Guide for the Process of Managing Risk on Rapid Renewal Projects (2012)

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133 A INVENTORY OF RAPID RENEWAL STRATEGIES AND METHODS INTRODUCTION As noted in Chapter 3, rapid renewal addresses aging infrastructure through rapid de- sign and construction methods that cause minimal disruption and produce long-lived facilities. To understand the risks (i.e., potential problems and potential opportunities) associated with rapid renewal, it was first necessary to develop an inventory of rapid renewal strategies and methods. This inventory informs the risk management process as to what aspects, and their associated risks, are unique to rapid renewal projects as opposed to those projects following the more traditional linear project development process and methods. However, the process of selecting a particular rapid renewal strategy or method (or selecting any other project element, for that matter) is out- side the scope of this guide. Instead, the performance of particular alternatives can be evaluated, based on this guide, and used to help select the optimal one. The inventory of rapid renewal strategies and methods is summarized in hierarchi- cal form in Table A.1, and in more detail in the bulleted lists that follow. This inven- tory is based primarily on the following: • A review of 25 case studies from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Accelerated Construction Technology Transfer Program, which represents the state of the art in rapid renewal innovations. Each case study involved an intense 2-day workshop in which a multi disciplinary team of 20 to 30 national transpor- tation experts with various skill sets worked with local agency professionals to identify and recommend rapid renewal strategies and methods for that project (which varied in size from $1 million to $3.4 billion). • A survey of various state DOTs. • Personal experience of the research team members.

134 GUIDE FOR THE PROCESS OF MANAGING RISK ON RAPID RENEWAL PROJECTS However, some of these rapid renewal strategies and methods are not unique to rapid renewal (e.g., brand the project, consider an owner-controlled insurance pro- gram) while others are actually risk management (e.g., require pavement warranty). However, they have all been included for comprehensiveness. The extensive inventory of rapid renewal strategies and methods summarized here in Table A.1 and in bulleted lists was “condensed” to a more generalized and more manageable set of rapid renewal strategies. This refined set served as a basis for identi- fication and classification of categories of risks (Appendix B) that are relatively unique to rapid renewal projects, and their subsequent prioritization and management. TABLE A.1. RAPID RENEWAL INVENTORY Construction Structures Traffic Engineering/ Safety/ITS Innovative Contracting/ Financing Geotechnical Materials/ Advanced Testing • Closures • Preliminary Work/ Staging • Project Administration Streamlining • Construction Operations • Prefabrication • Component Reuse • High-Performance Materials • Integral Designs • Standardized Design • Construction Placement • Temporary Structures • Long-Life Structural Design • Advance Planning • Alternate Routes • Alternate Modes • Improved Physical Separation • Coordinated Emergency Response • Signage and Signalization • Closures • Work Zones • Alternative Financing • Project Delivery • Procurement • Contract Payment • Warranties • Alternative Insurance • Advance Contract Packaging • Bonding/ Performance Securities • Subsurface Exploration • Walls • Pavements • Alternative Materials • Intelligent Compaction • Material Testing Public Relations Environment Roadway/Geometric Design Right-of-Way/ Utilities/Railroad Coordination Long-Life Pavements/ Maintenance • Team Integration • Single-Point Communication • Additional Investment • Project Branding • Stakeholder Awareness • Performance Measurement • Master Planning • Context-Sensitive Solutions • Comprehensive Scoping • Advance Permitting • Alternate Access • Alternate Geometrics • Advance Roadwork • Advance Right-of- Way Planning • Early Utility Location • Common Utility Crossings • Early Railroad Coordination • Life-Cycle Design • Performance Indicators • Long-Life Materials • Maintenance Involvement Note: ITS = Intelligent Transportation Systems.

