Minnesota Demonstration Project: Reconstruction of Trunk Highway 36 in North St. Paul
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Draft Final Report June 2010
Table of Contents
Foreword
The purpose of the Highways for LIFE (HfL) pilot program is to accelerate the use of innovations that improve highway safety and quality while reducing congestion caused by construction. LIFE is an acronym for Longer–lasting highway infrastructure using Innovations to accomplish the Fast construction of Efficient and safe highways and bridges.
Specifically, HfL focuses on speeding up the widespread adoption of proven innovations in the highway community. "Innovations" is an inclusive term used by HfL to encompass technologies, materials, tools, equipment, procedures, specifications, methodologies, processes, and practices used to finance, design, or construct highways. HfL is based on the recognition that innovations are available that, if widely and rapidly implemented, would result in significant benefits to road users and highway agencies.
Although innovations themselves are important, HfL is as much about changing the highway community's culture from one that considers innovation something that only adds to the workload, delays projects, raises costs, or increases risk to one that sees it as an opportunity to provide better highway transportation service. HfL is also an effort to change the way highway community decisionmakers and participants perceive their jobs and the service they provide.
The HfL pilot program, described in Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA–LU) Section 1502, includes funding for demonstration construction projects. By providing incentives for projects, HfL promotes improvements in safety, construction–related congestion, and quality that can be achieved through the use of performance goals and innovations. This report documents one such HfL demonstration project.
Additional information on the HfL program is at www.fhwa.dot.gov/hfl.
Notice
This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for its contents or use thereof. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation.
The U.S. Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade and manufacturers' names appear in this report only because they are considered essential to the object of the document.
1. Report No. |
2. Government Accession No. |
3. Recipient's Catalog No. |
4. Title and Subtitle
Minnesota Demonstration Project: Reconstruction of Trunk Highway 36 in North St. Paul |
5. Report Date
June 2010 |
6. Performing Organization Code |
7. Author(s)
Jagannath Mallela, Paul Littleton, P.E., and Gary Hoffman, P.E., R.L.S.,. |
8. Performing Organization Report No. |
9. Performing Organization Name and Address
Applied Research Associates, Inc.
100 Trade Centre Drive, Suite 200
Champaign, IL 61820
|
10. Work Unit No.(TRAIS) C6B |
11. Contract or Grant No. |
12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address
Office of Infrastructure
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590 |
13. Type of Report and Period Covered
Draft Final Report
April 2007 – April 2010
|
14. Sponsoring Agency Code |
15. Supplementary Notes
Contracting Officers Technical Representatives: Byron Lord, Mary Huie |
16. Abstract
As part of a national initiative sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration under the Highways for LIFE program, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) was awarded a $1 million grant to demonstrate the use of proven, innovative technologies to deliver a $30.7 million project in less time than conventional construction. This report documents the use of full closure to reconstruct a four-lane, 2-mile (approximate) section of Trunk Highway 36 in North St. Paul. The finished project has enhanced transportation safety and reduced travel times by eliminating six at-grade intersections. Local transportation has been improved with newly constructed crossover bridges and a pedestrian bridge.
This report discusses the use of full closure on a major highway reconstruction project, which until now has not been used on a main thoroughfare in Minnesota. The project incorporated A+B contract bidding, a locked incentive date specification, and lane rental as an innovative approach to minimize traffic disruption by getting the highway rebuilt and open to traffic as early as possible. The result was that the newly reconstructed roadway was completely open to traffic in 145 days, 65 percent sooner than if traditional staged construction had been used.
During full closure, traffic was diverted to detour routes, which presented the opportunity to use an intelligent transportation system, integrated with the existing Mn/DOT traffic monitoring system, to route motorists around the construction. Mn/DOT also explored the use of intelligent compaction equipment to expedite site work and lightweight deflectometers for acceptance testing, a first for Minnesota. While not a recent innovation, machine control using Global Positioning System technology was used extensively on this project and was a key component in streamlining grading operations.
