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Oklahoma Department of Transportation Standard Specification Rewrite

Trauner rewrote the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) 1999 Standard Specifications for Highway Construction. Tasks for this project included improving readability; eliminating jargon and unnecessary italicized comments; enhancing style consistency, including standard and uniform use of grammar, fonts, spacing, outlining, and page numbering (as identified by the ODOT Style Guide standards drawn from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th Ed.); reducing redundancies and repetition; introducing an outline format, using a standard alphanumeric system consistent with that criterion in the ODOT Style Guide; providing a consistent approach for units, numerals, punctuation, capitalization, titles, outlining, tables, and lists; expanding the definition of appropriate terms in Section 100, including definitions for all technical terms; maintaining dual unit references, U.S. customary as primary and metric, in brackets, as secondary; using standard symbols (acronyms, abbreviations, etc.) for items, but using complete descriptions for locally-used terms and as shown on project plans; providing suggestions on inconsistent measurement and payment issues; using the outline format where appropriate to reduce numbered lists; and providing a consistent approach to internal cross references.

New Hampshire Division 100 Rewrite

Trauner reviewed Section 100 of the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) Standard Specifications and suggested revisions to improve the specification.  The proposed revisions chiefly focused on provisions related to changes, delays, time extensions, claims, scheduling, and related provisions.  The work was performed by first meeting with the NHDOT specification committee.  At this meeting, Trauner presented suggested revisions to the Standard Specifications.  We worked from files that had already been revised by the DOT as part of their rewrite process. We then met with NHDOT and its legal staff to discuss our proposed revisions. After NHDOT attempted to rewrite the specs on their own, they asked Trauner to step back in to rewrite certain Section 100 provisions. We also helped them discuss the changes with, and answer questions from, the contracting community and NHDOT’s legal staff. Finally, we worked with NHDOT to ensure the revised provisions complied with applicable federal regulations and FHWA requirements.

AASHTO Guide Specification Rewrites

AASHTO Guide Specification Rewrites

Trauner worked closely with members of American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO) Subcommittee on Construction to revise the 1998 Guide Specifications for Highway Construction.  The project scope included conducting an overall review for consistency and correctness, providing recommendations for updating the general and technical requirements, and converting measurements from metric to dual (metric and U.S. customary) units.  Part of this effort also entailed adding various innovative contracting special provisions, including provisions for A+B Bidding, Incentive/Disincentives, warranties, and pavement ride quality.  The revised specifications were published as the 2008 Guide Specifications.

Prior to this effort, Trauner had worked on the seventh (1993) edition of the AASHTO Guide Specifications, recommending revisions to various clauses in Division 100, including those addressing Changes, Significant Changes in the Character of the Work, Variations in Quantity, Differing Site Conditions, Extra Work, Scheduling, Time Extensions, and Force Account.

Best Practice Management Study of Six State DOTs

Best Practice Management Study of Six State DOTs

Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), like many agencies across the country, has been downsized, re-engineered, and reorganized. These changes have occurred during a period when transportation agencies report that the traveling public has demanded an increased focus on strategies to minimize impacts to highway users during construction. In addition, the pace of technological advances in construction methods and materials has been accelerating, and administrators have been charged with doing more with less.

Trauner was hired to assist ODOT in this best practice management study which included the auditing of six state’s (Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Virginia, Wisconsin and Washington State) contract administration procedures. During the three year contract, Trauner helped ODOT focus on strategies to minimize impacts to highway users during construction and adapt to technological advances in construction methods and materials. The overriding goal was to assist ODOT in developing better management practices for its annual highway construction program valued at over $1.2 billion. The study concentrated on construction contract administration practices that would yield cost-effective ways of designing and building roads safer, better, and faster, with less inconvenience to road users, businesses and other stake holders who are affected by construction activities.

The six-state survey Trauner conducted identified better ways of meeting these challenges.  The study concentrated on construction contract administration practices that yielded cost-effective ways of designing and building roads safer, better, and faster, with less inconvenience to road users as well as businesses and others who are affected by construction activities. ODOT, together with FHWA, selected six states that

Savvis Center

Savvis Center

This project consisted of the construction of the 665,000 square foot sports and entertainment arena. It features five levels equivalent to 12 stories tall, seats over 22,000, and has immediate access to the adjacent MetroLink station.

Trauner was retained by USF&G (now Travelers) to provide on-site management and inspection to complete the $165M Savvis Center project. Our services included the day-to-day management of 170-200 union tradesmen, the development and implementation of a resequencing plan that integrated with the existing project schedule, the planned acceleration of certain work activities, coordination of minority subcontractors, resolution of outstanding change order requests, negotiation of a settlement, review and determination of the status of completion at the time of the default, acquisition of the final permits and certificate of occupancy, and final close-out. The project was completed on time and the surety realized a significant cost savings.

 

Pinellas County Criminal Court

Pinellas County Criminal Court

The project involved construction of the $50M Pinellas County Criminal Courts Facility in Clearwater, FL. The project was approximately 200 days late. The contractor requested over $1M in additional compensation and a time extension of 145 days for alleged changes and design errors. The design errors involved the lighting locations versus the sprinkler head locations. The sprinkler heads were intended to be in the light fixture. The sprinkler drawings and lighting drawings were not coordinated. The construction manager alleged that the lighting and sprinkler locations were shown on at least one set of the mechanical drawings. The problem was discovered before all of the sprinklers were installed.