135 GUIDE FOR THE PROCESS OF MANAGING RISK ON RAPID RENEWAL PROJECTS Construction • Closures — Use total or directional closures (closing one direction at a time) and use alter- nate routes. — Include specified minimum closure times and appropriate incentives or disincentives. — Consider partial closures if total closure is not feasible. • Preliminary Work/Staging — Perform any preliminary work ahead of mainline work (e.g., local roadway improvements, advance substructure work). — Consider staging other work: ▪ Overpass structures; ▪ Drainage, grading, and fencing; ▪ Retaining walls and sound walls; and ▪ Substructure work. • Project Administration Streamlining — Consider DOT construction management (a single point of contact) for the whole corridor. — Have higher approval authority/streamlined process for contract change orders. — Use a dispute review board. • Construction Operations — Recycle existing materials such as concrete, asphalt, and base. — Consider innovative construction materials (e.g., precast panels, high-early- strength concrete, thin white topping). — Add temporary or permanent lighting for 24-hour construction. Structures • Prefabrication — Use precast/prefabricated components (e.g., full-depth decks, partial-depth decks, decks with girders, substructures, and barriers). • Component Reuse — Reuse existing piers. — Reuse existing substructures.

136 GUIDE FOR THE PROCESS OF MANAGING RISK ON RAPID RENEWAL PROJECTS • High-Performance Materials — Use high-performance steel. — Use high-performance concrete (e.g., lightweight concrete, self-consolidating concrete). • Integral Designs — Use integral abutments. — Use integral overlays. • Standardize Design — Standardize design for repetitive elements. • Construction Placement — Use horizontal skidding or longitudinal launching. — Consider using barges. — Use self-propelled modular transporters. • Temporary Structures — Use temporary bridge structures. • Long-Life Structural Designs — Aim for a 75- to 100-year design life. Traffic Engineering/Safety/Intelligent Transportation Systems • Advanced Planning — Conduct an origin–destination study. — Prepare traffic impact statement or concept of operations. • Alternate Routes — Prepare for closures through use of alternate routes. — Provide for turn-lane improvements and ramp enhancements. • Alternate Modes — Prepare for closures through the use of alternate modes of transportation (e.g., transit services, employer-based programs). • Improve Physical Separation — Use barrier or buffer lane separation. — Implement enforcement/crash investigation sites. — Build emergency pullouts. • Coordinate Emergency Response — Coordinate with local jurisdictions and emergency responders. — Have a stronger police presence.

137 GUIDE FOR THE PROCESS OF MANAGING RISK ON RAPID RENEWAL PROJECTS — Have a predefined incident response plan and use an incident detection system. — Use an on-call wrecker service or DOT highway helpers (HERO). — Develop a worker safety plan and provide agency and contractor work zone training. — Use highway advisory radio. — Coordinate with 511. • Signage and Signalization — Provide real-time travel information. — Use dynamic message signs, closed-circuit TV, and detectors to support lane operations. — Provide better traffic signal coordination. • Closures — Use off-peak rolling road closures, weekend closures, directional closures. — Provide contractor incentives and disincentives (e.g., lane rentals). • Work Zones — Monitor work zone safety. — Use smart work zones. Innovative Contracting/Financing • Alternative Financing — Use Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicle (GARVEE) bonds. — Charge for the use of right-of-way. — Generate revenue through user fees on high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) or high- occupancy toll (HOT) lanes. • Project Delivery — Consider public–private partnerships (P3); for example, private equity or debt. — Use design–build. — Consider construction manager at risk. • Procurement — Use cost-plus-time (A-plus-B) bidding. — Use cost-plus-time-plus-quality (A + B + Q, A + B + C). — Shortlist qualified contractors; use qualifications-based selection process. • Contract Payment — Use incentives or disincentives for construction time.

138 GUIDE FOR THE PROCESS OF MANAGING RISK ON RAPID RENEWAL PROJECTS — Consider incentives and disincentives such as ▪ Time-specific rewards; ▪ Lane rentals; ▪ Holidays; ▪ A 5-day work week; and ▪ Weather days. — Include quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) specifications and quality- based incentives. — Provide no-excuse bonuses. • Warranties — Require a pavement warranty. — Set up an advisory team or dispute review board to facilitate resolution of issues. • Alternative Insurance — Consider an owner-controlled insurance program. • Advance Contract Packaging — Consider advance contracts for items such as utilities, rights-of-way, ramps, or overpasses. • Bonding/Performance Securities — Letter of credit; — Corporate or parent guarantee; and — Reduced bond (to owner exposure). Geotechnical Materials and Accelerated Testing • Subsurface Exploration — Consider subsurface exploration, seismic issues, and lab testing. • Walls — Use mechanically stabilized earth walls (e.g., two-stage, modular block). • Pavements — Rubblize existing pavement. — Recycle existing material. • Alternative Materials — Stabilize subgrade with fly ash, lime, cement, or other available additives. — Consider flowable fill, foamed concrete, and geofoam. — Implement a geotechnical database.

