DUDEK - Successful Project Fast-Tracking

Management Support

Successful Fast-Tracking to Meet Deadlines
Impending deadlines can sometimes require fast tracking as the best - or only - way to get it all done on time. Fast-tracking, however, means working smarter not necessarily faster.

Fast-track project management provides purposeful project planning, design, contracting, and construction management with special consideration to critical path scheduling to complete a project in the least amount of time. Sometimes it means starting construction before the engineering is complete, and always it means planning as many details as possible in advance.

“You can work late and as fast as you want, but sometimes a construction or permitting issue can derail a project,” said Steve Jepsen, a Dudek senior project manager. “It’s worth taking the time at the start to do extra planning that might seem peripheral to the engineering, but on a fast-tracked project is super important because a problem with just one of them could cause a delay that would make you miss your deadline.”

The following can help prevent such delays from derailing urgent projects:

Obtain Permits, Complete Reports, and Create Plans Early

Do an environmental constraints site visit soon after beginning a fast-tracked project. Some agencies require sensitive species surveys during the spring or another specific time of year; if this time slot is missed, the survey might not be valid and the project would have to wait another year.

Complete a right-of-way investigation right away. “Don’t make any assumptions regarding easements or right-of-ways,” said Jepsen. “Encroachment permits with some agencies can take up to six months.” (See Dudek's 13 right of way services).

Get a geotechnical report. “Higher than anticipated groundwater or rock or unstable soils are problems - knowing things like this in advance will avoid costly, time-consuming change order delays,” said Jepsen.

Get a dewatering permit. The Regional Water Quality Control Board requires a permit for the surface discharge of ground water. The discharged water must be tested, and estimates of the volume of water discharged must be completed. “Through a minimally staffed public agency this process takes time - as much as 60 days,” said Jepsen. “If this isn’t done in advance, the contractor has a considerable delay before actual construction can begin after a contract is awarded.”

Get traffic control plans drawn up and approved. Traffic control engineers design safe traffic control plans that the regulating agency quickly approves. “With the approved plans in hand, the contractor can go to the traffic counter and pull a permit in the same day,” said Jepsen.

Ensure that Proper Materials Can Be Obtained

Pre-purchase long lead or sole-source materials. This saves time, avoids supplier disputes, and potentially saves on equipment costs.

Specify alternate materials. Identify as many material alternatives as practical. This avoids supply problems and lowers cost, since the price of raw materials can change and competition among the material suppliers can reduce the price tag.

Communicate and Anticipate Problems

Encourage partnering and regular meetings. Lack of staffing or need for council/board approval of contract changes can delay projects. Regular meetings will help identify special inspection/coordination needs and important paperwork submittal deadlines for items requiring council or board approval.

Work with Qualified Contractors and/or Encourage Early Completion

Give a bonus for early completion. For particularly critical client projects, a bonus for the contractor as well as liquidated damages, encourage speediness. “For a force main job using horizontal directional drilling, we cut 16 days from the approved schedule because of the bonus and team work,” said Steve Deering, senior engineer at Dudek.
Pre-qualify contractors. State bill AB 574 allows a public agency to pre-qualify contractors for specific projects, which can be done during the design/permitting phase. “If the low bidder on the project ends up not being able to complete the project in the short time frame, you’re stuck - you have to re-bid the whole project, go to court, and the project gets derailed,” said Jepsen.
Negotiate directly with a pre-selected contractor. If the project is an emergency, the public contract code sections 20113 and 20654 allow a public agency to skip the public bidding process and negotiate directly with a pre-selected contractor. “We negotiated directly with a pre-selected contractor during an emergency project to replace a sewer force main,” said Jepsen. “We couldn’t start work until September because of the nesting bird season, and we wanted to get the new sewer line replaced before the rains came - this was a way to get it done quickly.”

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