Resident Engineers Meeting April 18, 2005 St. Cloud Facilitator: Chad Fowlds Recorder: Dave Johnston Related links: Fall 2004 Resident Engineer Meeting 2005 Construction Workshop 2005 Construction Workshop Comments Item: Paint Removal and Demo Issues – Mark Vogel: http://www.dot.state.mn.us/environment Discussion:
· They will conduct ‘Just in Time Training’ for bridge blasting for district personnel.
· Regulated waste in bridges – Asbestos, Lead Paint peeling, PCB’s, Mercury can be found in – the membrane in Asphalt Overlays on bridges, Joint Compounds, baskets, Water Proofing (Spray­on, Three­ply), Tran site Pipe (utility companies), Putties (Electrical), Lead Paint (peeling or loose paint).
· An assessment/inspection must be done to identify regulated waste. Buildings must be clean before the assessment. R/W should deal with it before purchasing property.
· Paperwork – 10 working day notifications, reasonable timeline, Project File (Paper trail, checklists) bridge blasting. Laboratory analysis: before material leaves the site.
· Use transfer of ownership forms if it’s not a waste and someone will use the items. We are still responsible for hazardous materials even if transferred to someone else.
· We will continue using treated wood in the near future, not sure about long term. Item: Machine Control – Kevin Kosobud Discussion:
· Should a contractor, or Mn/DOT develop models?
· CAAS offices do not see themselves building models in the future.
· Models need to be to specific standards.
· How do we check grades in the field?
· On projects that have been determined to be machine control, we need to be prepared to stake it conventionally.
· Map will be developed to determine areas where GPS signals are adequate to use machine control. ACTION: Kevin and Ted will attend the AGC Grading Committee meeting on the 28 th to discuss issues. ACTION: Should have another meeting this fall with contractors to discuss what we learned and what direction we are going to be headed. Item: Training Rec. – Bill Servatius Discussion:
· Bill handed out Inspector Academy Evaluations.
· Don Peterson is teaching a Negotiations class, the feedback has been good so far.
· Possibility of training on Contract time for Project Engineers/Supervisors.
· Inspector academy will not be offered in the near future. Item: Integrated Field Data Collection – Tom Ravn Discussion:
· PDA’s are being used on the design/build projects.
· Luke Van Santen shared that for Metro’s 494 project, the contractor provided a system to track test results.
· Software can be used on desktop, laptop or PDA’s, Microsoft Access.
· Daily reports by inspectors should track all pertinent information by operations identified in the contractor’s critical path.
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Tom demonstrated the PDA usage and flexibility.
Training for inspectors is all hands on; inspectors like using it.
Download PDA data to project database. It was done weekly on 494.
Sarah Sondag from District 1 explained that Electronic Field Record Documentations (EFRD) uses an Excel spreadsheet using micro tablets and PDA’s in the field. She demonstrated how to download projects from the bid letting website and the operation of software.
Dave Masten (CAES), ­ Bentley Power Inspector is being used by District 8 in Spicer.
Ted’s quote of the day, “We don’t want to make the wrong thing easier to do!” in regards to his feelings about the weekly concrete report.
Residents are concerned that they don’t have the time to experiment with all the new technologies, or the budgets to support it.
C.O. has some money to purchase equipment if Resident Offices are willing to use some of this new technology. Item: SWPP – Leo Holm Discussion:
· SWPP should be incorporated directly in the plan.
· MS4 permits – quality of water that goes into storm drain inlets.
· Are erosion control supervisors necessary? Make sure they have been trained.
· Require the contractor to give you a site plan before they start.
· Get Erosion Control Schedule from contractor.
· Rapid Stabilization Provision – contractors are now trained. Item: Dust Control Discussion:
· Dust control is now a problem in the Metro area, also with adjoining business.
· Certification card for Project Engineers, they need to go through training.
· Payment for seeding, at the time of release for erodible acre retainage – don’t need to wait until project is “green” before paying for seed or releasing retainage.
· Recommended to leave retainage for erodible acres as written in the current specifications.
· Discussion – recommendations for erodible acre retainage will be released from G & B Committee.
· Should get a second opinion as to how erosion control measures are performing, as opposed to just a bad review by MPCA or watershed. Item: Importance of Rip­Rap – Andrea Hendrickson Discussion:
· Issues o Improperly toed in – provides slope stability. o Round vs. Angular – angular is better. o Size and gradation. If rock is round, it needs to be bigger to obtain the same effect as angular rip­rap. o Filter material – granular vs. geo­textile. Geotextile is being used more. If Geotextile is used on steep slopes, it probably needs to be “stepped”. Item: CPM as a Pay Item – Betty Buckley Discussion:
· Currently seeing CPM as a requirement of the contract.
· Request from Metro to have CPM as a pay item.
