6.2 Engineering Reviews

Engineering reviews must be completed and documented for every project. These reviews should be conducted at regularly scheduled milestones throughout the preliminary and final design of the project. Engineering reviews must be completed by staff members with sufficient knowledge and experience in the field they are responsible for reviewing.
Interim review milestones are extremely beneficial and should be identified and completed for every project.
Final engineering reviews are required for every project and must be completed prior to submittal of the Ready to Let (RTL) (100%) PS&E to DES for letting.
Milestone reviews are not mandated for every project but are left to the Districts to determine the frequency and type of review required for different project rigor.

6.2.1 District Review of PS&E

The PS&E milestone reviews for all projects has been delegated to the Districts. The District is responsible for ensuring that projects submitted for letting are complete and in compliance with state law and departmental policies, and that all necessary agreements have been executed.
Division personnel are available to provide assistance and expertise to the Districts throughout the preliminary and final design process. At the request of the District, the DES and BRG Divisions are available to conduct a review of preliminary documents at the Initial(30%), Detailed(60%), Final (90/95%) or Sealed(100%) milestones.
All projects should undergo a thorough District review at specific milestones. Suggested milestone submittals are defined in
Table 6-1
.
Table 6-1: Milestone Submittals
Submittal
1
Description
Deliverables
2
TxDOT Review Responsibility
Initial
(30)%
3
Preliminary
Engineering Submittal
100% Approved Geometric
Schematic
or
30% PS&E milestone
  • TxDOT PM and others as identified by the District
Detailed
(60%)
Detailed Design
Submittal
60% PS&E milestone
and
Supporting Documents
  • Full District multi-discipline review
Final
(90%/95%)
Final Design Submittal
90/95% PS&E milestone
and
Supporting Documents
  • Full District multi-discipline review
Sealed
(100%)
Signed and Sealed
Submittal to District
100% PS&E milestone (SSD)
and
Supporting Documents
  • TxDOT PM and others as identified by the District
Ready to Let
(RTL)
Project Letting
Submittal
to DES
100% milestone (SSD)
Supporting Documents, and
Letting Documents
  • TxDOT PM and others as identified by the District
  • DES-Final PS&E Processing (FPP) Section
Notes:
1. Districts may choose to eliminate or combine milestone submittals as needed based on the project rigor.
2. Refer to the
PS&E QC Milestone Checklist
for deliverable expectation at milestone submittals.
3. Initial (30%) milestone submittal roadway components can be delivered in plan sheets or in a roll plot for review.
Districts should perform a multi-disciplinary review of all project plans early in project development. Ideally this would take place at each milestone submittal, but at minimum should take place at the Detailed (60%) and Final (90/95%) milestone submittal. Early engagement leads to fewer changes at the latter stages of project development saving time and money.

