utility relocation - ltrc.lsu.edu · • communication of utility data to concerned parties, •...

2018 LOUISIANA

TRANSPORTATION CONFERENCE

JOANN KURTS, P.E.

TAYLOR JAMES-LIGHTNER, E.I.

JOHN W (BILLY) MOORE, P.E.

UTILITY RELOCATION

LADOTD PROJECTS $FUNDING SOURCES

Federal (HTF) & State (TTF) Gas Tax – Highway Priority Pro

Federal Discretionary Grants – project specific

State General Obligation Bonds – proj. specific

Contributions from Local Government(s)

Tolls (from LA 1)

Revenue Generating Fees – NFA funds (truck registration fees)

LADOTD PROJECTS $FUNDING SOURCES$

HTF is a “Use it or lose it” source of funds for projects.

LADOTD received the following amount:

Federal Obligation: 600 – 650 million

August redistribution: 80 – 100 million

FAST Lane – 100 million

LADOTD PROJECTS $FUNDING SOURCES$

How do the LADOTD Project Funding Sources impact Utility Companies?

LADOTD PROJECTS

How do they come about?

ProjectIdentification

Project Selection is a four phase process

ProjectPrioritization

ProjectSelection

LegislativeApproval

LADOTD PROJECTS

How do they come about?

Project Identification

Analyze technical data on highway conditions, operational characteristics, safety performance and traffic congestion.

DOTD receives many requests from the public, elected officials, regional and local planning officials, and industry representatives, etc.

LADOTD PROJECTS

How do they come about?

Project Prioritization

Established in each region of the state through the DOTD district offices in consultation with state and local officials.

Project Selection

Selected by teams of experts within a pre-established budget.

LADOTD PROJECTS

How do they come about?

Legislative Approval

The selected projects are assembled into the proposed Highway Program and submitted to the House and Senate Transportation Committees of the Louisiana Legislature. The Highway Program must be approved by the entire Legislature as part of the annual budget for the State.

LADOTD PROJECTSTime frame to complete?

After projects are selected, there is a seven stage process to take them from concept to construction. Stage 0: Feasibility Study (Approximately 1 year) Stage 1: Environmental Study (1-3 years, depending on project

complexity) Stage 2: Funding Project Prioritization (Indefinite amount of time) Stage 3: Final Design Process (1-3 years, depending on project complexity) Stage 4: Project Letting (1 year) Stage 5: Construction (1-3 years, depending on project complexity) Stage 6: Operation (Indefinite period of time)

LADOTD PROJECTSTime frame to complete?

The time frame for projects from selection to construction varies, depending on project complexity and cost.

Each project is also dependent on the following factors:

funding; acquisition of permits; right-of-way utilities relocation; and environmental concerns.

LADOTD PROJECTSTypes of projects

LADOTD PROJECTSUtility Relocations

LADOTD is required to have Utility Relocation Agreements in place prior to the letting of our projects

LADOTD notifies Utilities with Engineering Authorization/Agreement Package Letter.

So what does this mean for the engineers and designers for the DOTD projects?

http://analysis.newenergyupdate.com/csp-today/csp-operators-urged-learn-ramp-faults-lower-cost-finance

The 3 C’s

To have minimal disruption to a utility service, traveling public, and the state project it is very important that the Design Engineer, DOTD and the Utility Companies maintain throughout the life of a project:

Communication,

Coordination and

Cooperation

COMMUNICATION

LADOTD conducts meetings where Utilities may be invited to attend:

Project Kick Off Meeting

Plan-in-Hand

Pre-Con Meeting

COMMUNICATION & COOPERATION

AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID

https://www.roadtrafficsigns.com/Detour-Sign/Detour-Inside-Right-Arrow-Sign/SKU-X-M4-10R.aspxhttp://www.safetysign.com/products/8480/utility-sign

COORDINATION & COOPERATION

Avoidance is not always possible

COORDINATION & COOPERATION

If avoidance is not possible,

Look at the right-of-way and construction servitude

Is there room for all the work and utility relocation to take place

Avoid setting the limits of construction to the edge of the R/W

LADOTD PROJECTSUtility Relocations

Documents Required: Articles of Agreement (if Utility has a prior right) Cost Estimate (if Utility has a prior right) Utility Drawings (depicting where the adjustments/relocation is) Statement of Work (written description of the work being

performed inside and outside of LADOTD R/W and number of calendar days for work and cost liability determination)

LADOTD Utility Relocation Agreement Permit (only if utility is adjusting/relocating inside LADOTD R/W)

LADOTD PROJECTSUtility Relocations

Documents Required: LADOTD Concurrence of Consultants used

Need documentation of how the fees are determined Compensable Interest

Notarized Affidavit Property Servitude Documents

LADOTD PROJECTS Utility Relocation Forms

www.dotd.la.gov

LADOTD PROJECTS Utility Relocation Forms

Subsurface Utility

Engineering

LADOTD UTILITY RELOCATIONS

Resources that you can use:

“Standard Guideline for the Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface

Utility Data” – ASCE/CI 38-02

“Avoiding Utility Relocations” – FHWA

“Best Practices for Right of Way and Utilities” - AASHTO

“Common Ground” - OPS

“Cost Savings for Highway Projects utilizing Subsurface Utility Engineering” -

FHWA

“Avoiding Delays During the Construction Phase of Highway Projects” - TRB

Common Theme in These Publications

The use of Subsurface Utility

Engineering is highly recommended.

