U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000


Skip to content U.S. Department of Transportation/Federal Highway AdministrationU.S. Department of Transportation/Federal Highway Administration

Construction

<< PreviousContentsNext >>

ACTT Workshop: Montana
January 26-28, 2004, Missoula, Montana

[Archived] Appendix C (continued): Skill Set Reporting Forms

Geotechnical and Materials Skill Set

Geotechnical and Materials Team Members
Bob Burkhardt, FHWA - Montana
Larry Prinkki, MDT
Rich Jackson, MDT
Mark Zitzka, FHWA - Montana
Jim Powell, NWACPA
Doug Dupuis, CSKT
Bob Weber, MDT
Kevin Christensen, MDT
Barry Siel, FHWA RC
George Machan, Landslide Technology
IDEA
(Short Name)
IDEA
(Detailed Description)
Implementation Details
(Barriers, Skill Set Coordination, etc.)
Method Spec/A-1a Special Provision
  • Existing MDT special provision tied to soil type. A-1a is not moisture sensitive. # of passes on adequate soil. Preapproved all or a substantial number of borrow sites. JUST FOR BORROW SITES. Throw out R Tests for roadway borrow.
  • Method specs is too detailed specific to contractor. MDT stuck with results. Final product not checked. MDT is rewriting specs to performance specs.
Pretested/Approved Mandatory Sources
  • Plenty of sources (17). At least preapproved the Tribal borrow sites. Royalty values addressed prior to bid. Pit Plan can coordinate with borrow method spec. Possibly specify no mixing of sources/blends. Bob Weber 4:30 pm question: Preferable to allow an alternate if you have a state source. On the onus of the contractor. Just throw it out during presentation. Will be put it out for everybody's bid including Marvin.
  • Minimum R value is specified in contract. If A-1a then R spec should be thrown out. Tribe still addressing source issue. Tribal Elders will respond as it progresses. Proof roll if you can't get a proctor in accordance with spec.
Preapproved reclamation process
  • Assure reclamation of sources...Tribal pits are mandatory to not conflict with surrounding areas/values. 11 of (17 to 20) sites are on Tribal lands.
  • Permitting agencies need to buy-in in advance.
Reclamation details/ options
  • Review wetland reclamation details and present various selections/proposals. Follow-up all ideas with Skillings-Connely.
 
Private Sources
  • Discuss prior to bid regarding preapproval, reclamation issues, level bidding ground, quantity/quality, ripe for VE during project (?)
  • Legal issues the Tribe cannot comment on. ( i.e. equal bids, excluding business opportunities, ) Two sources on northern section may be an issue.
Reduce inspection time
  • Reduce MDT personnel's time for embankment testing. Maybe as an experimental feature or research if other States have used.
  • Nice idea but not there yet. Elasticity modulus rather than density.
Soft soils/geogrids
  • Soft soils/geogrids prevalent. Interface between new fills and existing. Fabric over grass...less disturbance. Bi-axial geogrid is being used in other places. Research has shown good results. Other places beyond research. Upper zone (6" below pavement) reduces rutting. Surcharge already designed will reduce settlement time.
  • (Off on tangent with Swamp Creek.) MDT uses biaxial as a constructability issue. Synthetic more than geogrid designed now. Wick drains and A-1a with loading.
Approach embankments
  • Mud creek Wildlife crossings ...extensive grade raises.... Keep traffic moving.
  • Dynamic compaction/densification? Address a concern of mud wave?
  • Jetgrouting is quick but expensive IF WICKS DON'T WORK. Cost savings with Shallow fdtns for bridge structures for additional cost of JG.
  • JG get in ...get out. Used throughout the country.
  • Geofoam is a valid option. Prepare fdtn area, place it, and encapsulation. FOAM BLOCKS. Costs available through Salt Lake City. Subex can be used for encapsulating.
  • Rubber chips.
  • *Wood fibers.
  • Dynamic compaction is hard to control extent of compaction. Pore pressures increase.....mainly for sandy soils. *For Main US-93 route do not want additional deflections. Jetgrouting may be a hard sell to MDT Bridge Geofoam more expensive. Rubber chips are heavy and flammable.
Jocko River Bridge
  • Reduce adjacent beam heights and save on approach costs in line with Washington standard. Keep main span as designed. Lower approach grade 2 feet (pushing 1:1).
  • Vetoed by MDT Bridge Rats previously. Need to keep in mind graves outside of ROW.
Staging geotech work    
Overall Project Issue (OPI) WWF
  • Build WWF in less time and any type of facing at any time. Two phase wall...Facing after settlement. Precast panels or whatever aesthetic group selects. Uniformity of wall type. Generic spec so Hilfilker, Tensar, etc can bid. Stockpile mats...redundancy. Precast or CIP for facing or even sculpted shotcrete. VARIETY OF WALL FACINGS.
  • Corrosion potential with some backfills but not on US-93. Other wall manufacturers may be upset.
Loran Frazier (LF) Interruption...Facings
  • CO and AZ have fancy patterns. Repeatable/rustic patterns. Intersection with 35 should be fairly quick (LF). Sheet piles w/ facing as an option?
  • Fill height below 14' w/ shredded rubber is not fire hazard.
 
