Staying Ahead of the Curve: Pre-Contract Best Practices for High Value Specialty Projects of Buried Pipelines

Trenchless specialty work carries inherent quality risks that can be managed through proper upfront vetting of contractor qualifications and field experience by requesting specific information to be submitted concurrent with standard bid documents. These submittals with bid may include, but are not limited to, testing describing the repair materials’ physical, mechanical, and environmental qualities, constructor and manufacturer qualifications, draft design approach, site specific safety documentation, etc. Owners, engineers, and consultants benefit from understanding the goals of these submittal requirements and how their requisite placement within the project timeline could affect key project parameters such as installation quality, design robustness, and total budget. In this technical paper, we aim to (1) provide a risk-based weighted approach to bid package evaluations and contractor selection (considering qualifications, price, and schedule); (2) define suggested qualifications to be submitted with bid, and the basis for inclusion within said bid; and (3) discuss an innovative approach for the procurement of high value specialty projects.