BIDDING STUDY

Alternate Designs Can Lower Bridge Costs

Access to competitive bid alternatives saves bridge owners considerable costs and creates more-efficient designs in concrete and steel

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he Route 440 bridge in Pulaski County, Ark., now under construction, provides a strong example of the savings available to highway departments when they make use of competitive bidding by providing broad access to the design process. The precast concrete bridge, which spans 1,127 feet with 75-foot precast concrete girders, cost approximately $4.23 million. That represents a savings of more than $100,000 (2.6 percent overall) from the lowest of two steel bids submitted, bids that were reduced dramatically from similar steel (the typical material used) bridges in the area. The savings resulted from the state highway department using an approach called Alternate Design to bid the project. The format, being used more often today in a number of states, essentially requires creating two designs for the bridge, one in steel and one in concrete. This allows contractors to bid whichever approach they can construct at the lowest cost, resulting in savings for the public and the creation of an effective and efficient bridge. Arkansas officials have used alternative bids for several projects, notes Dale Loe, head engineer in the bridge division of the Arkansas Highway & Transportation Department (AHTD). A recent one was for approaches to the Emmett Sanders Lock & Dam bridge near Pine Bluff, Ark., on which AHTD collaborated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In that case, the steel estimate came in at $15.8 million, while the precast version was bid at $12.5 million$1.4 million less than even the Corps had estimated

the precast version would cost. (For details on the project, see the sidebar.) We provide alternative designs on fairly large projects where the scope justifies the time needed to draw up the extra plans, and when we have the time

Alternate Design allows contractors to select the design that makes them more efficient.
to create the second set of plans, Loe explains. Its definitely beneficial to take the time to do the extra plans, but were often so pressed to get the drawings out so work can begin that we cant do it in every case. But we like to when we have the time.

Options Save Money

The reason for the departments encouragement of Alternate Design is easy to see: The concrete option for the Pulaski bridge project saved 62 cents per square foot over the steel option. And the steel option represented a dramatically lower bid than recent similar steel projects, says John Baker, president of CPI Concrete Products Inc. in Memphis, Tenn., which provided the precast components. Baker cites figures from the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Departments Weighted Average Unit Prices that show that the two steel bids on the project estimated the steel price at 57 cents and 59 cents per pound. Other Arkansas bridges bid in the previous year,

he cites, had an average steel price of between 77 cents and $1.10 per pound, with the weighted average bid price for steel coming in at 83 cents per pound. Even with the low pricing, the precast concrete bid came in lower. (For details on the project, see the sidebar.) Not every project bid by this type of competitive access winds up being built of precast concrete, Baker points out. But it does ensure that every project is built as efficiently as possible, with the savings being returned to the state and the public. Arkansas, as with some other states, also permits Contractor Value Engineering, an approach in which the contractor can redesign the project if he sees a better solution. The incentive for taking this initiative comes in being able to keep half the savings that results from the more efficient design. The obvious flaw, Baker points out, is that the state is receiving only half the savings in these cases. If the state were to use precast as alternate bids in these cases, it could receive all the savings on the front end as a result of the competition. Another approach to reaping the benefits of competitive access is through Contractor Alternate Design bidding. Instead of completing two Alternate Designs, the owner provides what he believes to be the most efficient design, but he also allows the contractor to initiate his own design efforts as the basis for his bid. The bidding documents control the limits and establish the rules for such Contractor Alternate Designs. Design engineers tend to think, after spending two or three years developing a

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project, that there is only one solution, notes Heinrich Bonstedt, Executive Director of the Prestressed Concrete Association of Pennsylvania, a regional marketing group of the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute. They lose sight of the fact that it was just one of many possible iterations of the owners design parameters that was used to arrive at their final solution. Sometimes a fresh set of eyes looking for a way to create a good, profitable job can find an additional iteration that can meet the owners needs at a better price. Value engineering, he points out, goes on during any design process. But its not generally attractive for the contractor after the bid. By then, the contractor is in a build-it-as-you-see-it mode, unless

Bids for the approaches to the Emmett Sanders Lock & Dam in Pine Bluffs, Ark., featured a Contractor Alternate Design option that saved $3.3 million over the projected cost of creating the bridge from steel.

