AASHTO VE Technical Committee

Over the past 20 years, Value Engineering (VE) has become an ever increasing part of the transportation industry. As federal, state, and local governments strive to establish the greatest value for the taxpayer's dollar, VE is a constant source of innovation, cost-effectiveness, and quality improvements.

The public transportation sector, faced with rising costs, has turned to VE to better use dwindling resources. This effort has spread beyond Construction VE to include Design VE and Process VE. In short, VE has taken the lead in making the transportation industry a leader in innovation and cost control.

In order to recognize outstanding VE achievements and to promote awareness of the importance of VE, the AASHTO Value Engineering Technical Committee has established national awards to be given to transportation agencies. These awards are presented on a biennial basis to agencies that have shown special achievement in providing added value in process improvement, project delivery, construction, or design.

The 2007 awards were given for Most Value Added in the following categories:

*Pre-construction engineering costs include design, utilities, right of way, and construction.

Antioch & Dumbarton Bridges
Geotechnical Investigation Requirements to Develop the Retrofit Strategy

This unique study analyzed the geotechnical investigation requirements necessary to develop the strategy that leads to retrofit recommendations for the Dumbarton & Antioch Bridges. Caltrans will use this study to develop an appropriate retrofit strategy for each bridge.

The baseline scope placed heavy emphasis on conducting new explorations and associated laboratory testing to obtain more dependable data. (Baseline estimate of $12,100,000.)

The value analysis (VA) team concluded that the objectives of the investigation could be achieved with fewer new exploratory borings drilled to somewhat shallower depths. Other recommended alternatives also improved the project and lowered cost. (Implemented savings of $2,350,000, or 19 percent.) All recommended alternatives were accepted and implemented.

The TH 212 Design-Build Project is a $238 million construction project consisting of 11.75 miles of new four-lane divided highway realignment, 7 interchanges, 28 bridges, and numerous retaining and noise walls.

The VE proposal is to eliminate a bridge and provide for the realignment of a crossing road to intersect where the main line creek crossing occurs. This combined crossing concentrates impacts and construction activities in one location. This change minimizes environmental impacts to the creek, the big woods remnant vegetation, and the flood plains, and reduces slope stability issues.

The VE impacts include savings in project costs, and reduced construction impacts and future maintenance activities. The new design eliminates an insufficient horizontal curve design exception, improves sight distance at an intersection, reduces the total acreage disturbed, and creates less impervious area.

US 98 on Okaloosa Island has been damaged by storm surges from at least five tropical events in the last ten years, resulting in more than $16 million in repair work. The purpose of this project was to provide additional protective features to reduce the potential for future damage from similar storm events.

The District wanted the additional protection in place prior to the next storm season, which required the project to be designed and constructed in less than one year. The recommendation developed by the team and accepted by management reduced the cost of the $20.6 million project by $8.3 million, or 40 percent, and also reduced the construction time by 50 percent.

A key product innovation from the VE team was the recommendation to use Teflon sheet piling to replace conventional concrete sheet piling.

Let's Get Windsor Essex Moving
Walker Road and Howard Avenue Grade Separations VE and Risk Study

Security measures at the U.S. border have caused significant traffic problems in the City of Windsor. One of the problems was the need to x-ray rail cars entering the United States, which reduced train speed and increased traffic delays at major arterial road-rail crossings in the city. An immediate and concerted effort was put into place to grade separate two major urban road crossings.

The original project cost estimates increased dramatically due to the rushed design, limited property, business and industrial activities, traffic operations, and a myriad of major utility issues. A VE study and Cost Risk analysis improved communication with the city, Transport Canada, Ontario Ministry of Transportation, and designers; saved $2 million; identified risks; brought certainty to the cost estimates; and clarified project scope.

The Route 52 Causeway Replacement Contract A project involves the replacement of 1.2 miles of existing Route 52 Causeway, including 2 structures displaying structural, geometric, and safety deficiencies. Bids far exceeded original estimates. The VE repackaging of Contract A converted Rainbow Island from bridge structure to roadway by grade touchdown utilizing fill. Additionally, the VE changes introduced conventional fixed bridges as an alternate design to high-level bascule bridges. VE design and bridge changes reflected through this repackaging effort resulted in a low bid of $141,350,400, with a net savings of $88,636,000, and improved constructibility by acquiring environmental permits that allowed timely construction without seasonal delays.

Most Value Added Proposal
Pre-Construction Engineering >$75 Million - Honorable Mention

The 755 Segment of Sound Transit Central Link Light Rail Project extends approximately 5 miles, from the Boeing Access Road to a station at Southcenter Boulevard. This LRT guideway is mostly elevated and parallels or crosses over Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) freeways along much of its route. The design team undertook an intensive value engineering study of the 30 percent preliminary design at the beginning of the final design assignment. The VE study identified significant configuration changes that were forecast to save $23 million and approximately 8 months of construction duration.

Sound Transit evaluated and accepted the recommendations for incorporation into the final design. The potential savings and other benefits identified in the value engineering work were validated by the bids received and continue to be realized during construction of the $234 million project.