Monday, 8-8-11

This will be my last post of the summer. It has been a learning experience working for the Colorado Department of Transportation. I have learned a lot and have gained many new contacts for the future.

 Activities:

1. LV Preparing sub-grade on old W.B. Arapahoe Road, East of the bridge.

2. Hamon milling old W.B. Arapahoe Road, West of the bridge.

3. Hamon/Rocky Mountain Rod Busters setting rebar for retaining wall for S.B. Parker Road at the N.W. corner of the bridge.

4. WL working on removing conduit lines across what will be the new N.W. off-ramp. The conduit boxes were located in the wrong places.

5. JDR working on erosion embankment behind the shopping center at the N.E. area of the project.

6. Hamon placing retaining wall forms for activity 3.

7. Scott Contracting setting string-line & pavement equipment for main line S.B. Parker Road pavement, South of the bridge.

Friday, 8-5-11

Activities:

1. Hamon milling W.B. Arapahoe Road, West of the bridge.

2. Scott Contracting setting string line for new pavement of Parker Road, South of the bridge.

3. Hamon preparing ABC for new NW Off-Ramp pavement.

Thursday, 8-4-11

Activities:

1. Brondage Bone Concrete Pumping pouring concrete for the retaining wall footing. Northwest corner of the bridge.

2. Hamon milling the old W.B. Arapahoe Road.

3. 10:00 Scheduling Meeting.

4. JDR working on erosion control issues along N.E. On-Ramp adjacent to the Arapahoe Crossings Mall.

5. LV preparing Subgrade at the N.W. Off-Ramp.

6. Hamon placing ABC at the N.W. Off-Ramp.

Wednesday, 8-3-11

Activities:
1. Absolute Quality pouring median covering material at the S.W. Ramp and along N.B. Parker Road.

2. Hamon milling the old W.B. Arapahoe Road.

3. Rocky Mountain Rodbusters setting rebar for the retaining wall that runs along S.B. Parker Road. North of the bridge.

Tuesday, 8-2-11

Activities:

1. Absolute Quality pouring median covering material at the S.W. Ramp and along N.B. Parker Road.

2. Hamon milling the old W.B. Arapahoe Road.

3. Rocky Mountain Rodbusters setting rebar for the retaining wall that runs along S.B. Parker Road. North of the bridge.

Pictures of another project. These are pictures of the piles and pile caps. Another one is of the difference between the existing bridge and the new one being installed in its place. They were set to place girders here today, however, the concrete cylinders from the concrete used to pour the piles and pile cap has failed the crush test.

Monday, 8-1-11

Activities:

1. Hamon milling old W.B. Arapahoe pavement, East of bridge near the N.E. On-ramp.

2. Scott Contracting pouring concrete in median of Parker Road, South of the bridge.

3. WL working in traffic control box for the Araphoe Road & Parker Road intersection traffic lights. The intersection is hand-control by UTCs while WL installed a new surge suppressor. The previous suppressor was damaged by lightning.

4. LV working the sub-grade on what is the old W.B. Arapahoe Road area, East of the bridge.

5. LV removing soil pile between S.W. Slip Ramp & On-Ramp.

7. Hamon's structures crew setting forms for retaining wall footings along S.B. Parker Road detour, North of bridge. In the first picture the crew has the forms set for 9'-6" wide, which would be acceptable if the wall was to be 12' high. However, since the wall steps down 2' at the point in the picture, the wall will be over 14' high for each of the next four sections, which requires the footing be 11'-6" wide. This is shown in the second picture.

These are random pictures of the site. The first is the seeding and grubbing along the inside of the Loop Ramp. The second is of Scott's paving equipment that has been used for mainline Parker Road paving.



Friday, 7-29-11

Activities:

1. Scott Contracting pouring concrete for new median pavement on Parker Road, South of the bridge. Instead of using the forklift to extend a worker out to stab the dowels in the median, Scott brought a bridge instead.

2. Hamon milling what used to be W.B. Arapahoe Road, East of the bridge.

Thursday, 7-28-11

We had a traffic switch last night. We moved W.B. Arapahoe Road traffic to the new concrete pavement.

Activities:

1. Scott Contracting pouring concrete pavement in median of Parker Road. Approx. 100yds. We had to reject one truck due to an air content that was above our allowed limit. We allow 4% to 8% per sample. This truck was at around 9.4%.

Jim Capron from Hamon using a fork lift to stab dowels for the new Type-7 barrier that will be placed on top of the new median pavement.

