I-84 at 257

th
Ave. (Troutdale
Interchange) Section:
Lessons Learned during Construction
Project Overview
Original Authorization:
$3,409,384
Estimated Final Cost:
$3,376,450
Total CCO Costs:
$157,758
Project completed
within 60 days of
Original Specified
Completion Date
What Todays Meeting is About
Sharing the important lessons we in the
Construction Office learned on this Project.
Passing the information on so that these
valuable points are incorporated into future
Projects.
Making sure costly lessons arent learned the
costly way again.
What Todays Meeting is NOT About
Beating people up over the lessons we learned
Pointing the finger at any one
Assigning blame
How This Meeting is Structured
This meeting will distill the lessons learned
into general themes
Specific Examples of these themes will be
highlighted
Each theme can be discussed in short, but
time for in depth group discussion has been
reserved for the end of the meeting
Themes of the Lessons Learned
Most lessons learned from specific instances
seemed to fit themes on this Project
Most fit into one of 3 Themes:
Better Site Familiarity = Better Designs that fit
existing conditions
Interdisciplinary review of discipline specific work
products prevents design conflicts
A decision that looks like it will save money during
design can be costly during construction
I. Better Site Familiarity = Better Design
Design features that did not address, or at least
account for, existing site conditions were a
reoccurring theme. A site visit by design personnel
quickly led to solutions in almost every case. If site
visits, and/or more thorough survey of the site
before design had been performed, design issues
could have been avoided.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, a site visit is
worth a thousand pictures. Bob Marshall, David
Evans, & Associates
Stone Embankment
Stone Embankment was
used to stabilize the
roadway prism while
building in what was
essentially a swamp.
CCO Cost: $26,812.44
Storm Drainage Facility Design
Initial survey of the site
did not include all
drainage connections, and
required redesign to route
storm water through the
project so as not to
overload infiltration
facilities.
Required consultant and ODOT PC to
systematically open manholes and
map interchange drainage system
Required additional pipe, and Type D
inlets
Final design had to account for
ongoing hazmat contamination
Other inlets redesigned to account
for existing site conditions
Estimated additional cost:
$30k - $35k
Mast Arm Sign Fit
Specified signs didnt fit
on the existing or
specified mast arms.
Signs were rearranged, some mounted
on adjustable sign brackets
It was a relatively cheap fix (about
$1500), but 16 days were added to the
end of the Contract to accommodate the
fix.
Staging Width
Original placement of sawcut, and temporary
striping didnt provide enough room for traffic
The sawcut was moved, and grabber tubes were
substituted for barrels. This revision required
additional grinding and a redesigned pavement
cross-section to put longitudinal joint at the lane
line.
Net Cost about $3000, not including additional CE,
but had this not been resolved, the Project
wouldnt have been able to continue.

Conflicts between final designs from different
disciplines lead to multiple Contract Change
Orders. Some where even illustrated on the
plan sheets incorporated into the final Plans.
II. Interdisciplinary review prevents
design conflicts
Multiple Conduits Rerouted to
Avoid Drainage Features
Fiber Optic Conduit rerouted to avoid
the new infiltration swales
Illumination conduit rerouted under
drainage ditch to supply power to
existing light pole left between Storm
Drainage Facilities
Illumination Conduit abandoned, and
new conduit used to reroute power
feeds out of infiltration swale.
Total CCO costs: Approximately $29,000
ESCP Update for Drainage Features
Tied to Incomplete
survey of existing
drainage Facilities
Included permanent
ditch armoring, and
temporary matting to
hold compost/seeding
on ditch slopes
CCO cost: $6133
III. Decisions that look like a cost cutter
during design can be costly during
construction
In many instances where a decision was made to help
save money in design, that same decision created a cost,
or issue during the Construction Phase. Some led to one
or more Contract Change Orders, some required
additional CE work to resolve, and some even created
possible hazards for the Motoring Public.
Thermoplastic vs. Tape
During design, In-laid Tape was specified for
longitudinal markings.
Observation of previous projects has shown
that the tape doesnt hold up on radii at this
interchange
Preformed Thermoplastic was used by CCO to
prevent premature failure.
CCO cost: about $4000
Illumination along EB Off-ramp
The existing illumination
interfered with building the
embankment.
No temporary illumination
system was specified.
Two light poles were taken
out of service while the
embankment was built,
exposing Public to
insufficient lighting, and the
associated hazards.

Narrow Consultant Scoping
This was a problem that had ripple effects
throughout the Project.
The narrow scoping led to design conflicts
between Consultant designs, as previously
mentioned.

Miscellaneous
First time out on S-1, S-2 Markers:
ODOT wasnt able to supply S-1 markers as specified.
Implementation on PM side was difficult to understand from Project Documents.
Cut/Fill Balance was deceptive:
May have included RAP, something a Contractor usually sells to a paving company.
DEQ didnt like the idea of opening up the whole Project at once to pull enough fill to build the single large embankment.
High Groundwater is a major issue out here. This is something that needs to be better
communicated to Contractors.
Vertical alignments for the Project reduced pavement thickness at first, something prohibited by
the Pavement Report. Required multiple iterations to address. ($6977 overrun in leveling
HMAC)
ESCP issues:
A QPL listed product did not meet DEQ requirements for inlet protection. CCO cost: $3600
Required Emergency ESC BMP stockpile not in Bid Items. CCO cost: $3025
ESCP had to be redone in phased approach (Un-quantified additional Consultant Cost)
Working Drawings didnt account for space necessary for hinges on MPBs. CCO cost: $1323 &
11 Contract Days