SR 06-28-2016 3E
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: June 28, 2016
Agenda Item: 3.E
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Martin Pastucha, Director, Public Works, Architecture Services
Subject: Authorization to Negotiate Contract for Chain Reaction Restoration and
Conservation
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Award RFP# SP2338 to Rosa Lowinger and Associates, a California-based
company for art conservation services for The Chain Reaction Restoration
Project;
2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with Rosa
Lowinger and Associates, in an amount not to exceed $119,172 (including a 10%
contingency).
Executive Summary
Chain Reaction, installed in 1991, is a public art sculpture project which has been slated
for substantial restoration and maintenance work. Community fundraising and public
funds have both been appropriated by Council for this restoration project. Staff
recommends Rosa Lowinger and Associates to provide art conservation services for
The Chain Reaction Restoration Project in an amount not to exceed $119,172 (including
a 10% contingency).
Background
Chain Reaction is a sculpture by Paul Conrad, funded by a private donation of $250,000
to the Santa Monica Arts Foundation. It was a gift to the City of Santa Monica and was
approved by City Council on October 9, 1990. The completed sculpture was installed in
1991, and based on recent assessments is in need of substantial restoration and
maintenance work.
On March 20, 2012 (Attachment
recommendation to remove the Chain Reaction sculpture, and agreed to delay such
action until November 15, 2012, to allow the family and members of the community time
to fundraise for the necessary repairs. Council further instructed staff to complete the
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additional testing of the sculpture that could be completed without major damage.
Council directed staff to return with recommendations regarding funding, restoration
and/or de-acquisition.
On July 9, 2012, the Landmarks Commission designated Chain Reaction a City
Landmark, and on November 12, 2012, the Landmarks Commission added an
associated landmark parcel to the designation. Additionally, all restoration work
performed on the sculpture will need to meet the Secretary of the Interior Standards for
the Treatment of Historic Properties.
On January 22, 2013 (Attachment B), Council revisited the status of Chain Reaction and
approved an extension through February 2014 for community fundraising efforts, and
authorized the expenditure of up to $20,000 froperating
budget to patch and repair the sculpture in the interim. Staff recommended the
authorization of a commitment of up to $80,000 to be used for a landscape barrier
around the sculpture to inhibit future climbing.
On February 25, 2014 (Attachment C), Council recognized the
efforts and accepted funds in the amount of $101,290 to support the restoration of
Fund to complete additional testing as required by the City's Building Official to address
remaining areas of concern regarding the structural stability of the sculpture.
On November 10, 2015 (Attachment D), Council authorized the expenditure of up to
$275,000 to complete the restoration and conservation of Chain Reaction sculpture and
the design and construction of the landscape barrier, and issue a Request for Bids to
execute the restoration plan.
Initial Assessment and Findings
including children, climbing and interacting with the sculpture and was prompted to
complete a preliminary evaluation of its safety. The City assembled a professional team
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to assess the structural integrity of the sculpture. Overall the findings were mixed, with
some aspects that performed well, some identified areas of concern, and some
substantial unknowns, due in part to the inability to access certain areas of Chain
Reaction without causing substantial damage to the sculpture.
The consulting team and the
and developed preliminary estimates of both the anticipated costs of such tests as well
as the likely cost of repair, which ranged from $227,372 to $423,172. Initial test results
of the sculpture showed inconclusive results for the fiberglass shell and some rust and
corrosion of the internal steel frame. The welded connections at the top of the piece
could not be tested or visually inspected without creating a larger opening. Further
testing of the fiberglass and of the steel frame, along with a more complete structural
analysis, were recommended.
Deaccession by the Arts Commission
While the initial tests were being done, the Santa Monica Arts Commission held a
special meeting on February 1, 2012 to hear public testimony and consider the status of
Chain Reaction. The Arts Commission voted 10 to 1 in support of the staff
recommendation to deaccession and remove the sculpture. The Commission also voted
to recommend that such action be delayed by six months to allow the family and
community supporters of Chain Reaction a period of time to raise the funds necessary
to repair the sculpture.
Discussion
piece to obtain City Landmark designation.
The sculpsince it was
deaccessioned by the Arts Commission. To determine
many tests have been performed to assess its structural integrity and general condition.
In late 2011 and in early 2012, the City completed all testing that could be performed
without removal of the dome portion of the sculpture, which at the time was considered
necessary to gain visual access to key structural welds at the connection of the dome to
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t
engineer in late summer 2012 and issued a memo detailing his findings on September
6, 2012. The Building Official recommended that in order to ascertain and address any
long-term safety concerns associated with the sculpture, the dome would need to be
removed, and testing would need to be completed on the portion of the sculpture that
could not previously be accessed.
