UNDERSTANDING THE SPECIFICATIONS• Design guidance documents: I&IMs, Regional Preferences, etc. Related Documents Virginia Department of Transportation 7. 1. Special Provision Copied

UNDERSTANDING THE SPECIFICATIONS

AND STANDARDSNovember 18, 2019 – Thornburg

What are the Specifications?

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• The Road and Bridge Specifications is a

document containing the materials, construction

methods, and payment for all VDOT standard

pay items

• The specifications are legal requirements

• Latest specifications book was released in

December 2015 with Supplemental

Specifications through 2019

• Stay tuned – anticipate a new specifications

book in 2020

Virginia Department of Transportation

• The Road and Bridge Standards are the

standard drawings that contractors must

follow on all VDOT construction projects,

unless otherwise directed in the contract

documents

• Primarily intended as a construction tool

• Modifications to standards must be signed

and sealed by a PE

• Now in electronic-only format and is no

longer provided in printed versions.

What are the Standards?

Virginia Department of Transportation 4

• The Specifications and Standards go hand-in-hand

• The content of the two must match

• Ideally the content should never be duplicated in both

Relationship between the Specifications and Standards


STANDARDS

SPECS

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• Establish uniform technical criteria

• Be constructible

• Be unambiguous and enforceable

• Maximize safety

• Address long-term maintenance needs

• Result in quality end product

• Where feasible, specify end goals instead of

means & methods

• Be good stewards of taxpayer dollars

• Minimize claims/disputes

VDOT’s Goals for the Specifications and Standards


• Supplemental Specifications

• Special Provisions (SPs)

• Special Provision Copied Notes (SPCNs)

• Standard Pay Items

• Non-VDOT standards (MUTCD, NEC)

• Design guidance documents: I&IMs, Regional Preferences, etc.

Related Documents


1. Special Provision Copied Notes (SPCNs)

2. Pay Items and Pay Units

3. Special Provisions

4. Plans

5. Supplemental Specifications

6. Specifications

7. Standard Drawings

Need to also incorporate regional preferences,

where appropriate

Priority Order


Highest

Governing Item

Least

Governing Item

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• Design Plans

• No-Plans

• SPCNs

• SPs

• Supplemental Specs

• Insertable Sheets

• Pay Items

• The Contract

What constitutes the “Contract Documents?”


• Most insertable sheets used in

conjunction with the 2008 Standards

were incorporated into the 2016

Standards

• Insertable sheets are no longer required

in the contract documents for the revised

or new standards

• Special designs not incorporated into

the standards but available for certain

projects

• Specific sheets typically included in

most plan assemblies

Insertable Sheets


• Standards and specs do not apply in all

situations

• Engineering judgment still required

• Project-specific standard drawings or special

provisions may be appropriate

Standards and Specifications – not Always the Answer


• FHWA reviews all Specifications

• Input from other stakeholders are also considered

Vetting Process


• It is important for designers to be aware of the

effective dates

• Updates usually do not apply to projects that

have already been advertised

• Effective dates are approximately 3-6 months

after updates are released

• For example, revisions to the Standards released on

2/16/2017 are required for all projects going to ad on

9/12/17.

• Designers can incorporate updates sooner

Effective Dates for Updates


• Pre-Approved Traffic Control Device

Listing

• Materials Approved Lists

• Special Products Evaluation List

(SPEL)

• NCHRP-350 VDOT Approved

Products

• Items on all lists (except SPEL list)

must meet Standards/Specifications

• VDOT Business Center

• virginiadot.org/business/

Approved Products List


• Standards/Specs that explicitly or implicitly call for

a proprietary item

• Approvals may be based on one of the following needs:

• Necessary for synchronization (e.g. signal hardware, ITS,

aesthetics)

• Unique product

• Experimental or research purposes

• Proprietary/sole source items can be approved on project,

Regional, or statewide level

• Seek Construction Division approval early

in final design

• Additional information can be found in

IIM-CD-2015-01.01

Proprietary Items and Processes


• Valuable resource for designers of

signs, markings, signals and lighting

• Includes plan development and design

guidance

• http://www.virginiadot.org/business/locd

es/traffic-engineering-manual.asp

Traffic Engineering Design Manual (TEDM)


• 2016 Road & Bridge Standards

http://www.virginiadot.org/business/locdes/vdot_road_and

_bridge_standards.asp

• 2016 Road & Bridge Specifications

http://www.virginiadot.org/business/const/spec-default.asp

• 2019 Supplement to the 2016 Spec Book (Latest

Revisions to 2016 R&B Specifications)

http://www.virginiadot.org/business/resources/const/2019_

Supplement_to_the_2016_Specifications.pdf

Where can I find these resources?


• 2016 Road & Bridge Standards

http://www.virginiadot.org/business/locdes/vdot_road_and

_bridge_standards.asp

• 2016 Road & Bridge Specifications

http://www.virginiadot.org/business/const/spec-default.asp

• 2019 Supplement to the 2016 Spec Book (Latest

Revisions to 2016 R&B Specifications)

http://www.virginiadot.org/business/resources/const/2019_

Supplement_to_the_2016_Specifications.pdf

Where can I find these resources?


Questions/Discussion


Audio of full audience participation was not captured,

so you will experience muffled discussion and

short pauses in audio during

audience discussions and Q&A.

20Virginia Department of Transportation