The County requested that Trauner review the project documents and provide an independent analysis of the delays and liabilities for the delays. Trauner also reviewed the change orders that were granted to determine if the County had any additional liability. Trauner performed a spot check of the change orders that were approved to determine whether the settlement was reasonable as to entitlement and cost.

 

Soledad II Prison

Soledad II Prison

The contractor and its subcontractors submitted a $10M claim. Trauner was asked to review the contractor claim and determine if the claim was presented according to the CDC’s contract requirements. We investigated precast panel delays early in the project. We provided a detailed delay analysis, liability analysis, loss of efficiency analysis, report, and unresolved disputed work issues. We reviewed the adequacy of the precast panel design drawings, the effect of the available dimensional and loading data for the rooftop HVAC units, and RFIs pertinent to various disputes. An additional delay analysis resulted in an additional analysis to evaluate the alleged acceleration and disruption impacts. We also reviewed the adequacy of actions related to change order processing. Trauner attended several negotiation and settlement meetings.

NYSDOT Statewide Construction Support and Critical Path Method Scheduling Services

NYSDOT Statewide Construction Support and Critical Path Method Scheduling Services

Trauner holds a term contract with the New York State Department of Transportation to provide Statewide Construction Support Services and Critical Path Method (CPM) Scheduling Services.

Trauner’s work includes:

  • Developing policies, procedures, standards, specifications, and guidance to implement best scheduling practices and Oracle/Primavera’s P6 software for use in managing major construction contracts;
  • Providing guidance and assistance to design staff in the development of preliminary construction CPM schedules;
  • Reviewing and analyzing Contractor’s CPM progress schedule submissions for conformance with contract documents on various highway and bridge rehabilitation or reconstruction projects statewide to ensure maintenance of scheduling standards and procedures;
  • Participating in monthly schedule meetings held at project field offices (physical attendance or through conference calls);
  • Monitoring construction contracts in the field on a monthly or quarterly basis to ensure progress is accurately reflected in the Contractors’ schedules;
  • Reviewing Contractors’ contract disputes related to schedule issues;
  • Developing standardized schedule layouts, filters, schedule plots, and reports to simplify the review and analysis of progress schedule submissions;
  • Gathering feedback from schedule analysts using this information to revise and improve program policies and procedures;
  • Providing training to NYSDOT personnel.

Projects include the $30M NY112 Reconstruction, the $32M NY112 Pine, the $60M Fort Drum Connector Highway, the $10M Briarcliff Peekskill  Parkway, and Route 120 Bridge.

Espirito Santo Plaza

Espirito Santo Plaza

Located on a full city block in the heart of Miami’s international financial market, the $105M Espirito Santo Plaza is a 36-story mixed-use high-rise, with an attached 12-level parking garage. The main entrance to the property is on Brickell Avenue with 360 degree views of downtown Miami and Biscayne Bay. The building contains floors for office, retail, hotel, and condominium usage. The building totals approximately 750,000 square feet, and the parking garage totals approximately 550,000 square feet, for a total of approximately 1.3M square feet. The facility boasts 300,000 square feet of class “A” office space, the luxury Conrad Miami hotel with ballroom and meeting facilities and specialty retail/restaurant space.

During construction of the Espirito Santo Plaza, Trauner was brought in by the owner’s team to evaluate the contractor-alleged time-related effects of changes to the project.  Subsequent to completing this initial task, Trauner was asked to identify and determine the cause of the delays that occurred throughout the remainder of the project.

Trauner also evaluated acceleration efforts by the contractor, alleged inefficiencies, planned vs. actual productivity, and the effects of other changes and issues related to the project.  Trauner also evaluated contractor and subcontractor claims for additional compensation, along with a multitude of other engineering and design issues on the project.

 

John D. Dingell VA Medical Center

John D. Dingell VA Medical Center

The $229M John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, located in downtown Detroit, became fully operational in June 1996, replacing the Allen Park VA Medical Center built in 1937. The construction resulted in a primary, secondary, and tertiary care facility including acute medical, surgical, psychiatric, neurological, dermatological, and intermediate inpatient care. In addition, both primary and specialized outpatient services are provided at the medical center as well as outpatient substance abuse, day treatment, and a mental hygiene clinic. The construction included a new, 503-bed medical facility, two parking structures, and an Energy Center building.

Trauner was retained by the VA to evaluate and help resolve approximately $65M in claims, which included a $43M claim from the Joint Venture GC and $22M in claims from its subcontractors, including the mechanical and electrical subcontractors. Services consisted of reviewing each component of each claim; reviewing all supporting documentation and documentation procured as the result of an extensive discovery process; analysis of each claim to determine merit; review of the contractor’s schedule analysis and preparation of an independent schedule analysis; the evaluation of inefficiency; the evaluation of damages and coordination with the Defense Contract Auditing Agency (DCAA) audit; analysis of Field Change Orders, Field Supplemental Agreements, Central Office Change Orders, and Central Office Supplemental Agreements, and Requests for Information to determine their effect on the project; interviews of key VA personnel; preparation of a summary statement of our analysis for use as a basis for the Contracting Officer’s decision; meetings with appropriate personnel to discuss our

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