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ACTT Workshop: Wyoming
September 21-22, 2004, DuBois, Wyoming

[Archived] Appendix C: Skill Set Reporting Forms

Construction/Materials

Construction/Materials Team
Harold Albright - Albright Construction, Dubois
Galen Hesterberg - FHWA, Cheyenne
Mary Lou Masko - FHWA, Atlanta
George Raymond - Oklahoma Department of Transportation
Sandy Pecenka - WYDOT, Cheyenne
Recorder - Bill Schmidt - WYDOT, Laramie
Keith Compton - WYDOT, Basin
Andy Long - WYDOT, Cheyenne
Jeff McDonald - E.H. Oftedahl, Miles City, Mont.
Bob Rothwell - WYDOT, Cheyenne
Facilitator - Rob Elliot - FHWA, Atlanta
Notes - Construction/Materials Skill Set
Idea (short name) Idea (detailed description) Implementation Details (barriers, skill set coordination, etc.)
One prime contractor for the corridor
  • One contractor can provide ideas on design, traffic control, and other facets. Work with one concept and contact person. Help with snow plan.
  • Like hiring a superintendent or company that would then hire the subs. Best value process or selection based on the prime's qualifications.
  • ID/IQ. Indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity.
  • Snow plan.
  • Muck excavation off to the shoulder.
  • N/A on the concept of one prime as a project superintendent.
  • Snow plan and shoulder excavation were passed forward for further consideration.
Staging roadway materials
  • Have the quantity on hand of materials in enough staging areas. Are there enough acres to provide staging areas?
  • Advanced crushing of material, at least for the Togwotee section. Reasoning is to reduce haul damage to the new roadway surface.
Nighttime closures
  • Need to know the hourly AADT to see if there is commuter traffic.
  • What times of the week or weekends? Don't
  • Limit the days or weeks if committed to closures.
  • Hourly AADT was presented, and confirmed nighttime closure is an available option for the contractor to optimize operations.
Communication is key
  • Try to get to real-time communications links. This will help keep all parties involved. Dedication of phone lines may not be possible to start with. Telecommunications will have to work and commit to this effort.
  • Contact business owners on a regular basis by PR.
  • Set up communication links during the partnering session.
  • Set up landline phone connections at various locations on the pass to improve communications between contractor and WYDOT to reduce turnaround time on critical issues that arise.
Get test results quicker
  • Put more people versus use of different methods to manage quality control. Use geogate equipment to replace the cone test. Use nuclear gauge that has been correlated to agree with a given number of cone tests.
  • Plant mix is the extent of contractor testing of materials. Can the contractor QC/QA the earthwork?
  • Recommend the use of other equipment and methods to test earthwork to reduce turn around time between sampling and test results.
  • The desired results are to maintain production and consistency.
Contractor to do QC/QA on the entire project.
  • This would reduce the turnaround time on test results.
  • This is a viable option to pursue. The contractor shall provide a QC/QA plan before proceeding.
Open up Sundays and holidays
  • This may have to happen at higher elevations for work.
  • To maximize the construction season. Leave holiday spec as is but allow the contractor to work on Sundays.
Reduce the frequency of material testing
  • Test results for the contractor is a time problem. Personnel to provide test results is a frequency problem. There is a need to shift from sand cone testing to an accepted alternate testing method.
  • Project manager of prime is responsible for all tests.
  • New testing methods would not reduce the frequency but would reduce the turnaround time or delays between sampling and test results.
  • Innovative testing includes proof rolling, geogauge, nuclear gauge, etc.
Change some of the specifications control structure
  • Empower the RE to make decisions that are usually above their normal realm.
  • Review internal policies and procedures. This should reduce the turnaround time to implement change to the contract or resolve disputes.
Geologist on site
  • If a problem develops, a geologist may have to be available on site to make adjustments
  • This was expanded to all programs within WYDOT. If they cannot be on site, a dedicated representative should be assigned to the project.
  • Barrier would be an increase of staff on the project site.
Contractor staking
  • Contractor is in control of timing and work that needs to be redone. This allows the contractor the ability to determine the priority of activities.
  • Give the contractor responsibility for all construction survey activities. This includes slope stakes, blue tops, structures, misc. WYDOT can do spot checks.
  • Pay items survey to be done by WYDOT to verify quantities.
  • See if survey data can be transferred between contractor and WYDOT.
  • Inspection staff will need to be able to survey, test, etc., and will require training in the different areas.
Traffic control two-way traffic
  • Corridor is open to two-way traffic, except for slide areas.
  • Consultant/contractor corridor traffic control supervisor (TCS) to make recommendations for traffic control to the contractor.
  • Horizontal shifts are more prevalent on the projects. The vertical grade is not changing very much. At the most it is about 4 ft.