A branch of engineering practice that involves managing certain risks associated with:

• utility mapping at appropriate quality levels, • utility coordination, • utility relocation design and coordination, • utility condition assessment, • communication of utility data to concerned parties, • utility relocation cost estimates, • implementation of utility accommodation policies, • and utility design.

“The proliferation of underground

facilities has reached the point where

project budgets and schedules can no

longer support unplanned or

unnecessary relocations”

WHOSE BUDGET?

HIGHWAY AGENCY,

PROJECT OWNER

UTILITY OWNER

}Taxpayer, owner and ratepayer are invariably the same person

Subsurface Utility Engineers need knowledge of utility design, Quality Levels, methods of determining Quality levels, construction issues and costs

1. NHI Utility Issues Course

2. ASCE short courses

3. Construction Institute Courses & Seminars

4. Consultant-based courses

5. Experience

CI/ASCE Standard 38-02

Unless collected and depicted in

accordance with CI/ASCE 38-02 Standard,

Owners and designers have no knowledge

that the information is accurate to any

level and that it is complete based on

available data

How do we avoid relocations

How do we design around utilities

First, we need reliable information on the existence and location of utilities very early in the design process

need accurate utility data at 10-30% design stage

ASCE/CI 38-02 defines utility quality levels

Ever experience

a project delay?

How about this one?

Is One-Call Locate ticket the same as

ASCE Standard 38-02?

Underground Utilities and Facilities Damage Prevention Law.

Sets party responsible for damage to a utility

No drawing stamped by a professional engineer

No design investigation included in law

One-Call vs.

ASCE 38-02

Quality Level B

Baton Rouge

Hospital

One-Call vs. ASCE Quality Level B

Level B and A as opposed to record

drawings in New Orleans

Louisiana Hwy 73 Project

One Call versus ASCE Quality Level BUnderground Utility One-Call

(feet)

ASCE Quality Level B

(feet)

Cable TV 1,585 2,914

Water Mains 14,625 19,797

Gas Mains 18,265 19,876

Electric - 2,363

Traffic Control - 859

Telephone 51,150 59,999

Total 85,625 105,808

Breakdown of Telephone items

Telephone copper Unknown 39,830

Telephone fiber optic Unknown 8,285

Telephone duct Unknown 11,884

CI/ASCE 38-02

Developed by ASCE and set as a

Standard

Used as part of design process to save

time and money during construction

Depicted on plans and signed by a

Licensed Professional Engineer

Backed-up by Errors & Omissions

Insurance

Effective on private property

Curb / EOP

CI/ASCE 38-02 Quality Level Standards

explained graphically

Curb / EOP

Water Record (Quality Level

D, QLD) says 4” pipe is two

feet off of curb

CI/ASCE 38-02 QLD

Curb / EOP

Water Record says pipe is

two feet off of curb, but…

Valves are six feet off curb

(Survey of above ground

features Quality Level C,

QLC)

Surveyed

& Plotted

Water

Valves

Topo survey, Quality Level C

Curb / EOP

Engineer updates

drawing to show

updated Quality Level

information. QLC

Surveyed &

Plotted

Water Valves

Quality Level C update

Curb / EOP

Water Record says 4”

pipe is two feet off of

curb.

Engineer makes

judgment that water

line depiction should

be moved. OR

RECONFIGURED

Surveyed

& Plotted

Water

Valves

Another interpretation?

Curb / EOP

Water Record says 4”

pipe is two feet off of

curb

Designating (Quality

level B) indicates

otherwise

Surveyed

& Plotted

Water

Valves

QL D and QL C

interpretations by

engineer were in error

Quality Level B improvement

“Quality Level A” (a precise location

and elevation)

Utilities exposed via non-destructive air-vacuum means

Exposed utilities are then surveyed and plotted on site

plan Elevations, Size, Condition, Materials, Precise

Horizontal Positions are measured and documented

Typically used in preliminary design stages. Allows small

adjustments in design for big savings in construction.

Ground

surface

Quality Level A (QLA)

Water line found at CL Station

23+40, 6 3/4” in diameter (not

4”) and 5.56 feet deep, slightly

corroded and cast iron rather

than ductile

Quality Level A is precise location

Cost SavingsFHWA Study:

$4.62 in savings for every $1.00 spent on subsurface utility engineering74 transportation projects selected totaling $1B in Construction and design cost3 projects with negative return

State Specific Savings on $1.00 Spent on Subsurface Utility Engineering:

Virginia-$7.00Maryland-$18.00Pennsylvania-$22.21

Utility Coordination during Design

Determine the conflict points between the current location of utilities and

planned construction

Evaluate the relocation plans of all impacted utilities to determine possible

conflict points of relocated facilities

These conflicts aren’t limited to location, they can also include the

sequence of relocation, environmental impact, etc.

Develop a conflict matrix and a relocation plan to distribute to utility

companies and project engineer in charge

Best used in heavily congested areas or along with irregular designs that will

have abnormal impacts on facilities (i.e. round-abouts)

Utility Coordination during Construction

Observe and report on the utility relocation or installation work

Determine and ensure compliance with construction plans,

specs, and schedules

Negotiate field changes as conditions warrant

Prepare as built documentation and utility composite drawing

Best used in conjunction with utility coordination during design in

project areas where Right-Of-Way is at a premium

Contact Information

Utility Relocations

JoAnn Kurts, P.E.

(225) 379-1427

JoAnn.Kurts@la.gov

Taylor James-Lightner John W (Billy) Moore, PE

(225) 379-1442 (225)-218-5182

Taylor.James-Lightner@la.gov Billy.Moore@Cardno.com