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######### U.S. Department of Transportation

######### Federal Highway Administration

######### 

#########  

######### 

######### Viewing and Discussion Guide

######## For use with the video

***CCC: Making the Effort Works!***

######## On the topic of

######## **Reducing Utility-Related Construction Delays** 

*Distributed by*

FHWA Office of Asset Management and Office of Program Administration

*Prepared in cooperation with*

AASHTO Highway Subcommittees on Construction and R/W & Utilities

Utility Delays in Construction Technical Panel Members

*Video produced by*

LTS Productions

March 2002

For best results when using the video for staff training, management
awareness or for information exchange, please take advantage of the
enclosed:

Page

-   **[Introduction]{.smallcaps}**, which gives an overview of the video
    content. 3

-   **[Facilitator Tips]{.smallcaps}**, for providing a comfortable
    viewing environment. 3

-   **[Key Points]{.smallcaps}**, which may be copied and distributed
    for on-going reference. 4

-   **[Discussion Questions]{.smallcaps}**, to foster ideas and
    encourage action. 5

-   **[Additional Resources]{.smallcaps}**. 7

This document is available on the web at:

<http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/utility.html>

and on CD-ROM by contacting:

U.S. Department of Transportation

Federal Highway Administration, Program Administration (HIPA-20)

400 7^th^ Street SW, Room 3134

Washington, DC 20590

E-Mail: <paul.scott@fhwa.dot.gov>.

Phone (202) 366-4104

**NOTICE**

This document and related video are disseminated under the sponsorship
of the U.S. Department of Transportation in the interest of information
exchange. The United States Government and other producers of this
document and video assume no liability for their contents or use
thereof. The contents of this document and video do not constitute a
standard, specification, or regulation.

The United States Government does not endorse products or manufacturers.
Trade and manufacturers' names appear in this document and video only
because they are considered essential to the object of the document and
video.

# **[Introduction]{.smallcaps}**

A study done by Penn State University for the AASHTO Highway
Subcommittee on Construction[^1] found that utility relocation is one of
the main causes of delays and added expense to road construction
projects. Lack of coordination, cooperation and communication between
transportation agencies and utility companies form the root of the
problem.

The video ***CCC: Making the Effort Works!*** is based on the research
and the recommendations contained in AASHTO Utilities Guidelines and
Best Practices^2^. It is designed to inform transportation agencies and
utility companies of actions they can take toward avoiding construction
delays and reducing or eliminating unnecessary project costs, and to
motivate them to work in partnership with each other toward this common
goal.

The nineteen-minute video features extemporaneous comments from a
variety of spokespersons in seven states that have developed and
implemented innovative practices for reducing utility-related delays,
illustrated by action footage and accompanied by music and narration.
Spokespersons include:

-   DOT utility, design and construction engineers at both state and
    district levels who convey their views and experiences.

-   Engineers and coordinators representing local, state and regional
    utility companies who speak candidly about the challenges of utility
    relocation.

Together with representatives of FHWA and private engineering firms, the
speakers convey a spirit of cooperation as they share successful
strategies, practices and techniques.

# **[Facilitator Tips]{.smallcaps}**

## **Schedule Enough Time:** 45 minutes to one hour or more.

## It will take about 5 minutes to get settled and started. The video runs approximately 19 minutes. Plan at least 20 minutes for discussion.

### Viewing Set-Up Checklist:

-   Have a working VHS videocassette player (or DVD player) and
    TV/monitor.

-   Play a few minutes of the tape (or DVD disk):

    -   Adjust monitor brightness, color and contrast controls if
        necessary.

    -   Set volume so everyone can hear clearly from all parts of the
        room.

-   Remember to REWIND the tape to the beginning of the program (reset
    disk).

-   Arrange seats so everyone can see the monitor easily.

-   Prepare to shade windows and turn off lights if necessary to avoid
    glare.

# **[Key Points]{.smallcaps}**

***CCC: Making the Effort Works!***

It is well known to highway engineers that uncoordinated utility
relocation activities commonly cause costly delays. There are several
things that can be done to alleviate this problem. The proper use of
information obtained from programs like Subsurface Utility Engineering
(SUE) avoids the need to relocate many utilities. When utility
relocations cannot be avoided, early and frequent **[Coordination,
Cooperation and Communication]{.smallcaps}** (CCC), together with the
adoption of new technologies, processes and successful strategies,
result in more timely and efficient relocation activities, with improved
safety and quality in the utility relocation process.

