Winter 2012 - Kentucky Transportation Cabinet

Vol. II, Issue 1 – Winter 2012from the Quality Assurance Branch (QAB) of Project Development2012 Specifications Update—What to do with projects in the pipeline?With the looming publication of the Kentucky 2012 StandardSpecifications for Road and Bridge Construction (wordhas it publication is awaiting FHWA approval, and may makethe April Letting), the question becomes, “What to do withprojects in the pipeline?” This article presents some changesthat stand to affect projects designed under the auspices of a2008 specification based letting. Beyond the changes presented,this article will try to detail the situation and provide resourcesthat can help with your conversion.First, the bad news, the changes below are in no way a fullrepresentation of what you will need to consider. Additionally,please do not assume that our Plan Processing Branch willtake care of any conversion your project needs. While thesefolks do a great job and will catch issues that slip through thecracks, their purpose is to ensure plans are complete not toprovide a conversion service. The bottom line is the responsibilityrests with you.Here is the help. A 2012 draft version of the specifications isavailable at www.transportation.ky.gov/construction. Oncepublished, the same web address will have access to a highlightedversion of the specifications showing changes from the2008 version. If you have specific questions, you may contactthis office or the Technical Support Branch in the Division ofConstruction for assistance. The following table also presentsmany changes pertinent to Project Delivery.Additionally, the 2012 edition of the Highway StandardDrawings will be applicable to the April 2012 letting. Theseare accessible at http://transportation.ky.gov/Highway-Design/Pages/Standard-Drawings.aspx.by Roy Sturgill, P.E.SpecificationSummary of Changes*105.05 Contract Documents The letting questions and answers will be a contract document.112 Temporary Traffic Control • Devices compliant with NCHRP 350 or MASH 08.• New bid item for Law Enforcement Officers with required credentials.• New bid item Temporary signs to avoid confusion from permanent signswhen installed by contract.203 Removal of Structuresand ObstructionsBox culvert removal is to be included in the Remove Structure bid item.205.05 Borrow Excavation Borrow Excavation bid item is eliminated and costs become incidental toEmbankment in Place or Roadway Excavation.212.03.03 Erosion Control May want to note Urban seed mixes will only include Fescue and Ryegrass.403 Production and Placementof Asphalt MixturesMTV is no longer a special note. Used on all layers of driving lanes on interstatesand parkways and elsewhere per contract. Cost is incidental to theasphalt mixture bid item.410 Asphalt Ride Quality If no ride quality requirements are listed in the contract, category B requirementsapply.615 Precast Three-Sided Structures New section covering precast three-sided structures. (See page 3.)701 Pipe Installation and Testing Pipeline video inspection required on projects with more than 250 linearfeet of storm sewer or culvert pipe and where roadway ADT is greater than1000 vehicles. Camera/ video inspection on 100% of pipes under the roadwayand 50% not passing under the roadway.704 Underdrains New bid item for Perforated Pipe Edge Drain.716 Roadway Lighting Systems In depth revision of this section with a large number of new bid items.* Not a complete list.1

The Frustrations with Three-Sided StructuresA recent Post-Construction Reviewinvolved a Contractor who was ratherfrustrated with the level of informationprovided for bidding Three-SidedStructure projects. Participants urgedthe Transportation Cabinet to developguidance for Designers. As it turnsout, the Division of Highway Design’sDrainage Branch has already beenworking on this very issue!A draft of their work thus far, PreconstructionPolicy on Precast Three-SidedCulverts is being finalized and will beissued by a forthcoming design memo.Three-Sided Structures are alternativesto conventional cast-in-place culverts.The major advantage of optingfor Three-Sided Structures is quick constructionand therefore reduced roadclosures.Much of the feasibility and requirementsfor Three-Sided Structures aredetermined by geotechnical investigation,providing required bearing pressure,drainage, and soils information.The Cabinet’s Geotechnical Branch isresponsible for evaluating the selectionof the Three-Sided Structure alternatives.Preferred locations for Three-SidedStructures involve foundation in solidrock. Otherwise, there may be no timeor cost advantage. Special foundationtreatments can make Three-Sided Structuresexpensive solutions. If the solidrock foundations are not available, castin-placebid items will be included as analternative to the Three-Sided Structure.Additional information on Three-Sided Structures can also be found inthe not-yet-released Section 615 2012Specifications; a draft is posted online.Three-Sided Structures will be paid bythe linear foot with foundations andwing walls included as incidental items.Foundation preparation, excavation,and backfill will have separate bid items.Vicki Boldrick, P.E. is the Cabinet’sSubject Matter Expert on Three-SidedStructures and can be contacted at 502-564-3280 or Vicki.Boldrick@ky.gov.by Mary Wade, PEHighway Design TrafficEngineering PrequalificationsNew!Quality Matters Staff Spotlight:There are two new Prequalificationcategories that have beenestablished to elevate the awarenessand successful use of trafficengineering principles in highwaydesigns.• Basic Traffic Engineering Design• Advanced Traffic EngineeringDesign & ModelingThese will be available for KYTCproject managers to use in theconsultant selection process beginningin July. One of the requirementsfor the Basic level will befor staff to attend a KYTC coursecalled Basic Traffic EngineeringDesign. This course will focus onsome of the related KYTC policiesand capacity analysis. The first offeringwill be in April 2012. Toregister, contact Kevin Martin at502-564-3280.Roy Sturgill joined the Quality AssuranceBranch in November 2011.He has been with the Kentucky TransportationCabinet (KYTC) since2007, working in the Central Office,Division of Construction. He was aKYTC Civil Engineering Scholarshiprecipient from 1998 to 2003, andthen attended Virginia Tech and participatedin research with the VirginiaDepartment of Transportation untilreturning to work at KYTC.The transition from Constructionto Design has been enlightening forRoy. He enjoys the new challenges.In his role as the Constructability ReviewCoordinator, Roy seeks to focusUpcomingTrainingreviews at thePreliminary Lineand Grade andFinal Joint Inspectionstages ofProject Development.Please includeRoy whenscheduling meetingsat this stage. He or another constructabilityreviewer will attend orprovide comments for your project.An additional service that constructabilityreview will provide is the evaluationof contract time determination.These reviews will be completed whencheck prints are submitted.NHI Access Management, Location & SpacingApril 23-25 Frankfort TOBContact Kevin Martin, Highway Design 502-564-32803

