INSPECTION SERVICES PROVIDED TO COUNTIES, CITIES, AND OTHER STATE AGENCIES
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this Instructional Memorandum is to outline the procedures to be followed for materials quality assurance inspection and other materials associated services performed for counties, cities, and other state agencies. This is in accordance with the Code of Federal Regulations, Code of Iowa, the Iowa Administrative Code, and the Iowa Department of Transportation Policies and Procedures Manual.
The level and type of review required depends on the category to which the project belongs, as defined below:
Category:
1. Federally Funded County and City Road, Street, and Bridge Projects.
· Surface Transportation Program (STP-S, STP-U, STP-A, CS-TS-STP-U, STP-S-TS)
· Highway Demonstration Program (HDP, DE, DPI, DE-RP, DPR)
· Highway Bridge Program (BROS, BHOS, BRM, BHM, BRS, BHS, BR-RP)
· Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP, HSIPX, HSIP-S)
· Emergency Relief (ER)
· Transportation Community System Preservation Program (TCSP)
· Iowa’s Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP-T, TAP-U, TAP-R) for projects on the highway, such as the addition of bike lanes, paved shoulders, culvert underpass, etc. directly adjacent to existing pavement.
· Other discretionary programs that are Federal-aid through FHWA.
2. Federally Funded County and City Non-highway Projects.
· Transportation Enhancement (STP-E, STP-ES, STP-ES-E)
· Federal Recreational Trails (NRT)
· National Scenic Byways (SB-IA)
· Transportation Enhancement Earmarks (EDP)
· Iowa’s Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP-T, TAP-U, TAP-R)
· Other discretionary programs that are Federal-aid through FHWA, for Non-highway projects.
3. State-assisted projects or cooperative projects involving through traffic lanes on primary roads, including turn lanes and other work within the primary right-of-way that will be owned and maintained by the Department.
· U-STEP/C-STEP (UST, CST)
· RISE (RC, RM, RFM, RP, RPX, RCX, RFMX, RP-M)
· Traffic Safety Improvement Program (CS-TSF, FM-TSF)
· Parks and Institutional Roads and other State agencies (SP, BR, DHS, DC, SFB, SCG)
4. Farm-to-Market, Local, or State-assisted projects on county roads or city streets that do not involve any work on primary highway through traffic lanes or turn lanes that will be owned and maintained by the Department.
· Farm-to-Market (FM, LFM)
· RISE (RC, RCX, RM, RMX, RFM, RFMX, RP-M)
· Traffic Safety Improvement Program (FM-TSF, L-TSF, CS-TSF)
· State Bridge (SBRC, SBRM, SBRFM)
· State Recreational Trails (RT)
· Curb Ramp Program (ADA)
· Federal-aid Swap (BHM-SWAP, BHOS-SWAP, BHS-SWAP, BRM-SWAP, BROS-SWAP, BRS-SWAP, STBG-SWAP, ICAAP-SWAP, HSIP-SWAP)
· 100% Locally funded city or county projects let at the Department (L, CS). Note: 100% locally funded city or county projects that are let locally have no Department involvement in any aspect of the project development or construction.
Project materials quality assurance inspection services and other materials associated services provided to counties, cities, and other state agencies will be billed to them. For Category 2-4 projects, a written request outlining the services requested must be submitted from the Contracting Authority to the DME. A copy will be forwarded to the Construction and Materials Bureau. For Category 1 projects no written request is required.
A. Invoicing for Materials Inspection.
The Construction and Materials Bureau will invoice counties and cities as follows:
1. Invoicing for project inspection costs will be based on a cost per test basis, which is calculated at the beginning of the calendar year using a running average of the previous four years' cost and work experience. These rates shall apply to inspection performed during that calendar year. Invoicing for requested investigations or surveys for location, quantity, or quality of material resources will be based on actual total time, mileage and expense costs incurred in the investigation or survey.
2. For Federal Aid and County Farm to Market and qualifying State-Assisted Projects, the invoices will be prepared and forwarded to the Finance Bureau for all inspection performed upon processing of the project final estimates.