# **[What You Can Do]{.smallcaps}**

### [Encourage Coordination, Cooperation and Communication]{.smallcaps} between/among[:]{.smallcaps} 

## State Transportation Agencies ▪ Utility Companies ▪ Local Agencies ▪ Contractors ▪ Consultants

-   Practice CCC *EARLY* and *OFTEN* throughout the project:

-   Provide Long-Range Construction Schedules

-   Formalize Communication and Coordination Efforts

-   Avoid Conflicts by Designing Around Known Utilities

-   Encourage and Facilitate Cooperative Working Relationships

-   Hold Regular Meetings with Utility Companies in the Planning and
    Design Phases

-   Become Knowledgeable of Utility Relocation Processes and Challenges

-   Hold Regular Meetings with Utility Companies and Contractors during
    Construction

-   Encourage Utility companies to Make and Keep Commitments on Work
    Plans

-   Share Best Practices

##### [Use Current Available Technology to the Greatest Extent Possible]{.smallcaps}

-   Subsurface Utility Engineering

-   World Wide Web and the Internet

-   Electronic Transfer of Plans

-   Trenchless Technology

-   Information Sharing Through Various Training and Outreach Programs

##### [Improve Contract, Internal Project Development and Training Processes]{.smallcaps} 

-   Stake and Acquire Sufficient Right-of-Way

-   Pay the Costs of Engineering the Utility Relocations

-   Inform Bidders of Concurrent Utility Relocation Work in Special
    Provisions

-   Accept Responsibility for Costs and Delays due to Late Plan Changes

-   Let Separate Contracts for Selective Advance Work when Feasible

-   Make Contractors Responsible for Selective Relocation Work

-   Support and Encourage Joint Use Programs

-   Sponsor and Conduct On-Going Training Programs for all

-   DOT Divisions and Managers, Consultants and Utility Personnel

-   Proactively Market Best Practices

# **[Discussion Questions]{.smallcaps}**

The following questions and scenarios are designed to promote thought
and discussion and encourage positive problem solving. Choose two or
three that best reflect the needs of the viewers. Encourage people to
work together and listen to one another as they decide how best to
arrive at a solution.

1.  Identify a project you were involved with that experienced
    significant delays or increased costs due to utility relocation.
    What might have been done differently in the earliest stages of the
    project to avoid the problems encountered? In the design phase? In
    the pre-construction phase? In the construction phase?

2.  List unrealistic expectations or misperceptions that you believe
    utility companies have about transportation projects*. \[Utility
    viewers: List unrealistic expectations or misperceptions that you
    believe transportation agencies have about relocation projects.\]*
    How can you work to change unrealistic expectations and
    misperceptions? What can your agency/company do to improve knowledge
    and understanding of your process and procedures?

3.  Identify one or two changes that could be made in your agency's
    contract, internal project development or training processes that
    you think would be a positive step toward minimizing or avoiding
    utility relocation-related delays. Explore what it would take and
    whose responsibility it would be to implement these changes.

4.  While DOT personnel are properly focused on maintenance of traffic
    and the safety of the traveling public, to what extent are they
    aware of and consider the impact of utility service disruption on
    customers? The safety of utility workers on relocation projects?
    Examine why an electric company may want to avoid working at night
    on major electric transmission facilities. Examine why a
    telecommunications provider may prefer to work overnight splicing
    cable linking to cell towers. How can you work together to reduce
    traffic delays, minimize service disruptions and provide a safe
    environment for all?

5.  Utility companies may be reluctant to begin design and engineering
    on a relocation project until they have received substantially
    complete plans. What factors may influence their reluctance?
    Consider availability of human and financial resources, acquisition
    of right of way, the impact of late plan changes, past experience
    with the DOT shelving a project for lack of funding. What might the
    DOT be able to do to encourage and facilitate earlier utility
    engineering?

6.  What impact is there to utility relocation work if the contractor
    decides to prosecute the construction work differently than the way
    the utility companies and perhaps the DOT assumed it would be done?
    For example, the utility companies begin their relocation at the
    north end of the project; then the contractor decides to begin at
    the south end. What practices can the DOT implement to avoid such
    scenarios?

7.  Discuss whether there are any statutory barriers to implementing
    desirable changes in how agencies and utility companies interact
    (such as prohibitions on the DOT acquiring right-of-way for utility
    companies; prohibitions on the DOT accepting fiber optic or other
    resources from a utility company in exchange for right-of-way
    access). Whose responsibility is it to suggest and promote
    legislative changes?

