Materials
When is this applicable for your project?
Construction projects will always need the expertise and input from the Materials Branch to ensure the items incorporated in the project perform well and meet federal and state requirements.
What are the Roles and Responsibilities in this arena?
The Materials (Regional) unit recommends roadway materials and advises structure and pavement design. They will supply two key pieces of the project's design: 1) the Pavement Design Report (PDR), which will recommend the roadway typical section(s) for the project, and 2) any Materials specifications, which will control the nature of what is to be incorporated into the project. The Pavement Design Manual contains the methodology followed by Materials in creating 1); additional detail for how this deliverable is put together is available in that document. Additional reference on materials requirements and testing procedures that tie into 2) can be found in the Field Materials Manual.
Much of the actual site investigations, deliverables, and analysis to arrive at materials determinations will be done by the RME and their staff, but the PM is responsible for coordinating scope, schedule, and changes with them. The PM also needs to supply them with necessary project information to help focus on the investigations. These recommendations then all need to be incorporated in the plans. The HQ Geotechnical Branch does overlap in areas with the Region Materials scope, and they often work in conjunction, but the Gotechnical Branch is identified as a separate group with its own unique deliverables and responsibilities.
Red Flags:
Procurement Management (resources for drilling and testing)
Schedule impact with any scope changes (for example: new structure identified, results in added borings and analysis)
Pavement Design Report may take longer depending on the outcome of the Life Cycle Cost Analysis, a required part of all PDRs. (full design of alternatives and/or Pavement Type Selection Committee involvement may be required)
