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?
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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
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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
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
Taylor James-Lightner John W (Billy) Moore, PE
(225) 379-1442 (225)-218-5182