Attachment 2_Proposal from NCERichmond, CA
501 Canal Blvd., Suite I
Richmond, CA 94804
(510) 215‐3620
March 3, 2021
Janice Chin, Assistant Engineer
Town of Los Gatos, Parks and Public Works Department
41 Miles Avenue
Los Gatos, CA 95030
(408) 399‐5770
Proposal sent via email to:jchin@losgatosca.gov
Proposal for On‐Call Civil Engineering Services – TLG #20‐811‐0008 Shannon Road Repair
Dear Ms. Chin and Members of the Selection Committee:
INTRODUCTION
NCE is pleased to provide the Town of Los Gatos (Town) our proposal to provide civil engineering services
for the Shannon Road Repair Project (Project). As we lead the completion of the Geotechnical Alternatives
Report (GAR) for this project we appreciate the opportunity to continue our work with the Town towards
completing construction documents for stabilizing the embankment and roadway.
Based on our previous work at the site, the Shannon Roadway embankment has been experiencing
ongoing slope creep and movement resulting in pavement cracking and localized failures requiring
ongoing maintenance by Santa Clara County (County) and now the Town. This is mainly the result of
colluvial and fill soils that are susceptible to slope creep and movement from an over steepened roadway
embankment in combination with original fill materials used to construct the roadway likely not be
compacted, keyed, and benched properly to current standards.
Given the severity of recent cracking and how quickly cracking occurred after prior maintenance,
completing construction of this roadway repair is critical to prevent additional roadway damage and
additional repairs and maintenance the current two stabilization alternatives presented in our Report to
the Town include a (i) MSE wall in combination with soldier pile and lagging wall and (ii) soldier pile and
lagging wall. Each of them addresses the site’s unique geological conditions, site access, and general site
constraints.
As an unplanned project receiving resources from the Town’s capital improvement program, embankment
stabilization also diverts resources from projects which are already planned. Furthermore, as a central
thoroughfare for motorists and bicyclists in the eastern part of the community, Shannon Road provides
access to a significant portion of the Town’s residents. If the ongoing instability persists, it threatens the
connection of this part of the Town with the rest of the community.
NCE has hand selected the right team to assist the Town with delivering the Shannon Road Repair Project
as we have direct knowledge and experience with project site; excellent working relationship with the
Town backed by the repeated ability to deliver; infrastructure, roadway, and pavement engineering design
expertise; and a talented multidisciplinary team with innovative ideas for solving the challenges of this
site. NCE’s strength on this project is a carefully integrated and coordinated team with inhouse skillsets
including civil engineering and pavement design that we supplement with long‐time trusted teaming
partners like Cal Engineering & Geology (geotechnical/structural), Fehr & Peers (traffic control), and
Mountain Pacific Surveys (surveying).
ATTACHMENT 2
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Additionally, the NCE team will be led by proposed Project Manager, Lee Taubeneck, PE, who will be
responsible for day‐to‐day project management. Lee brings extensive experience working on road
widening projects in planning, design, QA/QC, ROW, utility, RFA and programming phases. Lee will be
supported by Ryan Shafer, PE, GE, Principal of NCE’s Richmond office. Ryan will serve as Client Sponsor
and will provide project oversight. Ryan has a solid integrated civil and geotechnical background and is
knowledgeable and experience with the Town’s infrastructure. In short, by selecting NCE, the Town will
benefit from existing working knowledge of the site our ability to start and complete the design of this
project quickly, ability to introduce cost saving designs (e.g., recycling roadway materials in‐place and
avoiding utility relocation/conflicts with wall design and planned excavation depths), and decades of
diverse and considerable engineering experience delivering these types of projects.
FIRM QUALIFICATIONS
NCE is a client‐focused professional consulting firm integrating the disciplines of engineering, science, and
planning to address the infrastructure and resources challenges facing our communities today and in the
future. NCE has grown significantly in expertise and capabilities beyond its origin as a transportation
research and pavement management firm working with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). NCE
delivered civil engineering and pavement design services for scores of California municipalities. NCE is
adept in delivering comprehensive civil engineering and pavement design projects. The NCE team
provides the following benefits and distinguishing features:
Familiarity with local regulations and working with the Town on capital improvement projects
including the Shannon Road Embankment Stabilization.
Knowledge and demonstrated pavement rehabilitation design expertise from designing
thousands of local streets and roadways throughout California, Nevada and the West Coast.
Highly qualified interdisciplinary team of professionals that have worked together on multiple
projects involving conception, regulatory compliance and permitting, environmental documents,
through design and construction monitoring.
Technical resources with an in‐depth understanding of sustainability, safety, community needs,
and environmental constraints.
Tailored approach with cost‐effective strategies and practical solutions that promote cost savings,
reduced construction disruptions/impacts, constructability, and that can be readily implemented.
Responsive staff with proven experience in all facets of engineering, including applicable state
and federal standards.
