AASHTO Highway Subcommittee on Construction

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AASHTO HighwaySubcommittee on Construction
2006 Summer MeetingSan Juan, Puerto Rico
FHWA ISSUES

• Tommy Beatty
• Director, Office of Pavement Technology
• Federal Highway Administration

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Presentation Overview

• FHWA SAFETEA-LU Issues
• FHWA Stewardship and Oversight
• Other FHWA Initiatives

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FHWA SAFETEA-LU Issues
SAFETEA-LU Section 1503 - Design-Build

• Removes monetary threshold- essentially making
  design-build operational
• Allows states to (1) release RFP, (2) award
  contracts, and (3) give notice-to-proceed for
  preliminary design prior to NEPA conclusion
• NPRM published May 25, 2006
• Comment period closed July 24, 2006

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FHWA SAFETEA-LU Issues

• Section 5514 - COMPETITION FOR SPECIFICATION OF
  ALTERNATIVE TYPES OF CULVERT PIPES
• . . . the Secretary shall ensure that States
  provide for competition with respect to the
  specification of alternative types of culvert
  pipes through requirements that are commensurate
  with competition requirements for other
  construction materials, as determined by the
  Secretary.
• Notice of Proposed Rule Making published April
  17, 2006

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FHWA Stewardship and Oversight

• USDOT and Industry Work Groups
• Major Projects
• Program Delivery Improvement Tool
• Quality Assurance Stewardship Reviews
• National Review on Materials Quality Assurance

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USDOT and Industry Work Groups

• Work groups established to identify and implement
  specific action items aimed at educating industry
  on
• Fraud Awareness
• Suspension and Debarment
• DBE
• Claims
• Participants AGC, ARTBA, ACEC, FTA, FHWA, USDOT,
  OIG and others

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Fraud Awareness, Suspension and Debarment and DBE
Industry Work Groups

• Identified points of contact within USDOT to
  report issues to and to answer questions
• Established better ways to share information
• Conference presentations
• Informational packages, brochures, handbooks
• USDOT web sites
• Committed to share information and ideas in the
  future through outreach initiatives
• Joint DBE Program Assessment Team

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FHWA Major Projects

• Projects receiving Federal assistance with a
  total cost of 500 million or more
• 37 designated Major Projects in 21 States as of
  July 2006
• New requirements
• Project Management Plans
• Annual Finance Plans for 100 million projects
• Revised Guidance
• Financial Plans and Annual Updates
• Project Management Plans
• Major Project Cost Estimating

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Program Delivery Improvement Tool (PDIT)
Formerly named Program Development Assessment
Tool (PDAT)
Why Program Delivery?

• Core of the Federal-aid Mission
• Ultimately leads to improved performance
• An opportunity for continuous improvement
• A joint endeavor between FHWA and State DOTs

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PDIT Development
3-Tier Structure with AASHTO and FHWA
Representation -

• FHWA Program Delivery Leadership Group
• Program Delivery Work Group (Team Leaders of
  Program Area Subgroups)
• 10 Program Area Subgroups

1) Finance, 2) Planning, 3) Environment, 4)
Right-of-Way, 5) Design, 6) Construction 7)
Operations, 8) System Preservation, 9) Safety,
10) Civil Rights
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PDIT Goals

• Discussion tool for FHWA and State collaboration
• Identifies gaps and areas for improvement
• Identifies federal and state successful practices
  to share with others
• Supports FHWA in managing stewardship
  responsibility
• Helps with federal and state performance planning

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Quality Assurance Stewardship Reviews

• Reviews started in 2003 as routine stewardship of
  23 CFR 637
• Late 2003 we received reports of fraud
• Raised concerns about use of contractor test
  results
• Scope DOT implementation strategies, policy and
  procedures, and office records

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Quality Assurance Stewardship Reviews

• FY 2003
• Maine, Missouri, Colorado, Oklahoma
• FY 2004
• California, Georgia, North Carolina, New York
• FY 2005
• Maryland, Oregon, Minnesota, and Connecticut
• FY 2006
• Virginia, Nebraska, Nevada, and Wisconsin

