Common Situations and Issues in Large Diameter Pipeline Projects

As a large regional utility agency, the Trinity River Authority of Texas has a capital improvement program that spends hundreds of millions of dollars each year in treatment plant and large diameter pipeline construction projects. For this work, the Authority uses numerous engineering consultants and construction companies to design and construct these projects. As such, what can be learned from the design and construction, especially for situations that repeatedly occur from project to project? This paper will present issues and situations that are regularly and frequently found, as well as guidelines and best practices to use to improve project quality and schedules. Included in this paper will be materials, equipment, and procedures that are sometimes are misunderstood in their use and applications, together with practical recommendations for their engagement. In addition, this paper will examine legal issues and construction law topics that are common to pipeline projects, as well as suggested protocols in the course of a project.