Design -- geometric and structural design of roadways and bridges, and preparation of detailed plans and specifications for individual projects;

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1 WELCOME Welcome to the Estimates Chapter One Lesson. This Final Estimates training course covers the preparation of final estimates by field personnel. In this first chapter, you will become familiar with the general responsibilities and procedures involved in final estimates and the various related documents. Later chapters will include more detailed explanations of work methods and procedures. This is a self-instructional training, which means that you not only instruct yourself but also evaluate your own progress with the help of the printed course materials. If you can answer all the questions correctly, you are much more likely to be successful when taking the final exam. INTRODUCTION One of the principal functions of the Department of Transportation is to carry out construction and reconstruction of transportation facilities to ensure adequate service to the public. While most of the construction and reconstruction projects are accomplished by private contractors, the management of these programs involves specific DOT responsibilities, including: Planning and Programming -- studies of improvement needs, determination of priorities and establishment of construction programs consistent with financial capabilities; Design -- geometric and structural design of roadways and bridges, and preparation of detailed plans and specifications for individual projects; Contract Administration -- preparation of contract documents, advertisements for bids, evaluation of contractors' proposals and award of contracts; Contract Management -- inspection and testing of construction work as it progresses to ensure that workmanship and materials are in conformance with the plans and specifications; and Contractor Payments -- measurement and payment for work performed through periodic progress estimates and a final estimate on completion of each project. 1) A major function of the DOT is to carry out Construction and Reconstruction programs to provide the public with adequate transportation service. 2) For the DOT, the management of Construction and reconstruction projects involves the following specific responsibilities: A. Planning, Programming and design B. Contract administration C. Contractor payments D. Design and Contract Management E. All of the above 3) To pay for the work performed by Contractors, progress and Final Estimates are needed. True or False? CONTRACT DOCUMENTS The purpose of contracts is to guide the contractors in doing the work and guide Department personnel in managing, inspecting and paying for the work. These documents must be clearly understood because they are important to the preparation of final estimates. Contracts for road and bridge construction projects consist of several documents fulfilling different specific purposes.

2 These contract documents include: Contract Plans (including plan notes and estimates quantities); Standard Specifications; Supplemental Specifications; Special Provisions; Supplemental Special Provisions; Contract Proposal Form (Unit Prices); Supplemental Agreements Work Orders; and Joint Project Agreement. You are probably familiar with most, or all of these documents, so we will discuss them only briefly now. CONTRACT PLANS The Contract Plans provide detailed instructions for the road or bridge construction, such as alignment, grades, cross sections, drainage, right-of-way, traffic control, landscaping and the geometric and structural details for bridges. The plans also include a summary of estimated quantities for each project. To help field personnel interpret contract plans accurately and uniformly, a Contract Plan Reading course was developed by the Department. This course provides basic knowledge needed for undertaking this Final Estimates training course. You already should have completed the Contract Plan Reading course, or have obtained the knowledge through job experience. Sometimes special notes are placed on the plan sheets to call attention to a particular construction item or to unusual conditions of measurement and payment for work. Such plan notes govern over both the Standard and Supplemental Specifications. Both the contract plans and the proposal form that comes with the contract documents show the estimated quantities of individual bid items as determined by the designers. These quantities are expressed in units such as yards, square yards, linear feet, acres, etc. as set forth in the specifications. Sometimes the quantities are expressed as per each, or as a lump sum for accomplishing a particular work item. The quantities are a planned estimate of the work and materials required to complete a project and serve as a basis for contractors' competitive bidding. STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS The Department periodically publishes a book of Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction. This document is considered an integral part of the "contract package" and describes (1) the general relationships between the Department and contractors; (2) construction details for all the major work items; (3) specifications and criteria for materials incorporated in the work; and (4) method of measurement and basis of payment for completed work. SUPPLEMENTAL SPECIFICATIONS Frequently, some sections of the Standard Specifications become outdated and there is need for modification and revision. But, since the book of Standard Specifications is a bound volume, it is not practical to reprint it more often than every four or five years. In the meantime, the Department publishes Supplemental Specifications which identify and describe changes in the Standard Specifications. In case of discrepancies, the Supplemental Specifications always govern over the Standard Specifications.