Completely closing the highway to traffic, even for a short time, increased costs associated with diverting motorists, but it reduced overall costs that would have been incurred with traffic impacts over a longer period. The alternate staging plan to get the project built was cost prohibitive and would have been unacceptable to roadway users. The high level of user satisfaction with the speed of project delivery attests to the project's success. The successes and knowledge gained on this project will encourage Mn/DOT to consider full closure as a viable alternative to traditional staged construction on future projects. |
17. Key Words
A+B contract bidding, full lane closure, intelligent compaction, intelligent transportation system, lane rental, lightweight deflectometer, locked incentive date specification, machine control. |
18. Distribution Statement
No restriction. This document is available to the public through the Highways for LIFE website:
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hfl/ |
19. Security Classif. (of this page)
Unclassified |
20. No. of Pages
43
|
21. Price |
Form DOT F 1700.7 (8–72) Reproduction of completed page authorized
SI* (MODERN METRIC) CONVERSION FACTORS
APPROXIMATE CONVERSIONS TO SI UNITS |
APPROXIMATE CONVERSIONS FROM SI UNITS |
Symbol |
When You Know |
Multiply By |
To Find |
Symbol |
Symbol |
When You Know |
Multiply By |
To Find |
Symbol |
LENGTH |
LENGTH |
in |
inches |
25.4 |
millimeters |
mm |
mm |
millimeters |
0.039 |
inches |
in |
ft |
feet |
0.305 |
meters |
m |
m |
meters |
3.28 |
feet |
ft |
yd |
yards |
0.914 |
meters |
m |
m |
meters |
1.09 |
yards |
yd |
mi |
miles |
1.61 |
kilometers |
km |
km |
kilometers |
0.621 |
miles |
mi |
AREA |
AREA |
in2 |
square inches |
645.2 |
square millimeters |
mm2 |
mm2 |
square millimeters |
0.0016 |
square inches |
in2 |
ft2 |
square feet |
0.093 |
square meters |
m2 |
m2 |
square meters |
10.764 |
square feet |
ft2 |
yd2 |
square yards |
0.836 |
square meters |
m2 |
m2 |
square meters |
1.195 |
square yards |
ac |
ac |
acres |
0.405 |
hectares |
ha |
ha |
hectares |
2.47 |
acres |
mi2 |
mi2 |
square miles |
2.59 |
square kilometers |
km2 |
km2 |
square kilometers |
0.386 |
square miles |
|
VOLUME |
VOLUME |
fl oz |
fluid ounces |
29.57 |
milliliters |
ml |
ml |
milliliters |
0.034 |
fluid ounces |
fl oz |
gal |
gallons |
3.785 |
liters |
l |
l |
liters |
0.264 |
gallons |
gal |
ft3 |
cubic feet |
0.028 |
cubic meters |
m3 |
m3 |
cubic meters |
35.71 |
cubic feet |
ft3 |
yd3 |
cubic yards |
0.765 |
cubic meters |
m3 |
m3 |
cubic meters |
1.307 |
cubic yard |
yd3 |
NOTE: Volumes greater than 1000 l shall be shown in m3 |
|
MASS |
MASS |
oz |
ounces |
28.35 |
grams |
g |
g |
grams |
0.035 |
ounces |
oz |
lb |
pounds |
0.454 |
kilograms |
kg |
kg |
kilograms |
2.202 |
pounds |
lb |
T |
short tons (2000 lb) |
0.907 |
megagrams |
Mg |
Mg |
megagrams |
1.103 |
short tons (2000 lb) |
T |
TEMPERATURE (exact degrees) |
TEMPERATURE (exact degrees) |
°F |
Fahrenheit |
5(F–32)/9 or (F–32)/1.8 |
Celcius |
°C |
°C |
Celsius |
1.8C +32 |
Fahrenheit |
°F |
ILLUMINATION |
ILLUMINATION |
fc |
foot–candles |
10.76 |
lux |
l |
lx |
lux |
0.0929 |
foot–candles |
fc |
fl |
foot–Lamberts |
3.426 |
candela/m2 |
cd/m2 |
cd/m2 |
candela/m2 |
0.2919 |
foot–Lamberts |
fl |
FORCE and PRESSURE or STRESS |
FORCE and PRESSURE or STRESS |
lbg |
pounds |
4.45 |
newtons |
N |
N |
newtons |
0.225 |
poundforce |
lbf |
lb/in2 |
pound per square inch |
6.89 |
kilopascals |
kPa |
kPa |
kilopascals |
0.145 |
poundforce per square inch |
ib/in2(psi) |
k/in2 |
klps per square inch |
6.89 |
megaPascals |
mPa |
MPa |
megaPascals |
0.145 |
klps per square inch |
k/in2(ips) |
DENSITY |
DENSITY |
ib/ft3(pcf) |
pounds per cubic foot |
16.02 |
kilograms per cubic meter |
kg/m3 |
kg/m3 |
pounds per cubic foot |
0.062 |
kilograms per cubic meter |
ib/ft3(pcf) |
Acknowledgments
The project team would like to acknowledge the invaluable insights and guidance of Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Highways for LIFE Team Leader Byron Lord and Program Coordinators Mary Huie and Kathleen Bergeron, who served as the technical panel on this demonstration project. Their vast knowledge and experience with the various aspects of construction, technology deployment, and technology transfer helped immensely in developing both the approach and the technical matter for this document. The team also is indebted to Phil Forst, area engineer for the FHWA Minnesota Division, and Steve Kordosky, Jay Hietpas, and Tom Ravn of the Minnesota Department of Transportation for their unstinting support in conducting and documenting this demonstration project. Finally, the team also appreciates the technical support for this report provided by Progressive Contractors, Inc.
Abbreviations and Symbols
AADT |
annual average daily traffic |
ARAN |
Automatic Road Analyzer |
dB(A) |
A–weighted decibel |
DOT |
Department of Transportation |
FHWA |
Federal Highway Administration |
GPS |
Global Positioning System |
HfL |
Highways for LIFE |
HMA |
hot-mix asphalt |
Hz |
hertz |
IC |
intelligent compaction |
ITS |
intelligent transportation system |
IRI |
International Roughness Index |
LID |
locked incentive date |
LWD |
lightweight deflectometer |
Mn/DOT |
Minnesota Department of Transportation |
OBSI |
onboard sound intensity |
OSHA |
Occupational Safety and Health Administration |
SAFETEA-LU |
Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A
Legacy for Users |
SI |
sound intensity |
SRTT |
standard reference test tire |
TERRA |
Transportation Engineering and Road Research Alliance |
TH |
Trunk Highway |
|