On February 25, 2014, Council authorized the expenditure of $75,000 to complete the
additional testing and to address remaining areas of concern regarding the structural
stability of the sculpture. The City asked Twining, Incorporated, the testing company,
and Melvyn Green and Associates, the structural engineer that performed earlier work
on the sculpture, for an estimate to complete this final testing and structural evaluation,
including removal of the dome. Rosa Lowinger and Associates, the art conservator,
would also be involved as needed to limit damage to the sculpture to the extent
possible. Final testing was completed in May 2015. Melvyn Green and Associates
published its report titled,
July 2015 (Attachment E).
Restoration Plan
Based on the aggregate findings from testing and evaluation of Chain Reaction, Rosa
Lowinger and Associates prepared a proposed Conservation Treatment Plan for
restoration of the sculpture (Attachment F). The proposed restoration plan includes but
,
is not limited torepairing chains and fiberglass areas removed during testing, repairing
,
or replacing chain connectors, cleaning and recoating chains, removing chains at the
top of the sculpture and applying a UV resistant paint.
The proposed restoration plan received a Certificate of Appropriateness from the
Landmarks Commission on August 10, 2015. The plan meets all requirements of the
Secretary of the Interior Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. The plan
was also vetted with Paul Conradfamily per the Landmark Commission Statement of
Official Action.
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Consultant Selection
On April 7, 2016, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to provide conservation
services for the conservation and restoration of Chain Reaction. The RFP was posted
on the City's on-line bidding site in accordance with City Charter and Municipal Code
provisions. 22 vendors downloaded the RFP. The City received 2 proposals that were
publicly opened on May 3, 2016. Proposals received were as follows:
Firm Amount
Rosa Lowinger and Associates $108,338
Sculpture Conservation Studio $118,850
Proposals were reviewed by a selection panel of staff from Public Works. Proposals
were evaluated based on criteria in SMMC 2.24.073, including references, work plans,
project team, cost, experience with comparable projects and accuracy in response to
the RFP. Rosa Lowinger and Associates was the lowest bidder, and having been
involved in the structural testing phase of the project and having authored the
Conservation Treatment Plan, Rosa Lowinger and Associates has the best knowledge
of Chain Reaction as the project advances and moves into restoration work. Based on
these criteria, Rosa Lowinger and Associates is recommended as the lowest and best
bidder to provide art conservation services for a cost not to exceed $119,172 (including
a 10% contingency).
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
The agreement to be awarded to Rosa Lowinger and Associates is for an amount not to
exceed $119,172 (including a 10% contingency). Funds are available in the FY 2015-16
Capital Improvement Budget in account C014087.589000.
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Prepared By:
Danny Welch, Architectural Associate
Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. March 20, 2012 Staff Report
B. January 22, 2013 Staff Report
C. February 25, 2014 Staff Report
D. November 10, 2015 Staff Report
E. Attachment E - Melvyn Green: Structural Investigation and Repair
Recommendations
F. Attachment F - Rosa Lowinger: Conservation Treatment Plan
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Chain Reaction
Certificate of Appropriateness
Attachment 1
In ves ti ga tion and Re pair en da tions
....................
of the
Chain Re ac tion
Santa Monica, California
Pre pared for
City of Santa Monica
Santa Monica, CA
Sub mit ted
by
Melvyn Green and As so ci ates
Struc tural En gi neers
July, 2015
Melvyn Green and Associates, Inc. 3868 Car son Street, Suite 300, Torrance, CA 90503
In ves ti ga tion and Re pair en da tions
....................
of the
Chain Re ac tion
Santa Monica, California
Pre pared for
City of Santa Monica
Santa Monica, CA
Sub mit ted
by
Melvyn Green and As so ci ates
Struc tural En gi neers
July, 2015
Table of Contents
Intent and Scope.................................1
Observations...................................2
Findings and Recommendations.........................3
Photographs....................................4
Test Report on Fiberglass.............................9
Intent and Scope
The Chain Re tion Sculp ture in Santa Monica was stud ied in 2013, and again in 2014
and 2015, to de ter mine its struc tural con di tion. While no spe cific struc tural con cerns
were iden ti fied the find ings were un clear on the con di tion of the stain less steel con nec -
tions that form the wagon wheel. and the fi ber glass coat ing. At that time it was de cided
to per form ad di tional in ves ti ga tion and test ing to de velop a sense of any ma te rial
deterioration or other conditions.