Where Options Arise In Creating a Bridge

DEVELOPMENT/BUILDING PHASE CONTRACTING OPTIONS Project Planning Prioritizing/Programming Design-Build: Point-to-Point Preliminary Design Needs Analysis Engineer Scope Identification Environmental Scope Activity Environmental Class of Action Identification Preliminary Alternatives Development Detailed Alternative Review Environmental Impact Engineering Evaluation Pre-Final Design Right-of-Way Acquisition Utility Relocation Design-Build: Owner Services Provided Final Design TS&L (Type, Size & Location Study) Design-Build: Contractor Alternate Design Contracted Design Single Option Multiple Options Contracting Construct As Designed Construct As Alternatively Designed Contractor Alternate Design Shop Drawings Review Contractor Value-Engineering Quality Assurance Inspections Open Structure To Public Use

there was a mistake made in the original design or some significant new method became apparent since the design was created, he argues. Should the contractor have an innovative idea, he has to decide if the job can stay in limbo for the period needed to negotiate the division of the savings and get approvals and reviews for the proposal. Bonstedt and officials in the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation are major proponents of the Contractor Alternate Design approach.

It has shown itself to provide significant cost reductions without sacrificing the quality and integrity of the structures, Bonstedt says. (For more on Pennsylvanias experience, see the sidebar.) Contractor Alternate Design takes hold after the owner has completed conceptual designs during the Type, Size & Location study, he explains. It allows the designer to create a new approach as long as that design meets the requirements in the TS&L study and is based on the owners design standards. It relies on the contractor to take the lead in both the design and the construction effort, he says. Contractors are the logical choice to do this, he adds, because they traditionally have directed these projects and engage the other

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Contractor Alternate Design has shown itself to provide significant cost reductions.

design professionals. This is particularly true in public projects, where competitive bidding is required and owners prefer to work with companies with a strong financial status. Benefits accrue to both owner and contractor, Bonstedt stresses. For the owner, they include: reduction in bid prices, saving the public money; minimization of construction time;

Pennsylvania Benefits
The Pennsylvania Department of Highways has been allowing contractors to use alternate designs on selected projects since the 1960s. In 1979, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), recognizing that competition between materials would improve quality and reduce costs, began requiring at least two designs of competing materials on all major Federal projects. This resulted, in 1980, in Pennsylvania adopting special provisions to handle Contractor Alternate Design (ConAD) on all of its state projects. Since 1982, the state has routinely used ConAD bidding. The FHWA performed a study of the Pennsylvania process in 1986. It found: Bridges built with Contractor Alternate Designs still look like all other bridges, and they all meet the same load-carrying capacity with the required factor of safety. Designers and contractors have become more adept at using existing materials and technology, resulting in overall cost reductions without compromising safety, load capacity, or durability of the structure. Cost savings for major bridges was 10 percent and for minor bridges it was seven percent. Many more concrete bridges were being built than had been done before. A follow-up study in 1992 by Pennsylvania officials added these findings: The frequency of ConAD bids peaked in 1985, when 22 projects used this format. Designers were incorporating a number of ideas generated through the ConAD process into later designs. In this competitive environment, prestressed concrete bridges proved to be more economical. The process did not exclude any material (see below).

