January 12, 1998
Mr. Jesse Story
Division Administrator
Federal Highway Administration
P. O. Box 536
Frankfort, KY 40602
Subject: Ballard County
US 51, Bridge Replacement at Minor Slough
FD52 004 0051 006-007 034 C; OOBRO 00601 096
McCracken County
US 60, Reconstruction from KY 305 to I-24
JA01 073 0060 005-011 095 C; OOOED 07001 003
Item No. 01-1033.00 and Item No. 01-0290.04
Post-Construction Reviews
Dear Mr. Story:
Post-construction reviews were held on the subject projects on November 19, 1997 in the District 1 Conference Room. The following personnel were in attendance:
Steven Hoefler . C. O. Highway Design
Tom Hurt . C. O. Highway Design
Robert Semones . C. O. Highway Design
Joette Fields C. O. Highway Design
Les Haney .. E A Partners
Jason Bagwell . District 1, Design
Chas Dodson District 1, Construction
Lindsey Briggs . District 1, Pre-Construction
Vicki Boldrick .. District 1, Construction
John Agee . District 1, Traffic
Jim Gray District 1, Construction
The attendees reviewed the project plans and construction Change Orders. There were 5 (five) Change Orders for the Ballard County project and 2 (two) Change Orders for the McCracken County project. On site investigations followed the meeting. These post construction meetings dealt with a bridge replacement at Minor Slough in Ballard County and the reconstruction of US 60 from KY 305 to I-24 in McCracken County.
The following Change Orders were discussed:
CHANGE ORDER NO. 1 (MINOR SLOUGH)
This Change Order was necessary to raise the embankment detour grade 2 feet and to place an additional 3 inch lift of Class I Bituminous Base on the detour. Due to the high volume of traffic and the concern that high water could go over the detour during the winter months, this change in detour grade was to lessen the possibility of a major disruption to the traveling public.
An increase of 5 Working Days was allowed for this Change Order.
Increase ..$35,904.00
CHANGE ORDER NO. 2 (MINOR SLOUGH)
This Change Order was necessary to lengthen the temporary structure twenty feet and protect the slopes by fabric and rock as requested by the Central and District Offices. This was done in order to provide additional opening and greater slope stability during high water.
An increase of 4 Working Days was allowed for this Change Order.
Increase ..$34,420.00
CHANGE ORDER NO. 3 (MINOR SLOUGH)
This Change Order was necessary to establish items to reconstruct the detour after winter flooding.
Contract time was unaffected by this Change Order.
Increase ..$33,175.00
CHANGE ORDER NO. 4 (MINOR SLOUGH)
This Change Order was necessary to accelerate construction of the new structure and roadway after flooding halted work on the project for several months. A completion incentive was also added to open the new facility to traffic on or before December 16, 1994. Payment for the completion incentive was to be made only if the contractor completed the project within the December deadline. Also it was agreed to allow a time extension so that if the new facility was opened to traffic by December 16, 1994, any remaining work could be performed in the Spring of 1995 without the assessment of liquidated damages.
An increase of 9 Working Days was allowed for this Change Order.
Increase $170,000.00
CHANGE ORDER NO. 5 (MINOR SLOUGH)
This Change Order was necessary to establish a unit price for Dywidag Material. Since this bridge was the first one in Kentucky to be constructed with seismic isolation bearings, it was decided to test the bridges performance.
Contract time was unaffected by this Change Order.
Increase $737.52
CHANGE ORDER NO. 1 (U. S. 60, PADUCAH-WICKLIFFE ROAD)
This Change Order was necessary to provide for the removal and disposal of asbestos containing material discovered on the project.
An increase of 1 Working Day was allowed for this Change Order.
Increase $1,961.00
CHANGE ORDER NO. 2 (U. S. 60, PADUCAH-WICKLIFFE ROAD)
This Change Order was necessary to provide for the removal of 3 underground storage tanks (USTS) found on Parcel No. 60.
Contract Working Days were unaffected by this Change Order.
Increase $45,398.00
Additional comments and suggestions from these post-construction reviews were as follows:
Ballard County
The Correct Storm Criteria may not have been utilized when designing the detour for this project. The detour road was flooded before the detour was completed.
It was felt that 3" of Base and 1" of surface was not adequate for the pavement design on this project due to heavy truck traffic in this area. The pavement design was changed to utilize 6" of base instead. It was suggested that more attention be paid on the pavement design for detour routes.
The Bailey Bridge used for the detour had to be lengthened due to the grade being raised.
There was a comment that the time extension given to the contractor in Change Order No. 4 may have been a mistake. The contractor didnt return to complete the project until last fall. (Punch List items were not completed until 11/18/97) . It was felt that a time limit should have been put on removal of the detour once the new structure was open to traffic.
One pier hit directly over the existing pier. It was very difficult to drive new concrete piling on existing concrete piles. It was decided to reuse some of the existing piles.
Because this area floods each year, it is very difficult to grow and maintain grass.
The Division of Maintenance has driven sheet piling to help hold the embankment due to high water eroding the embankment. It was felt that this project should have had rip-rap placed on the slopes throughout for erosion control especially during high water periods.
It was stated that this area is flooded an average of 30 days per year.
It was felt that there were not enough erosion control items set up on the original contract and that the erosion control plan should be more detailed.
McCracken County
The pavement design for the detour tie-in, which was 3" Base and 1" Surface was not adequate. It was decided to change the pavement design to utilize cement treated soil for better stabilization of the sub-grade.
The traffic control plan had to be modified due to the plans calling for 2 lanes of traffic on a 9 wide roadway.
Right-of-way fence was not constructed on this project exactly as it was shown on the contract plans because some property owners requested that fence not be constructed in front of their homes.
The retaining wall in front of The Red Lobster restaurant possibly could have been eliminated and pipe used instead. This area is now a "wetland".
There was a suggestion made to have as-built plans at the post-construction review meetings.
There was a suggestion to include under drains in the paving contract when lime stabilized roadbed is set up in the contract. This contract called for the under drains to be included with the grade and drain contract, but it was not feasible since they would have been destroyed during the stabilization operation.
It was noted that this particular District does not write Change Orders if there is enough money in the contract to cover any changes made during construction. There were instances where a construction revision was necessary but there is no documentation for this revision in a Change Order document.
Project Statistics are as follows:
Ballard County (US 51)
Total Length=0.217 Miles
Contractor: Haydon Bridge Company, Inc.
Springfield, KY 40069
Original Contract Bid ..$2,231,479.26
Total Change Order Amount ..$ 274,236.52
Total Revised Contract Amount .$2,505,715.78
McCracken County (US 60)
Total Length=0.817 Miles
Contractor: H & G Construction Company, Inc.
Paducah, KY 42002-8409
Original Contract Bid .$2,626,554.00
Total Change Order Amount ..$ 47,359.00
Total Revised Contract Amount .$2,673,913.00
The attendance of all participants in these post-construction reviews is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
State Highway Engineer
BY: John B. Sacksteder, P.E.
Director, Division of Highway Design
JMY:JBS:jjf
c: Post Construction Review Participants
Charles Raymer George Best J. Stone D. Newman
FHWA File Bryan Stewart S. Goodpaster R. Divine
Design File Tim Choate Joe Monroe W. Crace
Robert Oliver S. Cornett Haydon Bridge H & G Construction Co., Inc.