ARTICLE 14 - CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATIONS & PROCEDURES
14.1 General Requirements
14.1.1 Unless otherwise provided in these Regulations, street construction shall be in conformance with Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction (2004) published by the Rhode Island Department of Public Works, Division of Roads and Bridges. When there is a conflict between the requirements of these Regulations and other requirements adopted here by reference, the requirements of these Regulations shall govern.
14.1.2 Soil erosion prevention and sediment control measures required by these Regulations shall be in conformance with the Rhode Island Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook, published jointly by the R.I. Department of Environmental Management and the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
14.1.3 Streets shall be constructed only by contractors who are approved by the Department of Public Works.
14.1.4 The Director of Public Works shall have the authority to approve the use of alternative materials or construction methods if he or she finds that the proposed alternative construction method is consistent with the intent of these Regulations, or that the proposed alternative material is at least equal in quality to the required material and is suitable for the intended use.
14.2 Construction procedures
The property owner shall be responsible for ensuring that all contractors and subcontractors adhere to the following procedures.
14.2.1 Pre-construction meeting
At least seven (7) days before the start of construction of any subdivision improvements, the property owner or his representative and the on-site project manager shall meet with the Director of Public Works to review the approved plans and discuss construction schedules, coordination with utilities, and construction and inspection requirements.
14.2.2 Notification before construction begins
At least forty-eight (48) hours before the beginning of each phase of construction for which an inspection is required, the on-site project manager shall notify the Director of Public Works.
14.2.3 Required inspections.
Inspection and approval by the Director of Public Works or his or her agent is required for the following phases of construction:
a) Staking of street right of way in preparation for clearing and grubbing.
b) Placement of erosion control measures.
c) Clearing trees from street right of way.
d) Grubbing of street right of way
e) Spreading and compacting of street sub-base and preparation of shoulders.
f) Installation of stormwater control improvements.
g) Installation of water lines.
h) Spreading and compacting of the street asphalt surface and, if sidewalks are being constructed, application of the surface course on sidewalks.
i) Final grading, spreading of loam, seeding, and landscaping of shoulders, including planting of street trees.
j) Setting of monuments.
The Director of Public Works has the authority to require inspections at other times to ensure that construction is taking place in conformance with the approved plans and with these Regulations.
14.2.4 Request for inspection
When an inspection is required, the on-site project manager shall contact the Department of Public Works to request the inspection. The Public Works Director or his agent shall perform the inspection within forty-eight (48) hours of the request, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, and shall issue an approval or disapproval in writing. No backfilling shall take place, and no work shall continue, until construction has been inspected and approved by the Director of Public Works. If work is done without notifying the Director of Public Works or without inspection, the Director of Public Works has the authority to order removal of the improvements at the applicant's expense.
14.2.5 Recording of as-built drawings
When construction of improvements is complete, the applicant shall submit a set of as-built drawings on Mylar to the Planning Department and a set of as-built drawings on paper to the Public Works Department. The Mylar as-built drawings shall be recorded in the Land Evidence Records at the applicant's expense. No performance bond shall be released until the as-built drawings have been submitted.
14.2.6 Construction litter and debris
All construction debris and litter shall be removed from the construction site. No garbage, trash, stumps, or construction debris shall be buried on the property.
14.3 Street construction
14.3.1 Clearing and grubbing
Before any street construction begins, the entire portion of the street right of way on which the travel surface and landscaped shoulders will be constructed, and on which utilities and drainage improvements will be constructed, as shown on the approved plans, shall be cleared and grubbed.
14.3.2 Preparation of the sub-base
a) Earth excavation: All road beds shall be excavated to a depth of not less than eighteen (18) inches. Clay, sand, gravel, loam, soft or disintegrated rock that can be removed without blasting, and boulders of less than one half (½) cubic yard in volume, shall be removed from the limits of the roadway and from any other area where improvements will be constructed.
b) Rock and ledge excavation: Excavation shall be to a depth of at least six (6) inches below sub-grade. Boulders of one half (½) cubic yard or more in volume shall removed. Ledge side slopes shall be four (4) feet vertical to one (1) foot horizontal.
c) The sub-base shall be thoroughly compacted with a ten-ton roller, true to the lines, grades, and cross-sections on the approved plans. All soft spots shall be excavated to firm material and brought to sub-grade with gravel or other approved material. The sub-base shall be cleared of mud and loose or foreign material, and shall be thoroughly dry before any aggregate is spread.
d) No rocks, boulders, or foreign material shall be buried within any street right of way or drainage area.