Approach Slabs + IEBs =Maintenance Issues?Do you often wonder about thebump in the road as you approachbridges? Do you have issues likethis in your district with integralend bents (IEBs)? Our branchis on a quest for ideas and solutions.Designers, Construction andMaintenance folks, we would liketo hear your theories, solutions,current practices for fixes to thisongoing problem. Please contactBoday Borres @ 502-564-3280ext. 3362, 502-229-5737 orboday.borres@ky.gov.StaffLook for us on the 5th floor of TCOB,email, or call (502) 564-3280Boday Borres, P.E., A.V.S.Quality Assurance Branch ManagerBoday.Borres@ky.govext. 3362Nathan WilkinsonLessons Learned CoordinatorNathan.Wilkinson@ky.govext. 4412Brent Sweger, P.E., A.V.S.Value Engineering CoordinatorBrent.Sweger@ky.govext. 3356Mary Wade, P.E.Post-Construction Review CoordinatorMary.Wade@ky.govext. 3349Roy Sturgill, P.E.Constructability Review CoordinatorRoy.Sturgills@ky.govext. 3357Lessons LearnedThis is the first in a series of installments entitled Lessons Learned fromthe Post Construction Review Circuit. The Quality Assurance Branchhas been traveling from district to district, listening to input from KYTCstaff, design consultants, and contractors. Thus far this cycle, meetingshave been held in Districts 4, 8, 9, 10, and 11. Based upon whatthe QAB is hearing, here are a few of the issues calling for additionaldiscussion and debate.Using Lightweight Fill forConcrete Box Culvert Extensions/Removing, Replacing, andExtending Concrete Box CulvertsRemoving or partially replacing concreteculverts in order to extend themmay be unnecessary if the existing culvertremains in relatively good condition.Rather than replacing all or partof a culvert, perhaps the existing structurecould be left in place and retrofittedwhile lightweight fill is used to accommodatethe extension and prevent overloading.When applicable, this methodpreserves resources by reducing the needfor concrete masonry removal, foundationpreparation, and additional materialsneeded to rebuild. Additionally,the cost and effort required to maintaintraffic may also be decreased.Maintenance IssuesInvolving StructuresWhen designed properly, reinforcedbox culverts provide a useful alternativeto traditional structures. However,sometimes these devices can have unintendedconsequences. Double barrelculverts, for example, can cause reoccurringmaintenance issues due to thetendency for debris to become affixedon the concrete divider between thetwo barrels. When considering the useof a double barrel culvert, be mindfulof their potential for blockage. The increasedmaintenance required by doublebarrel culverts may make a single barrelculvert or a small bridge a better option.Whether designing box culvertsor bridges, a four foot height minimumhas been recommended in order to furtheralleviate future maintenance issues.Temporary Barrier Walls andRockfall Debris in NarrowMountainous ConditionsTemporary barrier walls are sometimesutilized by designers to preventrockfall debris from encroaching uponthe roadway. Barrier walls are typicallymore effective when used for drop-offprotection, similar to guardrail, ratherthan being placed between a cut slopeand road to block falling debris in narrowconditions. In the latter situation,walls can actually be a hindrancebecause rocks become trapped behindthem where insufficient room to deployproper cleanup equipment exists. Thispredicament creates an unsafe situationbecause construction personnel mustthen work beneath dangerous cuts removingdebris. Blast material that fallson barrier walls causes significant andcostly damage while moving barrierwalls can create delays and frustrate thetraveling public. In narrow conditions,traffic barrels are preferable becausethey warn the traveling public of theimpending hazard and yet can still beeasily repositioned to facilitate cleanup.Barrier walls are most effectively usedin conjunction with blasting and highwalls when there is sufficient room toposition them and clear behind them,which is generally not the case with narrowroads in mountainous terrain.by Nathan Wilkinson4