2. Hamon milling what used to be W.B. Arapahoe Road, East of the bridge.

Wednesday, 7-27-11

Slow day today, we have a traffic switch coming up this evening where we will be moving W.B. Arapahoe Road traffic onto new pavement. The new pavement will eventually become the final configuration of E.B. Arapahoe Road, however, at this point the pavement will serve to carry W.B. Arapahoe traffic. This new set up can be seen in the picture below.

Activities:

1. Hamon moving barrier from W.B. Arapahoe Road to new pavement at E.B. Arapahoe Road, West of the bridge.

2. Scott Contracting cleaning and sealing joints between sections of new pavement at E.B. Arapahoe Road, West of the bridge.

3. Scott Contracting drilling tie-bars in existing pavement for the new pavement that will be placed in the median of Parker Road, South of the bridge.

4. Colby Striping laying out new traffic pattern and painting lines on E.B. Arapahoe pavement and the Ring Road.

5. Hamon bringing in millings for new base course for the concrete pavement that will be poured to make up new S.B. Parker Road up to the bridge.

6. LV building embankment and shifting soil at various locations around the project.

7. Concrete Coring Company saw cutting small portions of existing concrete pavement at the project limits South of the bridge.

Tuesday, 7-26-11

Activities:

1. Hamon milling existing asphalt to match new concrete pavement on E.B. Arapahoe Road. This pavement will carry W.B. Arapahoe traffic temporarily while the new pavement for W.B. Arapahoe Road is being installed.

2. Scott Contracting saw cutting new pavement on E.B. Arapahoe, West of the bridge.

3. LV preparing ABC on S.B. Parker Road for new pavement, South of the bridge.

4. Hamon sorting and crushing recycled asphalt and concrete that has been removed throughout different phases of the project.

Monday, 7-25-11

Activities:

1. WL Contractors installing temporary traffic signal poles for W.B. Arapahoe Road traffic in preparation for the upcoming traffic switch.

2. Absolute Quality pouring curb & gutter at the right-out portion of the Ring Road.

3. LV removing soil piles along side the SW On-Ramp.

4. Hamon preparing ABC for median pavement on Parker Road.

Since people (mainly my father) ask about where I work when I am on-site, I have posted a picture of my desk area inside the field trailer. Mine is the one on the right, Mike, our materials guy, is the one of the left.

Friday, 7-22-11

Activities:

1. LV building embankment for new S.B. Parker Road, up to bridge, North and South approaches to the bridge.

2. Absolute Quality pouring curb & gutter at the entrance to the ring road.

3. WL wiring new traffic signals in preparation for the upcoming traffic switch.

4. Hamon removing and preparing base course for new pavement that is to be placed in the median of Parker Road, South of the bridge.

5. Hamon drilling remaining dowel holes for the new curb & gutter at the entrance to the Ring Road.

Thursday, 7-21-11

Activities:

1. LV building embankment for new S.B. Parker Road up to bridge, North and South approaches to bridge.

2. Scott Contracting pouring remaining section of pavement, E.B. Arapahoe Road, West of the bridge.

3. Absolute Quality pouring curb & gutter along turn pocket, E.B. Arapahoe Road, East of the bridge.

4. JDR laying coconut blanket and rock socks at various inlets and other locations around the project.

5. Concrete Coring Company drilling holes in box culvert along N.B. Parker Road for installation of fencing.

6. Hamon drilling dowel holes for new curb & gutter that is a replacement for the damaged curb & gutter that was removed at the entrance to the Ring Road.

7. Scheduling meeting. Main item of discussion was the layout of the temporary striping for the upcoming traffic switch. Colby Striping representative out at the project for a walk through.

8. WL fixing traffic cameras as well as wiring new heads for W.B. Arapahoe Road traffic in preparation for the upcoming traffic switch.

Wednesday, 7-20-11

Activities:

1. LV building embankment for new S.B. Parker Road up to bridge, North & South of the bridge.

2. Hamon removing unsuitable/damaged curb & gutter at entrance to the Ring Road.

3. Scott Contracting pouring remaining portino of E.B. Arapahoe Road, West of the bridge.

4. ABC issue with a portion of the the paving. ABC was found to be deflecting too much. Pavement will be skipped at this point and will be proof rolled again tomorrow morning, as well as be poured tomorrow morning.

(The amount of deflection is visible here just to the left of the blue paint line.)

Tuesday, 7-19-11

Activities:

1. LV working embankments for South Parker Road, North & South of the bridge.

2. JDR working to resolve variouse erosion control issues throughout various areas of the project.

3. Urban Farmer spreading hay, throughout loop ramp and ring road areas.

4. Hamon preparing sub grade for last portion of new pavement of E.B. Arapahoe Road, West of the bridge.

5. 2:30 pm Proof Roll of the sub grade mentioned above.