14.3.3 Application of the base course
a) The base course shall consist of at least fifteen (15) inches of bank run gravel, with cobbles no larger than four (4) inches in diameter. The base shall be placed in two equal lifts, with compaction by a ten-ton roller between lifts. Any depression that results from the rolling shall be filled and shaped until the base is true to cross section and grade.
b) A final course of processed gravel shall be applied as a top coat to the base course and compacted by a ten-ton roller. The processed gravel shall be three (3) inches deep and shall contain stones no larger than one and one-half (1½ ) inches in diameter.
c) Construction equipment and vehicles and other traffic are prohibited from using streets before bituminous concrete pavement is applied, final rolling and compaction take place, and the Department of Public Works verifies that grades are correct.
d) If the Public Works Director or his or her agent determines that the street base course is not suitable for application of paving material, he or she may require the application of a stabilizing agent before paving takes place.
14.3.4 Paving
a) A modified binder course of bituminous concrete (hot mix) shall be applied with a uniform thickness of at least three (3) inches, measured after compaction with a power roller.
b) A tack coat of RS-1 or SS-1 shall be applied before application of the finish course. The tack coat shall be applied at a rate of 0.05 gallons per square yard over the entire area to be paved.
c) The finish course shall be Type 1-1 surface course (hot mix). After rolling, the finish course shall have a uniform depth of two (2) inches and shall be smooth and free from rolling lines and blemishes.
d) Paving shall not take place under any of the following conditions:
i) when the underlying course contains frozen moisture,
ii) when the temperature of the underlying course is less than thirty-four (34) degrees Fahrenheit, measured in the shade,
iii) when the air temperature is less than forty (40) degrees Fahrenheit, or
iv) when steady rain is falling.
14.3.5 Curbs
Arterial streets shall have concrete, bituminous, or granite curbing. Collector and local streets shall have bituminous berm curbing. Straight-faced curbing shall be installed on fillet curves at intersections. Curbs shall be constructed to the specifications in Section 906.03 of the current RIDOT Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction.
(Adopted 4/25/17)
14.4 Drainage structures and improvements
14.4.1 Catch basins and manholes
a) Catch basins and manholes shall be pre-cast concrete masonry and shall be designed and engineered to satisfy the requirements of the approved plans with respect to size, location and capacity.
b) All pipe connections to manholes, catch basins, and similar drainage structures shall be made using flexible connections approved by the Director of Public Works or shall be sealed with Portland cement mortar.
c) Catch basin grates shall be standard square frame and shall be bicycle-safe. Catch basins shall have an inside diameter of at least four (4) feet and shall have a sump at least three feet deep below the invert of the outlet pipe.
d) Manholes shall be constructed of the same material required for catch basins. Manhole covers with frames shall be 26 inches in diameter. The cover shall be marked "DRAIN."
14.4.2 Pipe culverts and drain lines
a) Pipe culverts and drain lines shall be reinforced concrete pipe at least eighteen (18) inches in diameter and shall be laid with at least two and a half (2½) feet of cover over the top of the pipe. Each section of pipe shall have a firm bearing throughout its length. All joints shall be sealed with Portland cement mortar or shall have acceptable ring-type joints.
b) Smooth interior corrugated high density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe manufactured in accordance with the requirements of ASTM F2306, current edition, from virgin PE compounds that conform to the requirements of cell class 335400 C as required by ASTM D3350, current edition, may be used at locations other than under a street. Installation of HDPE pipe shall be in accordance with ASTM D2321, current edition.
14.4.3 Backfill material
Backfill material for drainage structures shall be free of loam, clay, vegetative material, organic material, construction litter, and cobbles larger than one and one-half (1½) inches in diameter. Backfill shall be placed in six-inch lifts, compacted with power tampers and vibratory compactors.
14.5 Pedestrian walkways adjacent to streets
14.5.1 Construction
a) Pedestrian walkways shall be constructed of Portland cement concrete to a depth of four (4) inches and reinforced with wire mesh, with scored joints every four and one half (4½) feet. An expansion joint made of preformed joint filler, caulked at the surface with a bead of Thoikol or approved sealer, shall be installed after every four scored sections.
b) Concrete shall be mixed, poured, and cured according to the standards adopted by the American Concrete Institute (ACI).
c) The finished grade of pedestrian walkways in relation to the street travel surface shall be that shown on the approved plans.
14.5.2 Ramps
Where pedestrian walkways are installed, pre-cast concrete curb wheelchair ramps meeting RIDOT specifications shall be installed at intersections.
(Amended 4/25/17)
(Adopted 9/9/03, amended 1/13/09, amended 4/25/17)