[Contractor Alternate Design] relies on the contractor to take the lead in both the design and the construction effort.
creation of a sense of partnership between owner and contractor; tapping into the latest design methodology in the industry; ensuring economic changes between initial design and bid are considered; rewarding contractors for their agility and ability to solve problems; taking advantage of the latest materials available; and ensuring the best design is executed. A contractor who wins a job with his skill and knowledge is much more likely to produce a quality product than one who had to cut profits to the bone to get the job, Bonstedt argues. Equal advantages apply to the contractor, he notes. These include: creating a basis for competition derived from the

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Pennsylvania Construction Using Contractor Alternate Design

As-Designed Structure Type Contractor Low-Bid Structure Type Contractor Alternate Design Low Bids Awards 1989 1990 1991 1992 8 1 0 1 0 10 5 0 0 2 0 7 1 0 2 1 1 5 0 0 2 0 0 2

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A contractor who wins a job with his skill and knowledge is much more likely to produce a quality product.
best solution rather than the cheapest price; rewarding innovation, agility and originality by the contractor to match innovative solutions to the problem at hand; fostering a sense of partnership with the owner and his suppliers; consideration of efficiency and best fit in fabricating plants; consideration of latest improvements in safety procedures; moving competition further back into

Prestressed Concrete Prestressed Concrete Prestressed Concrete Steel Steel Steel Timber Total Steel Prestressed Concrete Prestressed Concrete

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, 1992

Offering Contractor Alternate Design options in Pennsylvania often has changed the construction material ultimately used to create the bridge. Although changes occur with each type of material, more often than not prestressed concrete will be the material switched to.

This plan view shows the first five spans, comprising 35 girders, required in the Pulaski County bridge currently being finished in Arkansas. The project was bid using Alternate Design, which saved 2.6 percent ($108,000) over the lowest bid on the steel design.

the contractors supply channel; consideration for the availability of suitable equipment and allowing a contractor to benefit from equipment they own that others dont have; and accommodating a contractors bestconstruction operations.

Pulaski Project Shows Benefits

The precast concrete bridge currently under construction in Pulaski County will save Arkansas citizens more than $108,000 over the most inexpensive steel design proposed, according to Dale Loe, head engineer with the bridge division. The project involves two bridges, offering a 1,127-foot length with a 56-foot clear roadway. This was broken down into three 12-foot-wide lanes with 10foot shoulders. Seven AASHTO Type IV girders, each 75 feet long, make up each span. A full 30 spans15 for each of the twin bridgeswere required to span the space, totaling 210 girders in all. The girders sit on an A-shaped concrete pile trestle bent. I believe we could have used Type III beams on the project and created the same design using somewhat smaller and cheaper beams, says John Baker, president of CPI Concrete Products Incorporated in Memphis, Tenn. But the department tends to be conservative in its designs, and they decided against it. So in essence, we provided an overefficient design that still beat the steel alternative. The girders were set in the fall, with the deck top to be poured this spring. It was pretty standard construction to install the girders, Baker reports. The only unusual part was the bidding of an alternate design, which worked to nearly everyones ultimate advantage.

How ConAD Works

To make Contractor Alternate Design (ConAD) successful, the owner must provide detailed specifications to put bidders on an equal footing, Bonstedt says. The design must afford the widest possible range of construction methods but still ensure that quality and structural integrity remain uppermost. The specs also must retain such key parameters as alignment, width, and vertical and horizontal clearances. In this format, the owner supplies common design criteria and establishes the low-bid format with an allowance for Contractor Alternate Design bidding. He also provides rules for the bidding, which include a reasonable schedule for the submission of design computations and documentation. He also supplies designdevelopment information or As Designed bid documents. The contractor, upon receiving the contract under his ConAD, submits conceptual plans and a schedule for the proposed design for approval, which the owner then approves when satisfied they meet all requirements. The contractor

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then prepares the final plans, provides all design calculations and establishes a Required Items schedule. To ensure owners retain control over the design and to prevent the public from being inconvenienced, additional elements should be included in the proposal, Bonstedt notes. Among these should be an agreement by the contractor that anything additional that is required to complete the ConAD

remains his responsibility. This includes everything from environmental permit approvals to utility coordination. The contractor also must agree that any delays in submission or approval are entirely the contractors fault. The design documents also must stipulate that the final plans have been prepared by a registered professional engineer familiar with the owners standards and criteria. The owner also

