Your Distribution System – Cradle to Grave Construction Inspection of Water Distribution Mains – Do it Right or be Sorry Ron Bard, P.E.

Agenda ▼ What to do During Design ▼ What to do Before Construction Starts ▼ The Facts of Life ▼ Starting Out on the Right Foot ▼ Documentation ▼ TESC, Excavation, Shoring, Dewatering, Backfill ▼ Items Easy to Overlook

Levels of CM ▼ Construction Monitoring ▼ Construction Inspection ▼ Construction Management ▼ Understand the Differences and Match Expectations Increasing level of detail and responsibility

During Design ▼ CM to Review Contract Documents ▼ Provide a Formal Constructability Review ▼ Conduct an Operations Review ▼ Do the Specs Reflect How the Job will be Administered? ▼ Consider Asset Management Issues ▼ Decide What the Contractor Does for: l Testing l As-builts l Schedules

Before Construction Starts ▼ Detailed Pre-con Meeting to Set Expectations ▼ Define Role of Engineer vs. CM ▼ Get a Detailed Schedule from Contractor ▼ Get a List of Contractor’s Manpower and Equipment ▼ Prepare a Submittal Log ▼ Discuss the Need to Schedule Submittals/Re-submittals ▼ Take pre-con Photos ▼ Define: l Early Action Submittals l Long Lead Time Materials

The Facts of Life ▼ Low Bidders Win the Work ▼ Some Contractors are Good, Some are Not ▼ Some Contractors will be Adversarial ▼ Contractors Need to Make Money ▼ But, Everyone Wants to Get the Job Done ▼ Contractors are Responsible for Means and Methods ▼ It is Very Hard to Require a Contractor to Stop Work ▼ The CM Can’t Lose Their Cool ▼ The Public is Always Nearby Communication is the Key to Success

Be Prepared and Flexible ▼ Major Differences Between Large and Small Jobs ▼ Major Differences Between Complex and Simple Jobs ▼ Bid Item Jobs versus Lump Sum Jobs ▼ Don’t be Like the Captain of the Titanic l Smooth Sailing Doesn’t Last ▼ Don’t Only Prepare for the Last Hurricane

Start Out on the Right Foot ▼ Strict Adherence to the Contract Docs l Can be More Creative Latter ▼ Ask Questions, Offer Suggestions, Do Not Direct ▼ Be Reasonable, but not a Push-Over ▼ Be On-site Every Day there is Activity ▼ Full-time Inspection of Critical/Underground Items ▼ Take Photos

Documentation ▼ Do the Daily Reports Daily l Assume they will be in Court l Quote the Contractor l Take Photos ▼ Document Everything, Write Serial Letters ▼ Always Adhere to Notification Provisions in the Specs ▼ Keep Track of Force-Account Hours and Equipment ▼ Handle Change Orders ASAP ▼ Ensure the Contractor Keeps Contemporaneous Cost Records for Change Orders and Claims

Safety ▼ Contractor is Responsible for Job Safety l Make Sure they Have a Plan and Follow It ▼ Keep Yourself Safe l Hold Inspector Safety Meetings (large projects) l Fall Protection l Confined Space Entry ▼ Attend the Contractors Tailgate Safety Meetings ▼ Document Actions, Take Photos ▼ Don’t Direct the Contractors Staff on Safety l Notify your Contractor of Concerns

TESC ▼ Can Get Lots of Scrutiny ▼ Walk the Site With Contractor ▼ Protect the Inlets ▼ Sweep the Streets ▼ Inspect the Facilities ▼ Pre-position Materials ▼ Prepare for Storms ▼ Check up On the Weekends if Needed If You Make it Important, They Will

Excavation ▼ Always Saw-Cut ▼ Don’t Over-widen Trenches ▼ Hot-Topics l Shoring l Dewatering l Foundation Material l Check Your Submittals

Shoring ▼ Worker Protection l Needed for > 4-foot Depths l Supervision by a Competent Person l Understand WAC ▼ Trench Boxes l Will Allow Sloughing l Can Impact Utilities

Dewatering ▼ Trench Must be Dry ▼ Dewatering Wells Need Time to Work ▼ Dewatering Wells are Needed 24/7 l Is Noise an Issue? ▼ Anticipate the Need for Baker Tanks

Foundations ▼ Probe the Sub-grade ▼ Get the Engineer on-site if Needed ▼ Use a Geotextile Fabric if Needed ▼ If in Doubt, Over-Ex and Add Foundation Materials

Backfill and Bedding ▼ Native Soil l Sensitive to Moisture Content l Watch for Large Diameter Rocks l Watch for Excessive Organics ▼ Compaction l Verify Density l Right Size/Type Compactor ▼ Avoid End-dumping

PVC Pipe ▼ Brittle in Cold Weather ▼ Bedding l Must Be Mechanically Compacted l Pipe Strength Comes from Bedding Haunches l Bring Up Evenly on Each Side ▼ Testing By Mandrel Is Important ▼ C900/905 is Strong, but Still Need to Be Careful

Easy to Overlook ▼ Dissimilar Materials Need Dielectric Couplings ▼ Notify Public of Service Interruptions ▼ Check out Contractor’s Pressure Testing Equipment ▼ Where to Get Testing Water ▼ Where to Dispose of Testing Water and Declorinate ▼ Thrust Block Must Bear on Undisturbed Soil ▼ Coordinate What Contractor Does and Utility Does

Easy to Overlook ▼ Meters/Boxes on Hand if Utility Provided ▼ Compare Materials Delivered to Shop Drawings ▼ Get O&M Materials ▼ Closure Pieces and Couplings, Especially RJ

Claims Avoidance ▼ Have Good Records ▼ Settle Up as You Go ▼ Issue Unilateral Change Orders if Needed (But be Fair) ▼ Pay for Acceleration if Needed l Do What it Takes to Avoid Extended Overhead ▼ Be Responsive if There is a DSC ▼ Don’t Delay the Contractor, Be Timely and Responsive ▼ Stick to the Contract l Avoids a claim that you “Abandoned the Contract” Oh, and Take Photos

Questions?