Section 000—Organization of an
Engineering District (Construction)
Table of Contents
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. General Policies and Provisions ............................................................................................ 000-1 District Executive .................................................................................................................. 000-2 Assistant District Executive—Design ................................................................................... 000-3 Assistant District Executive—Maintenance .......................................................................... 000-4 Assistant District Executive—Construction .......................................................................... 000-5 Assistant Construction Engineer............................................................................................ 000-6 Structure Control Engineer .................................................................................................... 000-7 Materials Engineer ................................................................................................................. 000-8 Construction Services Engineer ............................................................................................. 000-9 Proposal and Work Order Review ....................................................................................... 000-10 Inspector-in-Charge ............................................................................................................. 000-11 Inspectors ............................................................................................................................. 000-12 Labor Compliance/EEO Coordinator .................................................................................. 000-13 Finals Unit ........................................................................................................................... 000-14 Geotechnical Engineer ......................................................................................................... 000-15
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Section 000—Organization of an
Engineering District (Construction)
1.
General Policies and Provisions
This chapter addresses general policies and provisions regarding the organization of an
engineering district.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation divides the Commonwealth into eleven
Engineering Districts, each headed by a district executive. The district executive is assisted
in the operation of the Engineering District by the following individuals and their staff:
assistant district executive—design, assistant district executive—maintenance, assistant
district executive—construction, community relations coordinator, district fiscal control
officer, and district human resources officer.
A typical District is organized along the following lines, however it should be noted that
several districts have organizational variances under the ADEs for instance one has the
contract management unit in construction other units are under different ADEs depending on
the District. One District has a fourth ADE.
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Section 000—Organization of an
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2.
District Executive
The district executive is in charge of all work performed in the District. This includes all
functions, including design, construction and maintenance of highways and bridges,
coordination with municipalities, and issuance of permits for access to state highways and
design of traffic signals. The district executive’s responsibility also includes programming,
budgeting, personnel assignments, and performance review.
It is the district executive’s responsibility to ensure that all contracts for work within the
District are fulfilled as written, including compliance with the specifications, drawings,
special provisions, and standard drawings.
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Section 000—Organization of an
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3.
Assistant District Executive—Design
The assistant district executive (ADE)—design is responsible for coordinating all activities in
the District concerning the design of highways and bridges. The activities include those
related to geotechnical issues, structures, planning organizations, and plan and contract
development. Surveying, utility relocations, and right-of-way also come under the
jurisdiction of the ADE—design.
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Section 000—Organization of an
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4.
Assistant District Executive—Maintenance
The assistant district executive (ADE)–maintenance is responsible for coordinating all
activities related to accidents, traffic, roadside maintenance, municipal services, access and
hauling permits, and maintenance of roadways and bridges (including snow removal).
County maintenance managers and their staff report to the ADE—maintenance.
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Section 000—Organization of an
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5.
Assistant District Executive—Construction
The assistant district executive (ADE)–construction is responsible for coordinating all
activities related to contract construction work. To accomplish this, the ADE has a staff that
includes a support services engineer, assistant construction engineers, materials engineers and
individuals responsible for safety, equal employment opportunity (EEO), labor compliance,
work orders, finals, and audits. The safety, EEO, and labor compliance functions are often
assigned to one individual.
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Section 000—Organization of an
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6.
Assistant Construction Engineer
The assistant district construction engineer (ACE) is responsible for overseeing and
monitoring several construction projects within the District. This ACE is the immediate
supervisor of the inspector-in-charge and functions as a coordinator between the inspector-incharge and district units to assist in resolving issues and problems.
The ACE chairs the pre-construction meeting, conducts final inspections, and monitors the
progress of the project (including estimates). The ACE also assists the inspector-in-charge in
resolving compliance issues with the contractor and in obtaining assistance in resolving
project issues.
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Section 000—Organization of an
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7.
Structure Control Engineer
The structure control engineer is responsible for providing specialized engineering guidance
and direction relating to structures. The structure control engineer should inspect all bridge
foundations during construction, review deck placement procedures, review falsework
submissions, and be consulted whenever non-routine construction problems are encountered.
In some Districts, an ACE also serves as the structure control engineer.
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8.