Monday, 7-18-11

Activities:

1. Scott Contracting pouring last section of E.B. Arapahoe Road.

2. LV Contracting building embankment up for new S.B. Parker Road, South of the bridge.

During work this afternoon, the scraper LV was using got stuck in a watered down trench. I talked to the operator and apparently this happens all the time. I thought it was great, so I took a few pictures and a video. The pictures are where the scraper was stuck, the video is when the excavator came to help pull it out.

 

 

(Sorry the quality of the video isn't very good. Blogger isn't really helping.)

3. LV Contracting building embankment up for new S.B. Parker Road, North of the bridge.

4. WL Contractors wiring light boxes at several locations inside the loop ramp.
    *Conducted EEO interviews with three employees.

5. Hamon preparing subgrade for additional paving of E.B. Arapahoe Road, West of bridge.

6. Scott Contracting setting forms on of E.B. Arapahoe Road, West of bridge. See Above.
    *Conducted EEO interviews with two employees.

7. JDR Irrigation and Landscaping setting rock socks and hay bales, mitigating erosion control issues.

8. LV removing soil from median of Parker Road, South of the bridge.

9. Monthly Audit Review (MAR)

10. Scott Contracting drilling holes for dowel bars, new pavement at E.B. Arapahoe Road.

Friday, 7-15-11

Activities:

1. Hamon's structures crew pouring Type-7 Barrier under bridge in median, E.B. Arapahoe Road.

2. Scott Contracting hand pouring with rotating drum skreed at turn pocket, E.B. Arapahoe Road at paving limits, East of the bridge.

3. Hamon grading and performing drainage control on old N.B. Parker Road detour, South of the bridge.

4. WL tweaking wiring of bridge de-icing system, Northwest corner of bridge.

5. Hamon's structures crew drilling holes for new steel reinforcing in existing center lane of Parker Road, South of the bridge.

Thursday, 7-14-11

There was a large amount of rain yesterday so therefore no posting. However, that large amount of rain led to an interesting day today. It rained so much it caused erosion issues at several areas around the job site. The traffic control box that controls the traffic signals became submerged in water and shorted out. This caused the lights to go out and the intersection was dark for several hours. You can imagine the phone calls and email traffic as a result. Rain has been a huge headache to say the least. The below picture is what happens when a inlet is overwhelmed with rain water.

Activities:

1. Hamon's structures crew removing the Type-7 barrier forms from the concrete pour yesterday morning.

2. Hamon digging a drainage trench along the embankment for the new South Parker Road.

3. JDR fixing various areas of erosion blankets and rock socks that blew out as a result of the heavy rains from yesterday.

4. WL Contractors on-site fixing the signal timing at the intersection.

5. Force account work involving digging and replacing a pipe to properly drain water across access road and S.B. Parker Road detour.

Tuesday, 7-12-11

My apologies for the specs that are in most of these pictures. I take them with my Droid and apparently these specs, which look like tiny insects, will not come off no matter what I do in an attempt to clean the camera lens.

Activities:

1. LV removing soil from median of Parker Road.

2. Hamon structures crew pouring Type-7 Barrier in median of Arapahoe Road under the bridge.

3. WL setting traffic signals and masts on traffic poles at the Southwest On-Ramp.

4. LV scraping and removing soil for S.B. Parker enbankment, south of bridge.

Monday, 7-11-11

This week should be pretty uneventful as it is suppose to rain all day each day this week (as the ominous picture below illustrates.) I will try and get some pictures of this week's activities, however they may be pretty scarce.

Activities:

1. LV filling for enbankment for new S.B. Parker Road up to bridge level.

2. Hamon structures crew pouring last portion of "Sleeper T" slab for S.B. Parker Road @ the Northwest corner of the bridge.

3. Concrete Coring Company saw cutting c & g for removal in median of Parker Road, south of bridge.
ST +39.50 --> +46.00.

4. 11:45 a.m. Proof Roll on ABC subgrade for a small portion of new E.B. Arapahoe Road concrete pavement across from Walgreens.

5. Urban Farmer installing erosion blankets along various sections of the Ring Road.

6. WL Contractors intalling new traffic signals on the newly installed traffic poles @ the Southwest On-Ramp.

There is a lot of discussion regarding sustainability, green tech, and recyclable materials. On this job there is a large amount of material that is recycled and reused. Most of this material consists of the old asphalt and concrete that is removed. This material is being ground back up and used for the base course for the new concrete pavement. Below is a picture of the mountiains of removed material.

