The Premarc Corporation - Success Stories

Here Lie The Valiant

Oakland County - George F. Root was completing words and must of the "Battle Cry of Freedom" in the summer of 1862 that would be adopted as an anthem (in different versions) by both the Union and the Confederacy. It was the second summer of a terrible war that few had believed would last more than several months. Places like Wilson's Creek, Bull Run, Shiloh, and Fort Donelson had already seen the deaths of 43,625 Union and Confederate soldiers.

On July 17 of that year, Congress enacted legislation that authorized the President to purchase grounds to be used as national cemeteries for soldiers. Fourteen cemeteries were established that first year, including one in Sharpsburg, Maryland where 4,476 Union soldiers were laid to rest after the one-day battle of Antietam.

More than 2.5 million Americans, including veterans of every war and conflict - from the Revolutionary War to Iraq - are honored by burial in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) national cemeteries. More than 14,200 acres of land from Hawaii to Maine, and Alaska to Puerto Rico are devoted to the memorialization of those who served this Nation. In November 2001, the VA opened its 120th cemetery. Currently, there are 60 VA cemeteries in 34 states. In 1999 and 2003, Congress directed VA to establish 12 new national cemeteries - one in Oklahoma, one in Alabama, two in California, three in Florida, one in Georgia, one in Michigan, two in Pennsylvania and one in South Carolina. They are located near large populations of veterans who currently do not have access to a burial option.

The new 544-acre Great Lakes National Cemetery located in Holly, Michigan will serve the needs of approximately 460,000 veterans who reside within 75 miles of the cemetery for the next 50 years. These veterans will need approximately 71,000 graves by the year 2030.

In close proximity to Detroit and with access to major highways, Holly was a natural choice for the National Cemetery. The centerpiece of the property is a 70-acre spring-fed lake, which will serve as a backdrop for burial services. An environmental assessment for the site by the VA in October 2001, led to its purchase in September 2002. The design team of URS Corporation and the LA Group was contracted by the VA to produce the Master Plan, Phase I design documents and to provide construction support services.

Design and construction was planned in five phases. The approximate 70-acre Phase I was designed to accommodate approximately 8,000 gravesites and additional columbaria niches. A three to five acre early turn over "fast track" area was developed as part of the Phase I construction. Burials were scheduled to begin in late 2005 in the early turn over area while major construction continued.

The VA stressed that the site was to be held and regarded as solemn and sacred ground during design and construction. With the expectancy of continuous burials and ceremonies being held at the site, below-surface infrastructure could not be disturbed once installed. Reinforced concrete pipe was chosen for this project because of its performance record that extends well beyond 100 years.

Initial soil borings revealed heavy clay with arsenic and high mineral contents. Such difficult soil conditions raised concerns about pipe buoyancy and the ability of flexible pipe products to perform long-term once installed. Concrete pipe is least affected by forces leading to floatation and was considered the best solution for this application.

Installation of pipe in clay soils also raised concern about water and soil infiltration at the joints. Grinding the spigot groove to accomodate a tight fitting rubber compound gasket after the pipe has cured is one way to guarantee joint performance. The Premarc Corporation grinds all of its pipe joints, thereby ensuring a joint with high resistance to water infiltration and soil fines migration. With diamond-tipped grinding wheels, Premarc is able to produce exact dimensional joint tolerances during the manufacturing of the gasket seating surface. Construction crews are then able to easily and accurately install gaskets and home the pipe.

In addition to the 7,752 feet (almost 1.5 miles) of concrete pipe draining the site, a structure was required on the entrance drive to cross a free-flowing river. The VA considered the installation of a metal arch to cut costs on the project. URS and the VA were provided with documentation detailing corrugated metal pipe culvert failures in Michigan, including the I-75 culvert failure near Prudenville, which cost $3.14 million to repair. After a two-hour meeting, it was determined an 8-foot x 8-foot x 76-foot box culvert would provide the service life needed for this project.

Established in 1903, URS is one of the largest engineering design firms worldwide, and a leading U.S. federal government contractor. URS employs approximately 28,000 employees in a network of 300 offices and contract-specific job sites in 20 countries. Its broad-based expertise with federal, state and local government agencies made the firm a natural choice for this project. The services of LA Group, located in Saratoga Springs, New York, were retained for the project as it had designed gravesite layouts and provided landscape architectural services for size National Cemetery projects.

Edge Construction of Southfield, Michigan was awarded the $8.7 million Phase I construction contract in September 2004. The ETA (early turnover area) phase includes turn over burial area, the entrance, a temporary administration/maintenance complex, temporary committal service shelters, full-casket gravesites and in-ground burial sites. The total Phase I contract will include the ETA along with a Public Information Centre, the final administration/maintenance facility, additional in-ground burial sites and above ground columbaria niches for cremated remains.

The groundbreaking ceremony was held October 14, 2004 with numerour state and federal dignitaries in attendance. Construction of the infrastructure for the ETA was started in January and completed by April 2005. Phase I work is under construction.

Joint design, competitive prices, as well as the ability to provide on-time deliveries prompted Edge Construction to choose the Premarc Corporation of Durand, Michigan to supply various sizes of reinforced concrete pipe, box sections for the entrance culvert, and manholes.

When construction is completed in the fall of 2006, the veterans in southeast Michigan will have a final resting place that also serves as a memorial to the National service. Use of reinforced concrete pipe at the Great Lakes National Cemetery means that the infrastructure servicing the site will perform out of sight and out of mind as expected.

Project:	Great Lakes national Cemetery Holly Township, Oakland County, Michigan

Owner:	Department of Veterans Affairs

Engineering:	URS Corporation, Farmington Hills, Michigan The LA Group, Saratoga Springs, New York

Contractor:	Edge Construction, Southfield, Michigan

Quantities:	3,696 feet of 12-inch diameter Class IV RCP 992 feet of 15-inch diameter Class IV RCP 928 feet of 18-inch diameter Class IV RCP 1,336 feet of 24-inch diameter Class IV RCP 800 feet of 30-inch diameter Class IV RCP 76 feet of 8-foot x 8-foot precast concrete box sections Four 24-inch diameter manholes Thirty-four 48-inch diameter manholes Five 60-inch diameter manholes

Producer:	Premarc Corporation Durand, Michigan

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