8.  Identify the various divisions within a state transportation agency,
    within a utility company, and/or within local governmental agencies
    that have some involvement with utility relocation/road construction
    projects. What can be done to encourage internal divisions to better
    communicate, coordinate and cooperate on projects?

9.  Explore ways in which your agency/company might make better use of
    technology to avoid or minimize utility relocation-related delays.
    What barriers exist to implementing these ideas, and how might they
    be overcome?

10. If your agency/company has tried one or more of the practices
    addressed in the video but without success; examine why the effort
    did not succeed and whether other changes might need to be made to
    achieve success with the practice.

11. Consider the up-front costs of recommendations such as subsurface
    utility engineering, paying for utility companies' preliminary
    engineering costs, paying utility companies to do advance selective
    clearing, paying contractors to relocate water and sewer utilities.
    What other pay items might be reduced as a result of spending the
    money up front for these recommendations?

12. What advantages might there be if larger utility companies
    centralized their planning process? That is, provided one central
    location for the DOT to send plans to, staffed with engineers
    dedicated solely to DOT projects? Discuss how such a recommendation
    might be made to utility companies, and what related action might be
    taken by the DOT to help implement and support it.

13. Discuss the elements of a good working relationship, and how a
    partnership approach can benefit each party. Identify a situation in
    which the DOT might be able to accommodate a special need or request
    of the utility company; and how the favor might be returned by the
    utility company.

14. Consider how you would react to receiving a set of telephone wiring
    diagrams and being expected to install a telephone system. Apply the
    same consideration to utility company personnel who are highly
    qualified in their discipline, but are not familiar with reading and
    understanding highway plans. What advantage would there be to the
    DOT to hold training sessions for utility company personnel on how
    to read road construction plans?

# **[Additional Resources]{.smallcaps}**

For the following publications, contact Federal Highway Administration,
Office of Program Administration (HIPA-20), 400 7^th^ Street SW, Room
3134, Washington, DC 20590.

E-Mail: <paul.scott@fhwa.dot.gov>. Phone (202) 366-4104.

Website:
[www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/index.htm](http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/index.htm)

***Avoiding Delays During the Construction Phase of Highway Projects***

> NCHRP Report 20-24(12), report on study by Penn State University

######  **Utilities Utilities Guidelines and Best Practices**

AASHTO Highway Subcommittee on Right of Way and Utilities

> ***Highway/Utility Guide*,** June 1993, FHWA-SA-93-049, provides
> comprehensive, guidance on highway/utility issues, including planning
> and coordination, design, permits, information management and mapping,
> notification procedures, legal matters, safety, construction,
> maintenance, reimbursement, and others.
>
> ***Cost Savings on Highway Projects Utilizing Subsurface Utility
> Engineering,***
>
> Report on study by Purdue University, Publication No. FHWA-IF-00-014.
> Executive summary is available on the Web at:
> [www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/PUS.html](http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/PUS.html)
>
> **[*Program Guide: Utility Adjustments and Accommodation on
> Federal-Aid Highway
> Projects*](http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/reports/utilguid/index.htm),**
> Fifth Edition, January 2001, FHWA-IF-01-006. This publication expands
> the Federal utility regulations contained in 23 CFR 645 and provides
> non-regulatory guidance for using Federal-aid highway funds for the
> relocation and adjustment of utility facilities, and for accommodating
> utility facilities on highway right-of-way. Available on the Web at:
> [www.fhwa.dot.gov/reports/utilguid/index.htm](http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/reports/utilguid/index.htm)
>
> ***Standard Guidelines for the Collection and Depiction of Existing
> Subsurface Utility Data on Design and Construction Documents,***
> American Society of Civil Engineers
>
> [www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/ASCE.html](http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/ASCE.html)

Video: ***Subsurface Utility Engineering: A Proven Solution***

For more on SUE, see
[www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/SUEindex.htm](http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/SUEindex.htm)

For a list of Office of Program Administration, Utilities Program
resources and related links:
[www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/utility.html](http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/utility.html)

***Highway/Utility Issues,*** NHI Course No. 134006

Contact: National Highway Institute

4600 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 800, Arlington, VA 22203 Phone (703)
235-0500

[www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/134006.html](http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/134006.html)

Wisconsin Statute Sec. 84.063, Administrative Rule Trans 220, ***Guide
to Utility Coordination,***

Contact: Ernest J Peterson, P.E., Utility/Access Management Engineer

Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation, Bureau of Highway Development

Phone (608) 266-3589 E-mail: <ernest.peterson@dot.state.wi.us>

[^1]: ^,\ 2^ See Additional Resources, page 7