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Five beams were set on concrete piers supported by prestressed piles to frame the 40foot-wide concrete roadway at the Emmett Sanders Lock & Dam project.

may want to reserve the right to approve or reject the contractors designer. There also should be a section outlining that

To make Contractor Alternate Design successful, the owners must provide detailed specs to put bidders on an equal footing.
the contractor will cover the owners administrative costs by paying a review fee. In addition, it should be included that if the contractors solution fails to meet the owners specified design criteria, the contractor will construct the As Designed version for the amount bid. An As Designed structure is always a compromise created to open the bidding to enough companies to keep the design competitive, Bonstedt notes. As such,

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These beam drawings from the Pulaski Country, Ark., bridge now being finished show the precast concrete alternate to steel that was used. The project followed standard construction methods yet still saved $108,000 over the steel alternative.

Reinforcement patterns in piers at the Pulaski County project follow fairly typical designs. Arkansas officials allowed this project to be bid using Alternate Design due to its size and budget ($4 million).

What Could Go Wrong?

Critics of the Contractor Alternate Design process argue that it leads to wasted design fees, construction delays, loss of control, increased claims and other hypothetical problems, notes Executive Director Heinrich Bonstedt of the Prestressed Concrete Association of Pennsylvania. All of these can be eliminated with a well-designed process, and in most cases are misconceptions. Heres why: Wasted Design Fees: ConAD does not start with a blank sheet of paper, Bonstedt says. Typically, it is simply an adjustment to an original design to better fit the contractor and his suppliers. The waste would come if the original, inefficient design were built. The contractors bid includes costs for preparing the design and review fees, which still must compete with other options. Delays & Timing Constraints: Job delays should be rare because much of the design work is conceptually done prior to bidding, and most is completed before the contract is awarded. Pennsylvanias 35-year history with the process has shown no difficulties with delays. Loss of Control: Control can be maintained by spelling out the rules clearly in the bidding documents. These should list the essential functional requirements of the structure and note any special considerations, just as is done with any design prospectus. Liability: The contractor remains responsible, with his consultant acting as just another sub-consultant. As long as we continue to design and construct our bridges using the best available information and professional judgments, the bridge will never know whether it was designed by a consultant hired by the owner or the contractor, Bonstedt notes. Limiting Options: ConAD opens the process to many more options. Options that were investigated previously by the original designers but not pursued should not be precluded, as long as such an option does not impair the essential function of the structure.

Emmett Sanders Locks Up Savings Using alternate designs as a basis for bidding on the approaches to the Emmett Sanders Lock & Dam bridge in Pine Bluff, Ark., created a final precast concrete design costing $12.5 million. That was well below the $15.8 million estimate for a steel design and even $1.4 million below initial estimates for precast. We thought all along that the concrete would produce a cost savings, said Bob Oberle, a structural engineer with the Corps Little Rock District. The additional savings was an indication of how effective alternate bids can be. The approaches were a separate project from the actual bridge, which created a bypass option around Pine Bluffs congested town center. The south approach is 1,260 feet long, while the north approach runs 6,270 feet. The 415 precast girders, each 4.5 feet deep AASHTO Type IV girders, are 90 feet long except for five that measure 60 feet long. Manufactured by CPI Concrete Products Inc. in Memphis, Tenn., the girders were delivered by truck and hoisted into place atop cast-inplace concrete piers and pier caps by a 165-ton crane. The 90-footlong units weigh about 74,000 pounds each, while the 60-foot units check in at 50,000 pounds each. For more details on the project, see Precast Bridge Approaches Put Dent in Steel Alternative in the Winter 1995 ASCENT.
it doesnt produce a superior design. Contractor Alternate Design allows each supplier to maximize his competitive advantage. Specifications should be a minimal hurdle over which sufficient competent bidders can jump. They should not limit the pursuit of quality. ConAD raises the level of quality in every case. There are many contractors who would welcome the opportunity to put together a team to evaluate other design iterations and options on these projectsespecially when it benefits them so directly. Craig A. Shutt

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