Friday, 7-8-11

Activities:

1. Concrete Coring Company saw-cutting existing curb & gutter for median removal near project limits on Parker Road.

2. LV preparing sub-grade on W.B. Arapahoe Road in preparation for Aggregate Base Course (ABC) and subsequent new concrete paving.

3. WL Contractors performing specific wiring checks and locations for new traffic poles at the S.W. On-ramp.

4. Scott Contractors moving large paving equipment from existing area of S.B. Parker Road, South of bridge, that will need to be built-up with soil.

A couple of postings ago I mentioned the "Sleeper T" slab that runs between the bridge approach slab and concrete pavement. Here is a picture below of the piece of steel that gets anchored into the concrete that holds the expansion joint material.

Pictured below is an idea I had for myself so that I could keep track of what concrete, curb & gutter, 6" sidewalk, and permanent type-7 barrier I have measured and paid for. When I came into this project it wasn't clear what items inspectors or engineers had measured and what still needed to be measured. This is to ensure that our pay estimate for the month of June would be an accurate reflection of the work actually performed in June. This way, for the items I have been assigned to measure, I can keep an accurate representation and track what I have measured and paid for.

Thursday, 7-7-11

It rained for most of the afternoon today so there wasn't much going on around the construction site. There were a few items that were continuing from yesterday that will probably be taking place each day for the next couple of posts. Sorry for the redundancies but it is still important for documentation.

Activities:

1. LV bringing in large amounts of soil in order to build up embankment and base for S.B. Parker Road North side of the bridge.

 2. Hamon milling W.B. Arapahoe Road, East of the bridge.

 

Wednesday, 7-6-11

Activities:

1. Lightning Ventures (LV) removing concrete pavement of N.B. Parker Road, South of bridge.

2. Hamon crew setting Type 7 barrier forms on N.E. corner of bridge @ the approah slab.

3. LV preparing base for concrete pavement on E.B. Arapahoe Road.
        *10:00 a.m. Proof Roll

4. WL Electrical working on the wiring for the new traffic poles at the S.W. on-ramp. These new traffic poles are visible in the photo above.

5. LV removing detour pavement on N.B. Parker Road, South of bridge.

6. Hamon milling asphalt of existing W.B. Arapahoe Road, East of bridge.

7. Urban Farmer grading and seeding in between N.E. ramp & N.B. Parker Road.

Thursday, 6-30-11 Post-Traffic Switch

Last night was a long night. After working a full day, I came back to the site at 7:00 p.m. to start measuring striping and assisting in decisions regarding new detour lanes and traffic patterns. While a traffic engineer had previously laid out how things should work, they never turn out to work as smoothly as everyone hopes.

The process of getting everything ready for traffic to move onto the bridge of N.B. Parker Road, as well as the new pavement that was placed on Arapahoe Road, turned out to be an incredibly long process. It was completed until 5:35 this morning, almost 10 hours after it was started.

Below is a picture of traffic on the new concrete pavement of Arapahoe Road. E.B. traffic was previously in the the middle lanes before moving all the way to the left.

Activities:

1. Absolute Quality pouring 6" Sidewalk along the newly opened Arapahoe Road lanes.

2. Lightning Ventures removing detour pavement  previously used by N.B. Parker Road traffic.

3. Project scheduling meeting.

4. Various message board placement and re-messaging.

Wednesday, 6-29-11 & Field Truck

Today there were a number of activities that were going on in preparation for the traffic switch that will take place later this evening. I will be heading back out to the site to monitor the change in traffic patterns to see if there are any problems that need to be resolved. It also occurred to me that I have mentioned my truck that CDOT gave to me to drive around. Here it is in all its glory. I used to have a much cooler light bar but it fell off while I was going around a curb. Now I have the 1970's single swivel special.

Wednesday's Activites:

1. Hamon Contractors (the prime on this project) putting class II finish on type 7 barrier on the Northeast ramp as well as the bridge.
2. Double D Construction pile-driving guardrail posts and placing guardrail as well as a 3G transition on Northbound Parker road at the bridge.

3. LV removing soil southeast of the Loop Ramp.
4. Hamon Contractors placing temporary type 7 barrier for Northbound and Southbound lanes across the bridge and Arapahoe Road.

5. Kolbe Striping placing temporary striping on Arapahoe Road, Loop Ramp, and Northbound Parker Road. The paint truck they used is pictured here.

6. Absolute Quality pouring curb & gutter as well as 6" sidewalk at various locations along Eastbound Arapahoe Road.
7. Hamon placing temporary light generators at various locations for the night work.
8. Measured 6" concrete sidewalk as well as temporary striping.