3 SPECIAL PROVISIONS AND SUPPLEMENTAL SPECIAL PROVISIONS Certain Special Provisions often are included with the contract documents for individual projects. These may describe some situation unique to a particular project, or they may modify a requirement set forth in the Standard or Supplemental Specifications. Supplemental Special Provisions are applicable to a specific contract only. DESIGN STANDARDS These standards are made available for Design, Construction, Maintenance, and Utility operations on the State Highway System. This booklet provides guidelines and technical drawings for design and Construction personnel. SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENTS (SA) SA S are work of a different characteristic from that shown in the original plans and contract; such as to clarify the Specifications, or pay for unforeseen work. WORK ORDERS (WO) WO s are similar to SA s but can t be used in all instances. They are used to include additional work into the original contract, and to do minor changes. JOINT PARTICIPATION AGREEMENTS (JPA) JPA s or Locally Funded Agreements (LFA) s are part of the State Contract with a separate Financial ID Number. They are legal documents between the Department and other government or private entities. The work would be a utility relocations or installations, etc. COORDINATION OF CONTRACT DOCUMENTS In case of discrepancies among the contract documents in regard to measurement and payment for work, the order of precedence shown below should apply. (See Article 5-2 in the Standard Specifications.) 1. SPECIAL PROVISIONS 2. TECHNICAL SPECIAL PROVISIONS 3. CONTRACT PLANS 4. DESIGN STANDARDS 5. DEVELOPMENTAL SPECIFICATIONS 6. SUPPLEMENTAL SPECIFICATIONS 7. STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS 1) Multiple choice. Which of the following is NOT officially considered to be a Contract Document? A. Supplemental Agreements and Work Orders. B. Notebooks and Estimates Procedure Manual. C. Standard Specifications. D. Construction Manual. E. Answers B & D. 2) Multiple choice. Between printings of the Standard Specifications, what does the Department publish to identify and describe changes in the Specifications? A. CPAM B. Supplemental Specifications C. Work Orders D. Specification Changes 3) Multiple choice. Select the correct sequence of documents in order of precedence, with the document highest in authority listed first.

4 A. Contract Plans, Development Specifications, Standard Specifications, Special Provisions, Technical Special Provisions, Supplemental Specifications, Design Standards. B. Design Standards, Special Provisions, Technical Special Provisions, Supplemental Specifications, Contract Plans, development Specifications, Standard Specifications. C. Special Provisions, Technical Special Provisions, Contract Plans, Design Standards, Development Specifications, Supplemental Specifications, Standard Specifications. D. Supplemental Specifications, Special Provisions, Contract Plans, Development Specifications, Standards Specifications, Technical Special Provisions, Design Standards. E. None of the above. CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT Department personnel assigned to projects usually are involved in both construction management and in the measurement of work and preparation of final estimates. Although this course is limited to the final estimates responsibilities, all personnel must be familiar with responsibilities and procedures for construction management also. The Department's Construction Project Administration Manual (CPAM) gives detailed instruction in the responsibilities and procedures for supervising construction projects. It provides guidelines for workmanship with contractors as well as for the specific management tasks of inspecting, sampling and testing for the various materials and work items. MEASUREMENT AND PAYMENT FOR WORK Measurements and other preparations for final estimates are begun early in the project and continue throughout the project periods. Much of this training course is concerned with the proper techniques for the measurement and documentation needed as backup for the final estimate. Payments to contractors normally are based on measured units of work accomplished for each bid item and the established unit price for each item. The specifications provide for two types of payments to contractors progress payments and a final payment. PROGRESS PAYMENTS Regularly scheduled payments are made to contractors on the basis of monthly progress estimates. Procedures for preparing progress estimates are not included in this training course since they are covered in the CPAM. FINAL PAYMENTS When all work has been completed by the contractor and the final inspection and acceptance has been made by the Engineer, a progress estimate needs to be processed to pay all monies owed to the Contractor prior to the offer of final payment. This estimate is processed at the Residency's Office. Submittal of the final estimate package to the District Final Estimates Office (DFEO) is within 30 days after final acceptance. Review of the final estimates package will be done by the DFEO. ESTIMATES PROCEDURES MANUAL The Department has published a Preparation and Documentation Manual (P&DM) which sets forth methods and procedures for preparing and checking final estimates. Much of the content of this Final Estimates course is based on the manual. You should keep the manual handy as a reference for procedures but always check the special provisions and specifications for legal requirements. DOCUMENTATION DOCUMENTATION Perhaps the most important part of preparing final estimates is the careful documentation of all measurements and computations. Careful documentation reduces errors and makes accurate computations and checking easier. Several types of documentation are briefly described below: Field books are source documents. Many times, these records will be referred to by persons with little, if any, field experience or engineering background. It is important therefore, when preparing records of this type to assume that all