LF Lightweight Fill followup
  • Geofoam is viable..$65 per cubic yard. Soft compressible replaced with jet grouted fdtn in lieu of Wick drains. Compare options w/ time of construction, settlement reductions, evaluate traffic control convenience.
  • Haven't built a lot of spread footing bridges in MT.
  • LF - Doesn't want to pour water on brainstorming but....every spread footing bridge has sunk.
OPI Stage Construction
  • Widen on non-work side upfront w/ temporary pavement for temporary traffic. Look at alignment to see where opportunities are. THREE LANE is setup currently to take advantage of this.
  • Take up ditch on rock hill side TEMPORARILY up front.
  • FOLLOW-UP: Lake Missoula sediment cut follow-up. Slope stability is an issue. Old dump site discussions..leave as is?
  • TWO LANE is pretty tight.... Ravalli Canyon to Pistol Creek and hill by Polson. Peccia/MDT has already addressed constructability issues. Rock/Canyon to river is pretty culturally significantly. Peccia group has come up with permanent 'nicks.'
OPI Stage Construction.

Get In Get Out
  • Specify consecutive days, complete other area(s) before commencing, . Bidder has to think through process instead of stumbling. Possibly allow a range of days to complete. Identify the most critical/most important areas for this regulation.
 
OPI Quality Control
  • All control control, survey on contractor. (Tie to GPS) Best quality and accelerated construction with MDT being the direct lead.
  • Previous project(s) MDT setup plan and was doing QA since MDT did better job than contractor's staff on a project intended for consultants to perform QA.
OPI Animal Crossings
  • Drive piling at night, precast beams/slabs set at night, maximizes traveling public's inconvenience. Either night only or two or so days accelerated.
  • 'Old days' would be a shoofly, etc.
  • Sunset Highway in Portland to minimize traffic conflicts.
 
OPI Swallow
  • Cut it vertical, knowing and planning for it to sluff. If concern for birds then cut a few holes in.
  • Convenient solution exists on this side of road.
  • Solution arrived at will be to pull roadway away from cut.
OPI QA/QC
  • Owner QA...Contractor QC became partners for a Utah (?) project. One organization to take care of all QA and QC. MDT very concerned with adequate staffing if ROW, etc do not slow down process....(8 Projects in two year period) A patch of consortium....uniform testing, etc. and apply TEAM throughout the project. TEAM IS ASSEMBLED IF PROJECTS ARE DELAYED. Consultant can be released or added on. Better than 8 different teams. Tribal personal can also be brought on board. Working with hiring program...i.e. Fort Belknap had testing trailer, personal. Survey control piece meal may lead to errors..therefore a TEAM or oversight person to recognize connection between surveying and engineering. CONTRACTOR STAKING? Corridor wide is contractor staking but holding back on this ****** Control Staking is CRITICAL. Survey term contracts can allow this in lieu of 'Give us FTE.' Check and balance on Engineering side, i.e. Team Leader. Allow option to go back to design consultant if errors/problems found during construction. Stating as an extra emphasis and well understood. Would also be a benefit to design consultant to be tied in to the construction world. Learning experience for future designs.
  • 500 plus ROW cases may slow down the need to accelerate/coordinate.
  • Not a design build project.
  • "Give us FTE" may be a bomb.
  • ******Contractor staking predetermined bid item detracts from shaping slopes, etc.
OPI QA /QC
  • Invite design consultant to precon, prebid.
  • Liaison to represent Tribe. Corridor coordinator for MDT as well as the Tribe.
  • Butte - Mandatory weekly meetings is working well.
 
OPI QA versus QC
  • Qualified technician training is in place.
  • Plan in advance so consultant can staff up.
  • If concerned start with at least QA.
  • Suggesting MDT paying for QA & QC.
  • This is HUGE project, if it works anytime in MT it would be this project.
  • (Contractor performs QC for State and State verifies.)
  • Need to validate the process between the QA/QC. Contractor's controls to make end product may be different.(Is this right MZ?) Also does MDT/contractor share test labs?
  • Does MDT want to get involved with QC?
  • MDT does not have the processes in place to make this happen.
  • Acceptance with Direct Federal and MDT are under totally different regulations.
Maturity testing
  • Maturity testing for concrete to monitor continually. Time and temperature function. Set a thermo coupler or embedded chip.
  • Real time/insitu testing.
  • Determines safe stripping, allowable time.
  • Accelerate testing, Methods to Accelerate Project, etc.
 
Alternative Surfacing Sections
  • (Bob Weber tangent) Possibly could eliminate as a VE proposal.
 
WED MORNING DISCUSSIONS
  • Difficult pile driving locations.
  • Shortening spans.
  • Foam Concrete Fdtn @ Mud Creek.
  • One shaft size throughout (at least on a single str.).
  • End result concrete / HPC / Maturity Testing.
  • Tribal Vegetation surveys, Coordination w/ Env (include borrow sources for veg. survey).
  • Pipe Jacking Impacts versus Top/Down.
  • Special borrow R35 requirement too easy to meet? Recommend taking out R value and replace w/A-1a
  • Contractor furnished sources are A-1b.
  • A+B bid - No work on Sunday????, winter shut down, holidays, etc.
  • Borrow source soils details?
  • Some sites are in sandy soils.
 
Structures Intermingling
  • Jet Grouting - Injects concrete/water to increase soil strength. Pile shafts ground up..up to 25' diameter. Usually 4 feet diameter. Do not need to butt shafts together. East, West Coasts, TX, WA, OR, ID. Any soil types. Permanent pile supported embankment. Bi-axial Geogrid - Under pavements. Reduce structural section or in lieu of special borrow. Just look at and evaluate. Tensar has a design procedure. Stabilize existing materials w/ chemical. Would not work for high water tables. Hilfiker WWF will need backing to assure backfill stays in place. Perched water concerns w/ pile driving and draining ponds. Technology available to plug if necessary.
 
Environment Intermingling
  • Construct ditches for wetlands. Refilling borrow ditches with excess poor clayey, etc. material.
 
<< PreviousContentsNext >>
Updated: 02/20/2020
Federal Highway Administration | 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE | Washington, DC 20590 | 202-366-4000