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Quality Assurance Stewardship Reviews

• Opportunities for Improvement
• Strengthen verification procedures
• Control contractor supplied data
• Control of sampling locations

• Positive Findings
• IA Programs
• Technician and Laboratory Qualifications
• Electronic Materials Management Systems

For full report see www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/mat
erials/stewardreview2006.cfm
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National Review On MaterialsQuality Assurance

• Result of FHWA Risk Assessment Survey
• Sponsored by Office of Professional and Corporate
  Development and Office of Infrastructure
• Scope FHWA Division office review, approval and
  monitoring activities
• Locations UT, TX, PA, AL, DC, WY, IL

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Other FHWA Initiatives

• Pavement Technology Programs
• Construction Management Expert Task Group (ETG)
• Performance Specifications Technical Working
  Group (TWG)
• National Highway Specifications Website
• Training Opportunities

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Pavement Smoothness Workshop Program
Pavements built smoother last longer

• FHWA goal to improve pavement condition of the
  National Highway System
• Program initiated to help States improve pavement
  condition
• Workshops customized to meet specific needs of
  the State. Workshop activities include
• Training
• Assistance with smoothness specification
• Profiler certification program
• Workshops completed NY, IA, NJ, OH, CA

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Concrete Pavement Technology Program

• National program to improve cost- effectiveness
  and performance of concrete pavements
• Partnership including State DOTs, Industry,
  Academia, and FHWA
• Program oversight provided by Executive and
  Engineering ETGs

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Technology Transfer from the CPTP

• Focus Areas for Implementation of CPTP Products
• Advanced Designs
• Optimized Materials
• Improved Construction
• Rapid Repair Rehabilitation
• User Satisfaction

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CPTP Equipment Demonstration Loan Program

• Coefficient of Thermal Expansion
• Air Void Analyzer
• Dowel Bar Alignment using MIT Scan
• FHWAs Mobile Concrete Lab

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Precast Prestressed Concrete Pavement
Pavement Panels are

• Fabricated in precast-industry facilities
• Stockpiled
• Ready for rapid delivery and installation
• Technology being used in TX, CA, MO, IA, IN

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Construction Management ETG
An outgrowth of the 2004 Construction Management
SCAN
Some Major Emphasis Areas -

• Develop Risk Assessment and Allocation Techniques
• Explore the use of Alternative Payment Methods
• Enhance Qualification Rating Processes
• Alternative Bidding State of the Practice

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Performance Specifications TWG
Current activities as results of the mid April
2006 meetings

• Developing Criteria for Performance
  Specifications
• Developing Performance Specifications Business
  Case Why Change, Why Now?
• Performance Specifications Web Page to be
  developed under the NHSW update
• Establishing ETGs for specific product groups

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National Highway Specifications Website
Enhancements
www.specs.fhwa.dot.gov
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National Highway Specifications Website
Part 1 Update current web site

• Work with the AASHTO SOC to improve current
  website
• Update specifications as necessary
• Expand innovative specifications library
• Update ASTM Standards
• Update search engine and specification upload
  process

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National Highway Specifications Website
Part 2 Add New Content

• Construction Manuals
• Materials Manuals
• Standard Plans
• Design Manuals
• Additional public agency specs and manuals
• Additional documents as deemed appropriate

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Training Opportunities

• National Highway Institute
• www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov
• Transportation Curriculum Coordination Council
  (TCCC)
• http//www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/tccc/

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New Training Courses in 2006

• Quality Assurance Technologist Course
• Inspection of Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls
  and Reinforced Soil Slopes
• Partnering for Improved Project Delivery
• Subsurface Investigation
• Alternative Contracting

• Managing Construction Workmanship
• Bridge Construction Inspection
• Pavement Preservation Design and Construction of
  Quality Preventive Maintenance Treatments

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Thank You
Questions?

• Tommy Beatty
• Director, Office of Pavement Technology
• Federal Highway Administration