Materials Engineer
The materials engineer is responsible for approval and monitoring of aggregate sources,
bituminous concrete plants, and Portland cement concrete plants. This responsibility includes
plants established on the project sites.
The materials engineer and staff members review quality control plans for the various
facilities and project-specific plans for paving operations. The staff provides inspection and
monitoring at bituminous and concrete plants, as well as periodic sampling, inspection, and
testing of aggregate sources. They are also available for assistance with project-related
issues.
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9.
Construction Services Engineer
The construction services engineer is responsible for a number of functions. These include:
monitoring contractors’ compliance with labor requirements (such as wage rates, and
trainees), monitoring contractors’ safety plans, monitoring contractors’ compliance with EEO
requirements; and processing work orders and other information related to construction
contracts. Duties assigned to the construction services engineer may vary by District.
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10.
Proposal and Work Order Review
One individual in the District Construction Unit is responsible for work order and proposal
review. He or she reviews proposals for construction projects prior to bid, with an emphasis
on items such as clarity, completeness, constructability, and bidability, then provides
comments to the design project manager to ensure that the highest-quality plans are provided
for bid to contractors.
During the construction of projects, conditions sometimes require adjustments to quantities or
additional items not anticipated in the design process. Also, the Department sometimes finds
it necessary to have the contractor perform the work using the force account procedure. In
such instances, work orders must be generated by the project inspection staff and submitted to
the District for review and approval.
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11.
Inspector-in-Charge
The inspector-in-charge of a project is responsible for all inspection work on a project, and
for providing direction and guidance to the inspectors. He or she monitors the various
contractor activities, visits field operations, reviews reports and other records, and monitors
sampling and testing of materials.
The inspector-in-charge is responsible for explaining to a property owner how the project will
affect the owner’s property. He or she should not discuss damages or indicate what
settlement the property owner will receive; the right-of-way administrator provides this
information. The inspector-in-charge, however, is responsible for notifying the contractor not
to trespass or do any work on private property unless the contractor has written permission
from the property owner.
If the inspector-in-charge finds that a structure or slope will extend beyond the right-of-way
limit, he or she should report this to the assistant district construction engineer before
construction is started. He or she should also report any condition that will require more
work or material than indicated in the contract.
The inspector-in-charge also ensures that the contractor’s maintenance and protection of
traffic efforts are in compliance with the approved plans, and directs appropriate changes
when required. If a detour is utilized, the inspector-in-charge is responsible for monitoring
the detour conditions.
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12.
Inspectors
Inspectors are assigned to a construction project to assist the inspector-in-charge in
monitoring the contractors operations. Inspectors have various levels of experience and carry
titles and responsibilities accordingly.
Inspectors monitor the contractor’s work for compliance with the contract, observe and
document quality control testing, record information, and document quantities for completed
work.
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13.
Labor Compliance/EEO Coordinator
Department construction contracts contain two requirements relative to the contractor’s
workforce:
•
•
Wage rates for various classifications of employees, including laborers, operators,
carpenters, and flaggers.
A commitment by the contractor to have a certain portion of the work performed by
Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE), Women’s Business Enterprises (WBE), or
Minority Business Enterprises (MBE).
The construction inspection staff is responsible for monitoring wage rates through interviews
and payroll reviews. Contractor payrolls are also submitted to the district labor compliance
officer for review and approval. If the project staff identify a problem, the district labor
compliance officer assists in its resolution.
At the time the contractor submits a bid, he or she commits to subcontracting a percentage of
the work to DBE, WBE, or MBE firms. During the course of construction, this percentage is
closely monitored via payrolls and estimates. The district EEO coordinator will periodically
visit the project site for spot reviews or to assist the inspection staff in resolving issues.
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14.
Finals Unit
The finals unit conducts a final audit of the project records after the completion of
construction. Duties for this unit vary by District. Staff is usually available to assist in
setting up project records and may perform periodic audits to ensure conformance.
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15.
Geotechnical Engineer
The geotechnical engineer is responsible for all work related to geology and associated
engineering. He or she is responsible for oversight of geotechnical research and design for
foundations, slopes, and other issues in the design phase. The geotechnical engineer also
assists with construction related issues, such as foundations, sinkholes, slides, and unstable
material.
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