Unfortunately, delayed maintenance on infrastructure will result in high costs, but there are some steps that can be taken to mitigate those unexpected extra expenses ("Fixing Baltimore's aging infrastructure goes $105 million over budget since 2012," July 16). Most public works contracts require an award to be given to the low bidder. Some unscrupulous builders will submit unrealistic low bids so that they can make up lost revenue by issuing a multitude of change orders. One way to avoid this is in the preparation of the bid proposal document. Instead of using "low bid" use "best value," which allows the agency to review all bids to find out which one offers best value, thereby exposing the shortcoming of the low bidder.
Because there will be unknowns that the city's architect/engineer cannot foresee, the proposed work may involve such things as unexpected sub-surface soil conditions and perhaps concrete repairs and some other suspected "unknowns." The Bid Proposal can include a list of "unit costs" that would apply when these conditions arise. For example a "unit cost" to remove unsuitable soil could require the contractor to include a price of, say, $12 per cubic yard to remove and dispose of soil deemed unsuitable by the engineer. Another "unit price" would be to replace that unsuitable soil with what the engineer considers acceptable soil, and this might be $14 per cubic yard. Removal of defective concrete and replacement can also be included in the unit price category. These unit prices in the bid will also be taken into consideration when considering best value.
Perhaps the city should engage one of Baltimore's outstanding general contractors to review not only their bid proposal forms but also the building specifications manual that accompanies the bid documents to determine if more restrictive language is needed to provide the city with better control if and when these unknown conditions arise on future infrastructure projects.
There's not much you can do to avoid extra costs in projects like these, but there are steps that can be taken to control some of these costs.
Sidney M. Levy, Baltimore
The writer is a retired general contractor and construction consultant and author of construction related books.