3. For other projects, except when other arrangements are made, an invoice will be prepared at the end of the calendar year and forwarded to the Finance Bureau for all inspection performed to date on the basis of contract quantities. If a county or city wishes to be billed at the completion of a project they must notify the District Materials Engineer of the project completion and request a billing.
4. When source inspection is performed by other agencies or by consultant, the local agency will be invoiced the actual costs incurred.
B. Equipment Calibration
The DME may assist the local agency in witnessing the calibration of PCC and HMA plant equipment for Category 1-3 Projects and for Category 4 projects (FM and Federal-aid Swap projects only).
C. Source Inspection
1. The DME and the Construction and Materials Bureau will assist the local agency with the source inspection listed in IM 204 as well as aggregate sources. When required or requested the Construction and Materials Bureau will arrange for inspection of materials furnished from outside the State of Iowa in areas where normal routine inspection service is available either by Iowa DOT personnel, other agencies, or consulting firms. For Category 2, 3 and 4 projects, source inspection will include inspection for precast and prestressed concrete bridge units (Specification Section 2407 items) unless specifically requested by the local agency to be excluded from inspection.
2. For Category 1 Projects, the source inspection requirements of IM 205 and IM 204 will be followed.
3. For Category 2 Projects, the DME, when requested, will perform the source inspection tasks in IM 204.
4. For Category 3 Projects (except FM) the DME, when requested, will perform the source inspection tasks in IM 204.
5. For Category 4 Projects (All Projects), the DME, when requested, will perform the source inspection tasks in IM 204.
D. Project Inspection
1. For Category 1 Projects, the inspection requirements of IM 205 and IM 204 will be followed.
2. For Category 2 Projects, the DME, when requested, will perform the DME tasks in IM 204.
3. For Category 3 Projects except FM, the DME, when requested, will perform the DME tasks in IM 204.
4. For Category 4 Projects (FM and Federal-aid Swap projects only), the DME, when requested, will perform limited testing.
a) HMA mix design paper review or evaluation of test strip results.
c) Verification testing of asphalt binder will be done the first day and then one test per week maximum.
d) Verification testing of loose cold in place recycling will be done at a rate of one test per day maximum.
e) Verification testing of stabilizing agent will be done at a rate of one sample per week maximum.
f) Verification testing of smoothness may be done at the rate in IM 204.
g) QMC, BR, HPC-D or C-SUD mix design paper review
h) For SWAP projects with no Federal funding, verification samples or monitor samples sampled by the DME are not required. The Contracting Authority may conduct verification sampling normally conducted by the local District Materials Office. When requested these samples may be tested by the Iowa Department of Transportation Central Materials Laboratory. The Contracting Authority may transport the sample to the local District Laboratory who will in turn provide transportation of the sample to the Central Laboratory (a nominal fee will be changed for shipping of the sample), or the Contracting Authority may deliver the sample to the Central Lab.
Certification by the DME on form 830436 or 640003 will be based on the category. The form 830436 has qualifying statements that are to be used by the DME depending on the level of audit. The Construction and Materials Bureau does not send a certification to the FHWA on local agency projects.
A. Certification
1. For Category 1 Projects, the local agency will certify the work was completed in substantial compliance with the plans and specifications, including the materials incorporated.
The DME will sign the form 830436 with the qualifying statement marked if appropriate based on the level of audit performed.
2. For Category 2 Projects, the local agency will certify the work was completed in substantial compliance with the plans, specifications, and agreements (when applicable).
The DME will not sign the form 830436. The Iowa DOT Administering Office will sign, acknowledging acceptance by the project engineer for the materials certification.
3. For Category 3 Projects, the local agency will certify the work was completed in substantial compliance with the plans and specifications, including the materials incorporated.
The DME may be required to sign form 640003. The DME may designate specific materials or contract items that have been reviewed.
4. For Category 4 Projects that are state assisted or that are FM or Federal-aid Swap, the local agency will certify the work was completed in substantial compliance with the plans, specifications, and agreements (when applicable).
No DME signature is required.