5 persons who will use your notes have no familiarity at all with the work you are recording. They are extremely important as site source records for establishing pay quantities. They may be required as evidence in any arbitration or lawsuit. They shall be tracked carefully to avoid loss and provide a measure of accountability. Computation Books are used as a part of the final estimate to document calculations and summarize quantities of pay items. The books contain a series of specially designed forms which show both original estimates of quantities and the final quantities as measured and computed. Computer output sheets may be included as documentation, as well as informal sheets of specific calculations. Field measurement: data for some items may be recorded on computer input or final estimate forms (rather than in field notebooks) and included with the final estimates package. Computer Output sheets may serve as documentation of quantity computations and shall be included in the final estimates package, as well as the original coding sheets which serve as the site source documentation. Final Plans - A record set of final plans is prepared to document all changes made during construction and to show the "as-built" conditions. Upon final pay off, these as-built plans are sent to Image API for scanning. Roadway and Bridge Construction Daily Report of Construction - The project s daily report of construction is a recorded collection of events, time charges, dates, data, occurrences, instructions, situations, circumstances and work performed each day during a construction project. Data is collected on every phase of work performed by a Contractor, Subcontractor or Utility Company. Recorded information must be clear, detailed, accurate, complete and objective. Anyone reading the project s daily report will be able to comprehend the project status and determine work performed. Understand that the daily report of construction indicates estimated quantities and is not to be used for final payment purposes. Quantities that appear on this document are not recorded with appropriate computations and measurements at the site and are crudely done with no intent for final payment. Most often these daily entries will be duplications of past entries. Therefore, actual measurements, dimensions, computations and quantities for final payment purposes shall be recorded on the appropriate site source forms or field books then referred to in the daily report of construction as the Department's source of final payment. This will avoid any confusion with the construction contractor or others who may review the diary at a later date. 1) True or False. When checked and verified, final estimates serve as the basis for Final Payment. 2) Multiple choice. Which of the following sets for the Department s methods and Procedures for preparing and checking final estimates? A. Construction Inspection Mathematics B. Project Engineer C. Preparation and Documentation Manual D. CPAM 3) Multiple choice. Please match the appropriate documentation name with the correct description below: A. [Final Plans]: For reviewing contract time charges before clearing estimates for final payment; [Computation Books]: Documents pertinent changes during construction and show the as-built condition; [Field Books]: B. [Construction Diaries]: For reviewing contract time charges before clearing estimates for final payment; [Final Plans]: Documents pertinent changes during construction and show the as-built conditions; [Field Books]: C. [Final Plans]: For reviewing contract time charges before clearing estimates for final payment; [Tabulation Forms]: Documents pertinent changes during construction and show the as-built conditions; [Field Books]: D. [Final Plans]: For reviewing contract time charges before clearing estimates for final payment; [Construction Diaries]: Documents pertinent changes during construction and show the as-built conditions; [Field Books]: E. None of the above

6 COMPUTATIONS In order to standardize calculations and ensure uniform results, criteria have been established for the degree of accuracy in final answers and for the rounding of decimal numbers. Criteria for the degree of accuracy are described in the Basis of Estimates. This standard procedure includes a listing of all pay items and the specified degree of accuracy -- whole number, 0.1 unit, 0.01 unit or unit for each. Basic rules for rounding decimal numbers during manual calculations are described in the Construction Math Self Study Course. However, when using calculators or computers you should use the full decimal capabilities of the machines. i.e., do not round off intermediate results on multiple-entry calculations. 1) Multiple choice. When using calculators or computers, you should use the: A. Rules of rounding described in CONSTRUCTION MATH. B. Full decimal capabilities of the machine C. CPAM as a guide to rounding D. Machine only as a backup to your manual computations E. None of the above 2) True or False. It is usually necessary to measure items which are to be paid for on a Lump Sum or Plan Quantity basis. 3) True or False. To measure and pay for the work performed by Contractors, Progress and Final Estimates are needed. 4) True or False. Special provisions are contract documents that may describe Some situation unique to a particular project or modify a Requirement set forth in the Specifications. 5) True or False. Progress payments are made to contractors on the basis of monthly progress estimates. This is the end of Chapter one. To continue, select the next lesson button below.