HATCH MOTT.
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“The area had a number of protected
species living around it, such as burrowing
owls and giant garter snakes,” URS Vice
President of Water and Wastewater
Dwayne Deutscher says. “Our method
of tunneling reduced potential impact
on these species.”
Maintaining Momentum
Hatch Mott MacDonald, acting as Sacra-
mento Regional County Sanitation
District’s construction manager, says
the firm strives to minimize any poten-
tial scheduling issues by maintaining
clear communication among all disci-
plines involved in the project.
“We have regular meetings with mem-
bers of the team at various levels, from
project management to field staff,” says
Patrick Doig, construction manager for
Hatch Mott MacDonald.
Although using PVC on the project
may present an initial added cost, the
client’s future savings are considerable.
“PVC is considered an economic material
because it will help to extend the life of
the facility while reducing maintenance
costs,” Doig says. “This has been an invest-
ment well worth making, and the owner
has been very pleased so far.”
General contractor Traylor-Shea Joint
Venture has implemented a stringent
safety program that ensures employees
comply with Cal-OSHA standards.
“This is a very proactive safety pro-
gram,” Doig says. “The contractor has
full-time safety managers on each shift at
all times.
“There is also an overall safety pro-
gram, where employees take part in
weekly safety meetings and daily brief-
ings,” he continues. “We also have a com-
mittee made up of construction workers
and client representatives, which meets
once a month.
“We have enjoyed a great team effort
on this project, and – as a result of every-
one’s hard work – we have been able to
overcome any potential safety and envi-
ronmental challenges.”
Successful Partnering
The team also emphasizes the importance
of partnering on the job, and hired a facili-
tator to manage this aspect of the project,
Doig adds.
FEBRUARY 2009
BY THE NUMBERS
■ 19,300 feet of 144-inch inside
diameter segmental pipe
■ 54 feet of 120-inch ID interceptor pipe
■ 20 access manholes spaced 1,000 feet
apart
■ Three connections to existing sewer
lines
“Our focus on partnering on this project
has been very successful,” Doig explains.
“We meet with an outside consultant three
or four times per year throughout the
course of the project and perform periodic
surveys of the project team.
“This allows the staff to give us a clear
idea of how the job is going,” Doig con-
tinues. “These surveys are discussed in
our meetings, and we try to address any
issues that might arise.”
As a result of this partnering effort, the
team eliminated the need for caulking tun-
nel segments. “The contractor suggested
we eliminate this step, because PVC is
welded over the joint,” Doig asserts. “This
ultimately generated a credit to the project
and helped the schedule.” ■
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