Meth od ol ogy
The fol low ing ac tiv i ties were un der taken in the stud ies:
Struc tural Anal y sis A re view of the orig i nal struc tural de sign was con ducted by Larry
Brugger, Struc tural En gi neer. A sec ond in de pend ent anal y sis was con ducted by the
undersigned.
The struc tural anal ses fo cused on the sculp tures ba sic struc ture in clud ing the foun da -
tion and an chor age, the main sup port pole, in te rior fram ing, and the con nec tion be tween
elements.
Test ing Pro gram The in ves ti ga tion of the non-struc tural el e ments in clud ing sev eral
in te rior ob ser va tions by Rosa Lowinger As so ci ates (RLA) and by Twin ing Lab o ra to ries
(2012).
The in ves ti ga tion by RLA in cluded a vi sual in spec tion of the wagon wheel stain less
steel, the fi ber glass, at tach ment ma te ri als for the chain, and the chain connections.
The Twin ing Lab o ra to ries test pro gram in cluded an in spec tion of the struc tural welds and
a se ries of tests of the fi ber glass coat ing of the sculpture.
Site Vis its A num ber of site in spec tions were un der taken in di vid u ally and as a team.
Sup port was pro vided by the City of Santa Monica with a boom truck and operator.
Observations
Steel Struc ture No de te ri o ra tion of the struc tural steel form ing the sculp ture was ob -
served on any of the site vis its. Tests in cluded vi sual in spec tions along with ra di og ra phy
in ves ti ga tion un der Twin ings di rec tion. In an at tempted to ver ify the an chor bolts, some
con crete was re moved but the end of the bolt was not found after 20 inches of depth.
Stain less Steel Con nec tions The stain less wagon wheel is welded to a mild steel frame.
The welds were vi su ally ob served and no de ri o ra tion was found.
Fi ber glass Sam ples were taken of the fi ber glass skin in 2012 and again in 2015. The
test re sults showed that the flex ural tests con ducted in 2015 were com ra ble to those
taken in 2012. The val ues var ied by the lo ca tion of the sam ple with spec i mens with a
tight ra dius cur va ture show ing lower values.
Ten sile strength was lower for spec i mens taken from the top also showed lower val ues.
This might be the re sult of de te ri o ra tion due to ul tra vi o let ra di a tion. Again at the un der -
side the ten sile strength was sur pris ingly low. Again it may be a re sult of the tight cur va -
ture in that area.
The fi ber glass has two fac tors that might cause de te ri o ra tion. The first is ul tra vi o let ra di -
a tion from the sun. It is known that sun light will cause de te ri o ra tion. To limit this, ex te -
rior fi ber glass is gen er ally coated with paint or other coat ing. This was done to Chain
Reaction.
The sec ond pos si ble de ri o ra tion fac tor is the shape of the fi ber glass. On the gently
curved sur faces the stress caused by bend ing and loads is mod er ate. On the sharper, or
tighter, curved sur faces, there is more ten sile stress due to cur va ture. This might re sult in
long term stress or creep in the fiberglass.
The gen eral find ings of the tests were in con clu sive in that there was a wide vari a tion in
stress be tween sam ples taken from the same area (top, side, and bot tom). And the great est
strength loss seems to have oc curred on the bot tom where there are curves with very
small radii.
Chain Reaction, Santa Monica2
Findings and Recommendations
The fol low ing eval u a tion and rec om men da tions would ex tend the life of the struc ture
sig nif i cantly.
The gen eral con di tion is ac cept able. The struc tural anal y sis il lus trated
Steel Struc ture
com pli ance with the build ing code cri te ria of the time. No ma jor rust or loss of ma te rial
was ob served.
Rec om men da tion No ad di tional test ing or in ves ti ga tion is rec om mended.
The ob serv able con nec tions ap peared in tact with no vis i ble fail ures. No
Stain less Steel
vis i ble de te ri o ra tion of the stain less steel was ob served.
Rec om men da tion No ad di tional test ing or in ves ti ga tion is rec om mended.
No clear an swer re gard ing the con di tion of the fi ber glass was iden ti fied.
Fi ber glass
How ever the fi ber glass on the top showed less flex ural and less ten sile strength.
Rec om men da tion For the near term pres va tion of the sculp ture, it is rec om mended
that ex posed ar eas of the top, and sides if ap pli ca ble, be recoated by the con ser tor. This
may be ac plished by mov ing the chains as pos ble, ap ply ing a coat ing, and mov ing
the chains back. As part of this all open ings in the fi ber glass that were cut for in spec tion
should be repaired.
