-inch
tile drains should be used or a five-inch subbase of gravel, cinders
or crushed stone shall be constructed and thoroughly tamped. Where
fill is required, bottom of curb must be carried down to a firm foundation.
C. Subbase preparation. A subbase of stone aggregate shall be uniformly
placed a minimum of four-inch-thick below the concrete. Subbase shall
be raked level and compacted.
D. Cement. Cement shall be a portland cement and shall comply with current
PennDOT Publication 408 Specifications.
E. Fine aggregate. Fine aggregate shall consist of natural sand or screenings
from hard, tough, crushed rock. It shall be clean, free from vegetable
matter, and well-graded 1/4 inch to not more than 5% passing the 100
mesh sieve, with from 10% to 30% passing the 50 mesh sieve. When tested
for silt by the sedimentation method, the volume removed shall not
exceed 3%.
F. Coarse aggregate. Coarse aggregate shall be gravel or broken stone.
It shall be clean, free from vegetable matter, hard, durable and uncoated.
All coarse aggregate shall pass a one-inch screen and 95% shall be
retained on a one-fourth-inch screen.
G. Water. Clean water shall be used for mixing and curing. Any supply
that is considered fit for drinking purposes will be satisfactory.
H. Joint filler. Material for expansion joints shall be premolded strips
of bitumen-treated fiber or mineral aggregate, one-half-inch thick.
It shall be placed 1/4 inch below the surface, and after the surface
has been finished, the joint grove shall be exposed and cleaned. The
edges shall then be tooled and rounded to a one-eighth-inch radius.
I. Forms. Forms may be of steel furnished by a manufacturer of standard
metal forms or they may be of wood not less than two inches thick
and dressed on one side. They shall be set to line and grade approved
by the Engineer. They shall be held firmly in place by stakes and
braces sufficient to withstand pressure of concrete and to prevent
movement. They shall be cleaned and thoroughly oiled before the concrete
is placed. They shall be left in place at least 12 hours after placing
of concrete. Flexible strips may be used on curves.
J. Division plates. Division plates shall be of one-eighth-inch steel
extending the complete width and length of the slab or block.
K. Thickness and width.
(1) A concrete sidewalk shall be a single layer or one course of five-inch
minimum thickness increased to seven-inch thickness where crossing
driveways and alleys. Sidewalks shall be built a minimum of five feet
in width unless directed otherwise by the Codes Office or the Engineer,
with one-eighth-inch joints perpendicular to the surface for the full
depth of pavement. The outer edges of all surfaces shall be finished
to a radius of not less than 1/2 inch. Contraction and expansion joints
shall be evenly spaced.
(2) A concrete curb shall be seven inches in width at the top, 18 inches
in depth, exclusive of the foundation, and eight inches in width at
the base, the front face being battered and the back vertical. Curb
shall have a minimum of seven inches of reveal at the street edge.
It shall be constructed in uniform lengths of blocks of not less four
feet nor more than 20 feet, separated by one-eighth-inch joints formed
by division plates perpendicular to the surface. The outer edges of
all surfaces shall be finished or rounded with special steel trowels
or edging tool to a radius of not less than 1/2 inch.
(3) A concrete depressed curb shall be eight inches in width at the top
and 18 inches in depth. Curb shall be reinforced with two parallel
three-sixteenth-inch (No. 5) rebar the entire length of the depressed
curb up to and including the tapers on either side. A two-foot taper
shall be provided on either side of a depressed curb to transition
to the adjacent curb.
(4) A concrete driveway apron shall be a single layer of seven-inch thickness,
with six-by-six welded wire mesh set a minimum of two inches above
the subbase. Adequate distance shall be provided between the depressed
curb and the sidewalk to slope the driveway apron.
(5) A concrete gutter, when directed by the Codes Office, shall be a
single layer or one course of seven-inch thickness concrete. The width
shall be 30 inches, unless otherwise directed by the Codes Office
or Engineer. They shall be constructed in place and entirely separated
from the curb, in uniform lengths or slabs of not more than 10 feet,
separated by one-eighth-inch joints formed by division plates perpendicular
to the surface.