· Other states that have used it as a pay item experienced failures. Recommend that it remain as an incidental item.
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· Spec – 1803, set ground rules for CPM requirement
· Need a standardized special provision for CPM projects.
· Any use of CPM in contracts need to be routed through Tom Wiener. Item: Contractors Staking – Rick Morey Discussion:
· Need to do cross checks to the plan.
· Reference – best practices into the Tech Memo and Specifications.
· ACSM certifications for survey technicians in construction surveying.
· Level­3 certification should be required, comparable to our crew chief.
· Pay class for contractor crew chiefs? Residents Engineers need further clarification. Item: As­Builts – Ted Sexton Discussion:
· Ted distributed an email concerning critical items in the as­builts. Changes in alignment, profile additions, deletions, modifications to structures, culverts, road connections, changes to typical sections, additional depths of sub­cuts, changes in width.
· Some districts are doing them, and many are not. Consultant surveying is required to do as­ builts. Item: Utility Coordination – Marilyn Remer Discussion:
· 216D Statute preliminary utility meetings.
· Small projects discussed at an annual utility meeting over a 5­year period.
· Quality level is a professional opinion about the quality and reliability of utility information. A – D, most precise and reliable (A), least precise and reliable (D).
· Quality level is determined according to CI/ASCE 38 oz.
· We should use level D on our plans, unless we know the information concerning utilities is a higher reliability. Utility Coordination will:
· Start earlier in design process.
· Involve construction earlier in the process.
· Require utility relocation plans earlier in the process (approximately 60% stage instead of 30 day.) Relocation Completion:
· The new process requires Mn/DOT to set a completion date for utility relocation. Design and construction will work together with utility owners to determine a relocation completion date.
· Discussed the time line to issue the Notice & Order and setting a date and in what form the dates would appear, in the plan, special provisions, or in the Notice & Order letter. April 19, 2005 Item: FHWA Update – Kevin Kliethermes Discussion:
· NHS projects – Mn/DOT has to be in control, as local standards may not be sufficient. They’re working with State Aid to bring counties and cities up to speed on requirements.
· Construction staffing study – report is written, has reviewed Metro Res. Offices and will be reviewing out state offices for staffing on our projects. Item: Miscellaneous – Terry Zoller Discussion:
· Still working on engineering costs, but having trouble getting the information.
· Machine control to be discussed with CMG/PCMG this summer.
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· Template for TS and TGS for hiring to make hiring easier is being developed. Committee is being formed including Resident Engineers.
· Permission to do work out of class in construction for ES’s. Long assignments need to be a rule­ 10 appointment (3 year max). Item: Miscellaneous – Ted Sexton Discussion:
· Ted handed out minutes from the Grading and Base Advisory Committee meeting.
· The group is working very well. They are getting things done.
· “Barnacles on barnacles” is Ted’s description of bituminous specifications.
· The Advisory Committee recommends leaving the Erosion Control Retainage as it is.
· Earthwork balances within stages of a project needs to be done.
· Need to coordinate density/compaction technologies into a work plan of all the things that are being tried in the field. Item: Miscellaneous – Jeff Perkins Discussion:
· Not much has happened with the Bit Committee since John Garrity has gone on mobility. Item: Concrete Committee Items – Changes to Specs. – Kevin Kosobud Discussion:
· No clipping of tie wires on dowel baskets, and anchor on bottom durability on curb and gutter, curving of pavements, cellular concrete is not working correctly, pumping of concrete has an air content problem, North Dakota header – use.
· Ride: o IRI spec is still being pursued. Full depth decks on bridges, no low slump. o Importance of curing on decks. o Dumping cement slurry on in­slopes from grinding projects will not be allowed. o Keyway placement has location problems when slab thicknesses are different, centerline steel placement. o Moisture meters on ready­mix. o Kevin will send out Committee minutes. Item: Bridge Committee – Jim Stoutland Discussion:
· Deck cracking, curing, pour sequences on deck paving to help with cracking due to loading. Rate of pour on decks, penalties for failing to get wet burlap on pier caps.
· Cracking on low slump overlays, higher capacity piles.
· The committee recommends that approach panels be part of the bridge plans
· Girder sections – 2 tied together recommended due to Colorado’s problem, and other safety concerns. Item: Field Ops/Automation Update – Gus Wagner Discussion:
· Gus handed out office and cell phone numbers for the office of construction staff.
· The website is to include how to get to specific topics for construction.
· High speed communications is getting more and more necessary with electronic vouchers and documentation in field offices.
· They will help with Field data collectors assistance and support.
· Discussion on e­bidding, can be mandated on projects over $5 million. Item: Miscellaneous – Steve Barrett
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Discussion:
· Warranty Task force update. Steve handed out minutes of meeting discussion on warranties. * Steve Kordosky was unanimously elected vice chair, after being nominated for the position by his metro peers.
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