Construction

[Archived] Workshop Proposal

Based on a recommendation by Transportation Research Board (TRB) special report 249 calling for the creation of a strategic forum to promote accelerated construction in highway infrastructure, The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and AASHTO's Technology Implementation Group (TIG) have joined forces to advocate and deploy the concept to State Departments of Transportation (DOT). At project level, the concept is applied by means of a 2-day workshop.

For an efficient workshop preparation process and to ensure a successful workshop, please consider the following questions/comments, if you are interested in the program and would like to host a workshop. Please complete this proposal, and submit it through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) division office in your state.

1. Selecting the Corridor
   1. Is the corridor (project) a candidate for major construction/reconstruction and/or rehabilitation within the next 4 to 6 years?
   2. Describe the urgent need to accelerate construction. Consider both the DOT and customer perspective.
   3. What's the status of the environmental process?
   4. Are the project limits or boundaries still fluid?
   5. Is there general openness to innovation and a willingness to consider and apply new concepts?
2. Setting Corridor Goals and Scope
   1. Identify the overall corridor goals, objectives, urgency, needs, etc. Goals should be clear, bold, and attainable.
   2. Determine the specific customers - public, abutters, etc., and their expectations.
   3. Describe how this corridor (project) would be built in "normal" circumstances.
   4. Determine potential impact on traveling public, business, development work, etc., under "normal" circumstances. (Includes "normal" lane shutdowns, delays, etc., for the years the project would be under construction)
   5. Develop preliminary corridor goals for the workshop. Preliminary goals are very broad at this stage (challenges to the teams), and will be revisited later. Goals should address:
      • Year to begin and/or end construction
      • Years to construct (3 years vs. 6)
      • Reduced consultant contracts
      • Reduced construction contracts
      • Traffic flow (45 mph vs. 3 lane minimum)
      • Major events will not be impacted
   6. Describe the commitment from the DOT senior management. For this process to be successful, it is imperative that top management be fully engaged.
3. Assembling the National and State Teams - the Skill Sets.
   1. Determine the critical skill sets that should be included to participate in the ACTT workshop to brainstorm design and construction aspects of the project.
   2. Propose the number of individuals to serve in each skill set. Generally, each skill set will have 2 to 3 national experts teaming with 2 to 3 state and local participants, including private sector members as appropriate. Depending on the scope of the project, certain skill sets may be larger than others and/or certain skill sets may not be necessary.
   3. Identify the role local industry may play in the workshop. Prudence should be exercised in the invitation process, since these types of major projects have sensitive issues associated with them.

After this proposal is submitted to the FHWA Division Office, the ACTT management team will contact you if additional information is needed, and to arrange for a pre-workshop meeting. At that meeting, the above information will be reviewed and refined. Also, an overview of the actual workshop will be presented and roles and responsibilities, along with target dates will be identified.