Where the at tach ment of the chains mix dif fer ent met als
Chains and Con nec tions
such as cop per and iron/steel, the con nec tion should be eval u ated, the con nec tion then
im proved with in stal la tion of a new, com pat i ble, con nec tor. This may in volve screws,
wires, and other con nec tors.
Rec om men da tion Cor rect po ten tial is sues with dif fer en tial ma te ri als as pos si ble. With
the com plex ity of the struc ture this may not be 100 per cent pos si ble. The chains should
be in spected to ver ify that they are con nected to gether and that there are no loose pieces
that could fall.
Chain Reaction, Santa Monica3
Photographs
Chain Reaction, Santa Monica
7/7/20154
Photo 1 - Scanned im age dur ing the orig i nal con struc tion show ing the stain less steel of the wagon
wheel or mush room.
Photo 2 - In te rior photo from 2013 show ing the con di tion of the struc tural steel and the stain less
steel welds. No de te ri o ra tion noted.
Chain Reaction, Santa Monica
7/7/20155
Photo 3 - In te rior photo from 2013 show ing welds from stain less to struc tural steel. Formed lath in
back ground has fi ber glass on the ex te rior side.
Photo 4 - In te rior photo in 2015 shows the steel and welds in good con di tion.
Chain Reaction, Santa Monica
7/7/20156
Photo 5 - An other photo taken in 2015 shows weld and steel near the base of the mush room in good
con di tion.
Photo 6 - Fi ber glass sam ples taken in 2015. The sam ples show the tight ra dius bends needed to ob -
tain the de sired shape. These tightly curved sam ples showed less strength than the long ra dius
samples
Chain Reaction, Santa Monica
7/7/20157
Photo 7 - In te rior in ves ti tion photo by Twin ing Labs. staff. (2012)
Photo 8 - Struc tural and stain less steel and welds are shown in this 2012 Twin ing Labs photo.
Chain Reaction, Santa Monica
7/7/20158
Test Report on Fiberglass
Chain Reaction, Santa Monica
7/7/20159
by Paul Conrad
Proposed conservation treatment to address chains and fiberglass including repatination
of chains
Prepared for:
Danny Welch
City of Santa Monica, Architecture Services Division
1437 4 th St., Suite 300|Santa Monica, CA 90401|(310) 458-2205
Santa Monica, CA
Prepared by:
Rosa Lowinger, Principal and Chief Conservator
Rosa Lowinger & Associates
Conservation of Art + Architecture
Los Angeles / Miami
September 15, 2015
by Paul Conrad
G:
ENERAL
The sculpture titled Chain Reaction, by the late artist Paul Conrad is situated on a grassy lawn
near the corner of Main Street and Pico Boulevards. The sculpture stands ca. 26
fabricated of a structural steel core to which is attached a form that has the appearance of resin
and fiberglass composition. The surface appears painted or colored as well. The finish of the
sculpture consists of hollow copper tube chains that are affixed to the fiberglass resin surface with
steel screws of varying composition. In 2011, concerns about the structural stability of the
sculpture initiated a study by the City of Santa Monica Department of Building Safety. Since then
the author of this report has examined the artwork numerous times in conjunction with
independent engineer Mel Green and Ron Takiguchi of the City of Santa Monica. Most recently
the sculpture was subjected to sampling and testing of the fiberglass to determine its structural
stability. This proposal addresses the following issues:
1.Examination of all copper chain connectors and replacement of corroded connectors,
wires, and nails that are protruding unsafely from the surface, repair of areas of fiberglass
that were cut for testing.
2.Cleaning of copper chain, removal of corrosion if present, repatination of chains and
application of a paste wax coating (to be done in conjunction with step #1).
3.Partial removal of chains at the top of the sculpture, cleaning and scarifying the paint
surface, and application of a paint coating with UV protection to protect the most
vulnerable areas of the fiberglass from additional deterioration from UV.
S1CR
TEP HAIN EPAIR AND REPAIR OF AREAS OR FIBERGLASS REMOVAL DURING
:
TESTING
A.Chains will be worked on in situ with only partial removal as needed for replacing
connectors.
B.Conservator will develop a labeling system to track sections of chains that are treated.
C.All work will be documented with photographs before, during and after treatment.
D.A lift will be used to adequately access areas.
E.All rusty wires and inappropriate connectors that can be safely accessed without
damaging fiberglass will be removed. New fasteners should be marine-grade bronze or
316 marine-grade stainless steel that is coated to prevent direct contact with the copper.
a.If ties are required, they should be of the same gauge copper wire as was
originally used.
b.No ferrous metal will be used.