139 GUIDE FOR THE PROCESS OF MANAGING RISK ON RAPID RENEWAL PROJECTS • Intelligent Compaction — Use intelligent compaction equipment. • Material Testing — Use contractor test results for acceptance (e.g., earthwork, base, surfacing). — Change density testing from sand cones to nuclear gauge through streamlining calibration process. — Use proof rolling and reduce frequency of testing. Public Relations • Team Integration — Establish a project team with representation from all areas. — Begin coordination during the planning process and include it in every stage forward. — Collaborate with the media and traffic teams. • Single-Point Communication — Ensure that the communications office is the central point of contact and over- sight for all communications efforts. • Additional Investment — Ensure that public outreach is a standing component in the construction budget (allocating 4% to 6% of the total project cost to public outreach is recommended). — Dedicate a full-time communications specialist to the project. • Project Branding — Brand the project. — Define campaign specifics. • Stakeholder Awareness — Identify project stakeholders. — Identify the cultures and communities that will be affected. — Target your message and develop a communications plan, making sure to in- clude businesses, community, government, media, residents, the tourism indus- try, special interest groups, and the internal audience. • Performance Measurement — Do follow-up surveys to determine effectiveness of measures used and to adjust tactics as needed.

140 GUIDE FOR THE PROCESS OF MANAGING RISK ON RAPID RENEWAL PROJECTS Environment • Master Planning — Establish a project development process or master plan that integrates engineer- ing, environmental analysis, agency coordination, and public involvement into a collaborative decision-making process. • Context-Sensitive Solutions — Focus on context-sensitive solutions. • Comprehensive Scoping — Conduct a comprehensive scoping process. ▪ Define purpose and need. ▪ Obtain agency and public input. ▪ Establish performance measures that will support environmental stream- lining and stewardship. — Review safety and accident data. — Document the project development process through comprehensive project files. • Advance Permitting — Address stormwater management permitting issues during project development process. Roadway/Geometric Design • Alternate Access — Move or eliminate access. — Manage access. — Use alternate interchange configurations (e.g., diamonds, single points). • Alternate Geometrics — Lower or raise profiles. — Use alternative weave patterns. — Perform early widening. • Advance Roadwork — Use alternate configurations to allow for early construction access. Right-of-Way/Utilities/Railroad Coordination • Advance Right-of-Way Planning — Identify and acquire special properties. — Have a relocation plan in place early. — Advance right-of-way purchase.

141 GUIDE FOR THE PROCESS OF MANAGING RISK ON RAPID RENEWAL PROJECTS • Early Utility Location — Provide early identification and location of utilities. — Avoid conflicts and relocations wherever possible. — Conduct a consultant utility review as part of roadway design to ensure that there are no known utility conflicts. — Have major utilities at the design table/planning phase. • Common Utility Crossings — Build common ducts/DOT-owned conduit crossings. — Consider Level A subsurface utility engineering where appropriate. • Early Railroad Coordination — Coordinate regularly (daily, if needed) with the railroad. Long-Life Pavements/Maintenance • Life-Cycle Design — Base design on best practices and life-cycle costs. — Aim for minimal maintenance (no daytime lane closures for 50 years). • Performance Indicators — Use performance indicators as either initial construction standards or in a war- ranty contract for pavement rehabilitation. • Long-Life Materials — Consider the following pavement options: ▪ Stone matrix asphalt; ▪ Continuously reinforced concrete pavement; ▪ Polymer asphalt; ▪ Composite pavement; and ▪ Subgrade treatments/stabilization. • Maintenance Involvement — Communicate with maintenance personnel during design and construction.