6.2.2 Review of PS&E by Other Divisions and Agencies

6.2.2.1 Federal Review of TxDIP/PoCI Projects
Under the Stewardship and Oversight Agreement between the FHWA and TxDOT, there are specific projects that have been designated as Texas Division Involved Projects (TxDIP) or Projects of Corporate Interest (PoCI). These projects require Federal coordination and/or approvals of the specific elements of the project designated by the FHWA. If the FHWA has identified that a project requires review of the “Draft Plans, Specification and Estimates (PS&E)”, the District should coordinate with the designated FHWA Point of Contact early in the plan development process to arrange for the review.
6.2.2.2 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Coordination
During the early phases of project development, consideration must be given to the effect any proposed highway project might have on vicinity airports. Airway-highway clearances are studied to avoid encroaching upon an airfield or establishing a highway location that would be an obstruction to air navigation. Minimum airway-highway clearance requirements must be considered to avoid the creation of a safety hazard for both highway and air traffic.
Any construction or alteration of more than 200-ft in height above the ground level at its site or any construction or alteration of greater height than an imaginary surface extending outward and upward at one of the FAA’s reporting slopes must be reported during the early development of construction plans.
These requirements are not limited to illumination towers or poles.
Any element of construction may affect the airway-highway clearance requirements. This includes but is not limited to illumination, signing, bridge superstructures, etc., or any mobile object that would normally traverse a roadway or bridge that could be an obstruction to air navigation.
The District is responsible for preparation and submission of the latest version of
FAA Form 7460-1
to the FAA in cases where minimum airway-highway clearance requirements cannot be met. Further guidance on FAA coordination can be found in the
PDP Manual
and on the
FAA website
.
6.2.2.3 BRG and DES Preliminary Reviews and Approvals
The District Design Office is responsible for submitting the following preliminary design elements to the BRG – Bridge Design Section for review and approval. These documents are typically submitted with the Initial (30%) milestone submission or between the Initial and Detailed (60%) milestone submission.
Preliminary design reviews by BRG:
  • Preliminary Bridge Layouts with Scour and Hydraulic Analysis
Refer to TxDOT’s
Bridge Project Development Manual
for additional guidance on submission and review of the Preliminary Bridge Layout (PBLR).
  • Preliminary Retaining/Sound Wall Layouts
     – The purpose of the preliminary retaining/sound wall layout is to present the geometric and geotechnical data associated with a proposed retaining/sound wall. This information enables an engineer to design and detail the retaining/sound wall as well as evaluate the wall’s stability.
Refer to TxDOT’s
Geotechnical Manual - LRFD
for additional guidance on submission and review of retaining/sound wall layouts.
  • Preliminary Storm Drain Layouts
     - In cases where the Districts need assistance, the hydrologic and hydraulic calculations of the storm drain system may be submitted to DES – H&H Section for preliminary review and approval.
Preliminary PS&E Design Reviews by DES:
At the District’s request, DES will review preliminary roadway PS&Es at the Initial (30%) and Detailed (60%) milestone submissions. Submission should be early in the process to not delay delivery of the project.
  • 2R projects
     - Submit Page 3 of Form 1002, typical sections, and a crash analysis.
  • 3R projects not requiring ROW acquisition
     - Submit Page 3 of Form 1002, typical sections and Alignment Data Sheets or P&P sheets.
    • If the geometric information is not required in the PS&E because the scope of work is such that the contractor does not need to reconstruct those areas (scope of work is widening only with no alignment changes) the District may choose to submit the Alignment Data Sheets which show the geometric data for the project so that design criteria can be verified instead of recreating the plan and profile sheets.
  • 3R projects which require ROW acquisition and all 4R projects
     - Submit Page 3 of Form 1002, Design Summary Report (DSR), approved geometric schematic and Detailed (60%) milestone PS&E.
6.2.2.4 Traffic Safety Division Preliminary Reviews and Approvals
  • Signal Authorizations
    • Signal Warrant Process.
       All proposed traffic signal installations must conform to the accepted warrants as listed in the
      Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (TMUTCD)
      . A traffic signal cannot be installed unless at least one of the nine established warrants can be met. The department’s policy on highway traffic signals was established with Commission Minute Order No. 85777 (June 29, 1982). Detailed information concerning the required data for traffic studies can be found in TxDOT’s
      Traffic Signals Manual
      .
    • Traffic Signal Authorization Form.
       After determining a signal is warranted and the traffic study is complete, a
      Traffic Signal Authorization Form
      must be submitted to the District Engineer for approval. A copy of the approved form should be sent to the TRF Division.
  • Agreements
    • Railroad Agreements.
       When any part of a TxDOT project is within or adjacent to the railroad ROW, execution of an agreement with the railroad company will be required. These agreements will usually require an
      Exhibit A
      , which is a plan showing the work to be done which affects the railroad, and the responsibilities concerning who (State or railroad) will do this work. Small projects (seal coats, re-planking jobs, etc.) will generally require only a simplified letter-type agreement. Contact the District Railroad Coordinator for assistance.
      The review and approval process takes a considerable amount of time (approximately 1-2 years)
      . The RRD Division recommends that agreement negotiations begin during the early stages of the design.
    • Signal/Illumination Agreements
      . Refer to TxDOT’s
      Traffic Signals Manual
      and TxDOT’s
      Highway Illumination Manual
      , respectively, for detailed explanations and copies of the agreements.

6.2.3 Engineering Review Checklist

The
PS&E QC Milestone Checklist
should be used to review and document all milestone submittals:
  • Initial (30%);
  • Preliminary Bridge Layout Review (PBLR);
  • Detailed (60%);
  • Final (90/95%);
  • Sealed – (100% submission to the District); and
  • RTL – (100% submission to DES-FPP).
At a minimum, the documentation for the last engineering review must be retained until replaced by an updated review. Final engineering reviews must be retained as part of the final project documentation.
During the review process for all projects, these items should be checked and/or verified:
  • Previous approval of:
    • Typical sections;
    • Geometrics;
    • Pavement design;
    • Design exceptions, waivers, variances, deviations;
    • Bridge layouts (PBLR);
    • Traffic Control Plans; and
    • Hydraulic calculations.
  • All required agreements have been executed.
  • Clarity of information on plan sheets
    . Plan Sheets should be checked for clarity of information. All quantities should be checked item by item.
  • Use of correct bid codes and method of measurements
    . Estimate should be checked to make sure the correct bid codes and method of measurements are used. All quantities from the plan sheets should be reflected on the estimate. Estimated unit bid prices should reflect carefully determined prices using engineering judgement. Make sure measurements for “contractor information” are clearly labeled, non-pay items.
  • TxDOTCONNECT Estimate
    . Estimate must be sealed in TxDOTCONNECT. The proposal cannot be built if estimate is not sealed.
  • Specification List
    . Specification List should reflect the latest applicable special provisions, specifications and reference items.
  • General Notes for clarity, redundancy, and conflicts
    . General Notes should be reviewed for clarity, redundancy, and conflicts.
Refer to the
PS&E QC Milestone Checklist
for detailed information on engineering milestone reviews.
The PS&E QC Milestone Checklist, or other District approved checklist, should be completed and documented for each milestone review and retained in ProjectWise in the project record.