F.Removed material will be saved and labeled.
G.Areas where fiberglass was removed, will be patched with fiberglass and resin such as
polyester or epoxy that will provide the maximum match in appearance and texture.
H.Patched areas will be painted to match surrounding areas.
I.A treatment report will be written documenting all processes used and providing
recommendations for future maintenance.
September, 2015 Α
by Paul Conrad
S2C,C,PRC:
TEP LEANING ONSERVATION AND OSSIBLE EPATINATION OF HAINS
1.While work is being carried out on chains, we recommend providing maintenance to
said chains and the sculpture as a whole. Said cleaning will begin with dry brushing and
vacuuming of debris, bird droppings, and other particulates.
2.Low pressure water from a hose or pump sprayer and a conservation grade detergent
will be used to wash the artwork. The piece will be thoroughly rinsed after washing.
Pressurized air will be used to make sure that the piece is properly dried during
cleaning.
3.All chains will be checked for corrosion and corrosion cleaned mechanically. Light
patina will not be removed, only areas of corrosion which appear to be affecting the
structure of the chains.
4.Any areas of open joints or seams will be documented and addressed as an addendum to
this proposal.
5.Weep holes will be carefully examined and cleared as needed. Special care will be taken
to avoid plugging or clogging weep holes during treatment.
6.
the blue-green surface patina on the chains that provide the color contrast that is
appropriate for this work. This work is only to be done by a conservator or technician
who can demonstrate previous experience creating patinas of this color and nature.
Three mock ups of patina using appropriate hot chemical means will be
prepared for approval by the City. Formulas will be determined during testing.
The chains to be tested will be degreased with organic solvents prior to
employing the patina chemicals.
The intended color is a pale blue green. The same
chemicals may be used in combination. Alternatively, different chemicals will be used.
At least one will employ cuprite nitrate as the base chemical in the formula.
7.Following application of the chemical patina samples, each sample will be partially
coated with a cold paste wax designed to protect patinated surfaces and containing no
silicone. Carnauba and or microcrystalline paste wax should be the base formulas. Wax
formulas will need to be submitted along with patina formulas. The patina should not
be saturated by the paste wax. In all this will produce six samplesthree formulas each
coated and uncoated to be reviewed by the City.
8.The City will review samples and determine which ones look best. A determination will
be made whether the patination and coating is warranted.
9.Once approved, the conservator will undertake the treatment to patinate the chains and
possibly coat them with wax to protect the patina.
10.Work will be documented within the treatment report prepared for Step 1.
September, 2015 Β
by Paul Conrad
S3RUVP:
TEP EMOVAL OF CHAINS AT THE TOP AND APPLICATION OF A RESISTANT AINT
1.This step is proposed in conjunction with the aforementioned steps. It would be carried out
concurrently.
2.Research and propose a particular paint system that would be used locally at the top of the
mushroom cap only, to provide additional UV protection to the most vulnerable portion of
the artwork. Provide material specifications for approval. Purchase a small quantity in the
proposed color and provide a draw down card for color approval.
3.Remove the top portion of the chains on the sculpture. This can be done in sections so the
chains do not have to be completely disassembled and brought down from the top of the
mushroom cap.
4.Protect adjacent areas of chain as needed.
5.Clean areas of paint or dirt and grime, scarify the existing paint and degrease using organic
solvents in preparation for application of the new paint. The approximate total area of
surface to be painted is ca. 100 SF, representing only the top of the cap.
6., by brushing or rolling. If paint is
catalyzed we may need to determine a different method for working on larger areas at a
time.
7.Replace chains in sections.
8.Document within the overall treatment report as a separate phase.
9.Provide all material information as part of deliverable.
Prepared by:
Rosa Lowinger and Christina Varvi
September 15, 2015
Note: RLA will provide all labor, materials and standard liability insurance for this work. RLA carries
.
liability insurance in the amount of $4,000,000.00 total, $2,000,000.00 per incident The client will provide
access to water, electricity, parking for one car adjacent to the site, and sanitary facilities. If not provided,
additional equipment costs may be necessary. No special insurance, permits, fingerprinting, background
checks or other bonds and licenses are included in estimates. Work will be carried out in continuous sessions
during daytime working hours between the hours of 7 AM and 6 PM. Rate is not calculated using
prevailing wage figures and does not include fencing costs or City of Santa Monica tax.
September, 2015 Γ
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AgreementNo.10328(CCS)