  • Width may be a more critical concern to maintain traffic flow during construction and the temp surface that the public runs on.
  • Two-way, two-lane with a minimum speed limit is to be pursued without need for corridor TCS.
Traffic controller to control all traffic
  • Controller that handles the traffic flow of both the contractor and the public. They would have to set up a communications system.
  • The controller would be in the decision process of the workload. This lends itself to a single contact for the entire corridor.
  • Review ODOT traffic control specs on traffic control.
  • To help maintain traffic is to overbuild the template. Overbuild with crusher run base to be used as temp surface then pulled out and moved to the next project.
  • Do second stage final paving after the haul for the next project is complete.
  • Incentive to be paid to the contractor for maintaining two-lane, two-way traffic. Value engineering contractor proposal (VECPs) will have to be active to evaluate the cost-to-benefit ratio.
  • Wider dirt template with 15-minute delays.
Work zone lengths
  • Plans usually specify the length of disturbance.
  • Multiple crews to do shift work or work at two different ends. This will require WYDOT to staff up to match the workload.
  • Current WYDOT spec covers the limitations. If a larger 20-30 mi project is let, the spec will have to be reviewed.
Work zone delays
  • Will have liquidated damages that exceed 15 min. The contractor adds this into his bid. Look at incentive and disincentive.
  • Make sure the contract plans better, not contractor planning. Set design criteria for construction min. such as 30 mi/h steady flow, etc.
  • Bid contract time and open the off-peak times for construction. Look at what is called A+B bidding. No excuse clause and incentives with the A+B. Does the terrain fit this type of bidding?
  • Look at lane rental, handle odd traffic patterns.
  • Controls one-lane closures, handles the 15-min. queue.
  • Give an incentive to not move into a third construction season.
  • Add chip seal from the previous contract on to the next contract. This could cut down on time delays. Use fog seals to get us through the winter months.
  • See two-lane, two-way section above.
Reused surfacing material
  • Problems are under the existing surfacing. Some of the existing milled material is not as usable as would be believed.
  • Build on top of the existing roadway surface. Keeps from going down into the subgrade. Hard to adjust vertical and horizontal alignments. Can be done if the adjustments are minor.
  • Use concepts from the Buffalo Fork project on sweetening or reclaiming the base material.
  • See other skill sets' recommendations.
  • Should be evaluated on a project-by-project basis. The existing surfacing should be used as topping material.
Advance clearing and grubbing
  • See presentation for other ideas.
  • Incorporate into snow plan as a viable option. May be part of a fall letting or an advanced contract.
Letting schedule review
  • Move Fourmile Meadows up one year to be completed 2006-07. Move Rosie's Ridge section up one year. Could have three projects underway at the same time.
  • Landslide mitigation has real merit for advance construction projects. The design is not necessarily far enough along for the structures to be packaged as an advanced project.
  • Alternate alignment on the Rosie's Ridge section to the north. This would be the existing original alignment. Look at possible separate one-way sections.
  • Recommended advancing the two projects.
  • Funding is a barrier. Environmental issues are very minimal. Can we maintain traffic flow and staff up for contract administration?
  • Evaluation of Rosie's Ridge realignment should be reviewed because of the lack of traffic flow conflicts. Barrier is schedule impacts for delivery of contract plans.
Alternative materials and methods
  • Use heaters to extend the paving season. This involves warming the base and the pavement.
  • Hard to incorporate stiffness of material into a density spec.
GPS equipment control for construction
  • See presentation for other ideas.
  • Contractor has to determine if using GPS is cost effective. WYDOT is going to have to gear up to provide the necessary data to support the contractors’ equipment.
Improved lighting technology
  • See presentation for other ideas.
  • Research effort and spec the equipment. Turn nighttime into day (per Andy Long)
Crushing contract and stockpiles
  • See presentation for other ideas.
 
Milestones or intermediate goals  
  • Critical path method (CPM) should have a master plan for the corridor, developed from input provided by the individual contractors from each project let. This should help coordinate activities between contractors. This would be a valuable tool used as partners. The CPM master plan would be available to all contractors before bidding, during construction and at any time necessary.
Preheat for plant mix or waive temp. going with density and moisture    
Separate time critical elements    
Incentive/disincentive on each critical activity
  • See presentation for other ideas.
 
Environmental issues
  • Try to find ways to streamline environmental issues that are affecting acres on Forest Service land. The EIS has been signed and can be supplemented if needed.
 
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Updated: 02/20/2020
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