Page 11 - TunnelTalk Annual Review 2013

Table 2. Award and prequalified teams bidding the three new contracts
Regional Connector Proposals being evaluated
Dragados/Schiavone/Southland JV
Skanska USA/Kiewit/Traylor Bros JV Shea/Walsh/Parsons Transportation Group JV Shimmick/Obayashi/FCC JV
Purple Line extension - Segment 1
Proposals submitted by 19 December 2013
Impregilo/Samsung/Salini JV Shimmick/Obayashi/FCC JV Skanska/Traylor/Shea JV Dragados/Southland/Astaldi JV
Crenshaw/LAX Connector Awarded in May 2013 to the Walsh/Shea Corridor Constructors JV
Competing proposals from: Fluor/Balfour Beatty/SA Healy Skanska/Traylor/Kiewit JV URS/Dragados/Flatiron JV
Wilshire Boulevard Purple Line drive
• Dragados/Schiavone/Southland JV
• Regional Connector Constructors,
a JV of Skanska USA/Kiewit
Infrastructure West/Traylor Bros
• Shea/Walsh/Parsons Transportation
Group JV
• Shimmick/Obayashi/FCC JV
Award of the design-build contract, following evaluation and recommendation to the Board, was awaited at the end of 2013.
Purple Line Extension
Construction of the 9-mile extension of the Purple Line, from the current terminus station at Wilshire/Western to Century City and Westwood, is divided into three phases (Fig 3).
Preliminary design of the first phase of the extension by Parsons Brinckerhoff is now complete and four prequalified groups were invited to submit proposals for the design-build contract in June 2013, for submission by the 19 December 2013 due date. The prequalified groups are:
• Impregilo/Samsung/Salini JV as
Westside Transit Partners
• Shimmick/Obayashi/FCC JV
• Skanska/Traylor/Shea JV
• Dragados/Southland/Astaldi JV
In speaking of the decision by Metro to use design-build instead of design-bid- build, Metro Project Director Dennis Mori explained: “Metro has the experience to manage either procurement strategy. The previous Eastside Gold Line was procured under a hybrid scheme with design- build for the surface works and design- bid-build for the underground section. Before that, the North Hollywood Red Line underground extension through the Santa Monica Mountains was a design-bid-build procurement. Both were built and finished on time and within budget. While design- build for the Purple Line was a decision to reduce procurement time, the contract documents contain several prescriptive elements to ensure compatibility and integration with the existing infrastructure. The design-build approach by Metro has been very transparent, and the four design- buildprequalifiedteamshavebeensupplied with all the relevant preliminary design
information, including more than 3,000 CAD drawings. The underground works have also been developed using the CAD 3-D BIM (Building Information Modeling) approach and the CAD drawing files have been provided to the prequalified teams.”
Within the design-build concept, the TBMs for the running tunnels are specified as pressurized face TBMs (EPB or slurry TBMs) that must have certification for gassy ground operation and the ability to build the precast concrete bolted and gasketed segmental lining with strict control over any potential for surface movement. “Also, there will be no mined alternatives for the three open cut underground stations,” said Mori.
In July 2013 a $83 million, 11-year construction management support services contract (CMSS) was awarded to the Stantec- Jacobs Engineering partnership to cover construction of the Purple Line extension Section 1. Parsons Brinckerhoff will continue to provide design support services.
Award of the Purple Line Phase 1 contract is scheduled for May 2014 after confirmation of a Full Funding Grant Agreement from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), which is expected in early 2014.
With $6 billion of work currently in procurement, Metro will be spending about $4-5 million/day when construction on all three transit lines is progressing at the same time. “These are major capital investments,” said Murthy. “Construction costs are higher today than they were in the past. As well as higher equipment and materials costs, safety requirements are higher, labour regulations are higher, public demands on projects are higher, and higher commitments to more comprehensive Environmental Impact Statements all contribute to the project cost. All elements have a price tag. There will be a learning curve also for the international contractors in the bidding groups which will contribute to the ultimate turnout costs.”
“Among my flags of concern at this stage are for the individuals that are the nominated as the managers in the
competing groups,” Murthy continued. “There are specific qualifications for the top management individuals and stiff penalties to pay if those nominated in the successful proposals fail to join the project. Cooperative relationships are also needed among and with the client teams. This is promoted via the central integrated site offices for management of the contracts.”
Another concern for Murthy is to stay within the budget constraints. “There can be no bids over the budgets,” he said. “Value engineering will have to keep the costs of the projects within the budgets.”
To monitor the value and estimates of the new projects, Metro continues engagement of a peer review panel that comprises members of APTA, the American Public Transit Association. Metro also continues engagement of its independent Tunnel Advisory Panel of leading US engineers, which today comprises Geoff Martin, Harvey Parker and Ed Cording.
Further management and control is offered by appointment of a DRB (Dispute Resolution Board) and the inclusion of a GBR (Geotechnical Baseline Report) as a contract document for each project with a different writer of the GBR and different members in the DRB for each.
Despite the considerable cost, the three new lines are reported to have valuable public and political support. Previously ‘no-go’ urban areas, attract significant commercial and residential investment and for the travelling public, a 25-minute journey from downtown LA to Westwood on the extended Purple Line will be a welcome alternative to the slow crawl along Wilshire Boulevard. Metro managers and their engaged consultants and professionals are working overtime to get the lines built and into operation by their promised due dates. n
References
• Car capital takes to the underground - TunnelTalk, April 1988
• New start for LA Metro contracting - TunnelTalk, September 2005
From left: Fig 2. Regional Connector with three new underground stations; Fig 3. Heavy rail underground Purple Line extension
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