L. Roof drains. New and existing downspouts must outlet into the street
gutter by means of a three-inch-diameter plastic (or approved equal)
pipe placed within the new or repaired sidewalk and at least three
inches beneath the top surface of the sidewalk. If a suitable outlet
cannot be achieved with a three-inch pipe, the Borough Codes Office
may authorize an alternate means of discharge.
M. Concrete proportions. Concrete shall conform to the current publication
of PennDOT Specifications 408 for curb and sidewalk concrete. Concrete
shall be Class A.
N. Mixing.
(1) Ready-mixed or transit-mixed concrete may be used, provided that
the concrete produced conforms to these specifications, and that the
central plant producing the concrete, the equipment and the transporting
of it are suitable for the production and transportation of the specified
concrete.
(2) Mechanical mixing in an approved batch mixer for not less than 1/2
minute is recommended but, if circumstances necessitate, mixing by
hand may be permitted, in which case the ingredients shall be first
mixed dry and then the required amount of water added to make a stiff,
workable mix. It shall be turned over several times until appearance
indicates that all particles are coated with cement mortar. When mixing
is done by hand, the dry ingredients shall be deposited on a mixing
board or other suitable, flat, clean surface.
O. Placing and finishing.
(1) Concrete shall be placed immediately after mixing. It shall be tamped
and struck off with a template and shall be floated with a wood float
until the surface has a true and even contour. Care shall be taken
not to bring to the surface an excess of water and fine sand by over-finishing.
All surfaces shall be medium coarse broom finish swept perpendicular
to the pedestrian movement.
(2) Handicap ramps shall be finished with a detectable surface as recommended
by ADA Standards, as revised.
P. Expansion joints. Expansion joints shall extend from the surface
to the subgrade for the full width of the slab and shall be perpendicular
to the surface and completely filled with compressible material. A
one-half-inch expansion joint shall be made at approximately fifty-foot
intervals. At all places where the walk intersects a curbline, catch
basins, manholes or another walk, or other rigid structures, one-inch
expansion joints shall be made, with one-half-inch expansion joints
at the ends of all radius curbs.
Q. Contraction joints. Contraction joints shall be placed at equal intervals
between expansion joints, but such intervals shall not exceed five
feet. The contraction joints shall be formed either by division plates
or approved methods of cutting a groove in the surface to a depth
of not less than 1/3 of the entire depth of the slab.
R. Curing. As soon as it can be done without marring the surface, the
concrete shall be covered with wet burlap, placed lightly on the finished
slab. The burlap shall be kept wet for 72 hours, during which time
all traffic shall be kept off the sidewalk or driveways.
S. Barricades. The contractor shall provide suitable barricades and
warning signs to protect the finished concrete until, with the approval
of the Codes Office, it be opened to traffic.
T. Alternate surface finish. Alternate surface treatments to concrete,
such as integral color, color hardener, stamping or exposed aggregate,
may be permitted upon approval from the Planning Commission and Codes
Office.
U. Slope/grade. A slope of 1/4 inch to the foot is to be provided to
take care of surface drainage, unless otherwise directed by the Codes
Office or Engineer. Depressions shall be removed and repaired to prevent
ponding. Adjacent grades shall be adjusted as needed to provide full
depth curb at the street edge and a uniform gradient between the top
of the curb and the parallel sidewalk.
V. Sidewalk location. A planting strip 24 inches in width will be permitted
where conditions allow and where it is consistent with sidewalks on
adjoining properties.
Should a citizen of the Borough of Hellertown feel that appropriate
measures have not been taken by a property owner to correct an unsafe
or hazardous condition of curb, sidewalk, handicap ramp, and/or driveway
apron, he may file a formal, written complaint with the Borough of
Hellertown Codes Office on a complaint form available at the Borough
Hall during normal business hours. The form provides space for the
complainant's name and address, the location of the condition
cited and a brief explanation of the nature of the complaint. Upon
receipt of the complaint, the Code Enforcement Office will investigate
the matter and respond to the applicant, in writing, with its findings,
opinion, and follow-up action, if any. Should corrective action be
appropriate, the provisions of this article, including penalties,
shall apply.