PROJECT OFFICE LOCATION
The NCE team is capable of seamlessly conducting the Town’s scope of work for this contract. Our project
manager has the demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex assignments and are supported by a
highly qualified group of key personnel that have successfully worked together on multiple projects. NCE
has successfully delivered work products for the Town on previous contracts with the majority of the
services provided out of our Richmond office.
This contract will be managed and primarily conducted from our
Richmond office. Additionally, NCE has over 100 employees
available on an as‐needed basis depending on service disciplines
required from our multiple California and Nevada offices. Table 1
provides the number of professional and non‐professional
Table 1. NCE Personnel
Type No. Firm Professionals 97
Non‐professionals 11
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personnel employed by NCE. Table 2 provides the number of
professional and non‐professional personnel employed by NCE in
our Richmond office. We can respond and be at the Town’s offices
or project site within hours if required.
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
This NCE team has delivered numerous roadway
stabilization/shoring projects to address landslides, slope creep, and movement within municipal
roadways. These types of projects blend our skillset and expertise with pavement and civil design for the
maintenance and rehabilitation of roadways as well as ability to complete environmental documents and
permitting for improvements extending into sensitive habitat along with CE&G’s specialization in
developing geo‐structural wall solutions and embankment repairs. NCE and CE&G have partnered on
numerous projects together over the last decade including several recent similar projects with the City of
Richmond and Walnut Creek.
Rifle Range Road Landslide, “Project of the Year”, City
of Richmond, CA. The City of Richmond retained NCE
to respond to a landslide that damaged half the width
of Rifle Range Road and the portions of an adjacent
private property.
On an emergency basis, NCE responded to this
landslide by providing initial consulting regarding
stabilization of the site and public safety. Within a
week of the occurrence of the landslide, NCE initiated
a topographic survey and geotechnical investigations
construction was completed by. The construction was
completed by December 2018 and received the 2019
APWA Norcal Project of the Year award.
The scope of work included landslide and geological mapping,
geotechnical investigation, topographic surveying, retaining wall
design and roadway reconstruction.
The retaining wall was designed 15‐20‐foot soldier pile and lagging
wall that is anchored back into the subsurface by means of tie‐
backs. Soldier pile and lagging and required tie‐back anchors angle
and length had to be designed and placed so that the tie‐back
anchor could be set within the available right of way and avoid
easements with private property owners. Design and construction
had to consider the close proximity to underground utilities (i.e.,
sewer force main and water line), adjacent private homes,
connection of the proposed new wall into an existing retaining wall
installed downslope to repair a previous landslide, and maintaining
access for the community given that the roadway is the only way in
and out to various private homes and apartment complexes.
Table 2. NCE Personnel
Type No. Richmond Professionals 24
Non‐professionals 3
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Road Repair and Retaining Wall at 134 Rudgear Drive
Project for the City of Walnut Creek, CA. NCE was
contracted by the City of Walnut Creek to prepare
construction documents for the road repair within
Rudgear Drive. The City originally constructed a pier
supported retaining wall to stabilize a shallow slide.
The retaining wall had deflected outwards likely the
result of several factors including inadequate pier
embedment, erosion from the roadway, and/or
stormwater run‐off. The repair included a pier
supported grade beam in front of the existing wall to
address slope creep and minor ground movement
within the road section. The design offered a cost saving approach that shored and stabilized the City
roadway but did not require costly excavation and removal of the existing retaining wall.
Via Verdi Slope Stabilization Project for the City of
Richmond, CA. The City of Richmond retained NCE to
respond to a significant landslide at Via Verdi. It had
immediate and potentially serious impacts to public
access, utilities, street infrastructure, and the
conveyance of creek waters and upstream dam
releases. The landslide was large and deep and had
impacts to the entire Via Verdi roadway. The ongoing
movement was of concern to the City for maintaining
safe access for the local community (Via Verdi served as
the only point of access), frequent maintenance and
monitoring by City crews, and disruption to sewer, gas,
water, telecom, and electrical utilities.
NCE quickly deployed field investigations with land surveying and geotechnical exploratory work within
days to evaluate slide mass characteristics and monitor ongoing movement. With this information NCE
expedited plan delivery to allow for design and construction of an emergency access road at Via Verdi
allowing full closure of Via Verdi within approximately a week and with careful coordination with affected
utilities allowing bypass of utilities within and along the new emergency access road. The strong
partnering and collaboration with the City on this project resulted in expedited delivery and turnaround
on design documents allowing for construction of necessary repairs and temporary measures to minimize
impacts to the local community.
NCE has maintained a quickened pace on Via Verdi and completed alternatives analysis, permitting, and
nearing completion of construction and environmental documents. To stabilize the landslide, the project
will construct a 350‐linear‐foot concrete box culvert within San Pablo Creek below the landslide area. The
culvert will be quite large, 17.5 feet high and 24 feet wide, to convey San Pablo Creek and release waters
from the upstream San Pablo Dam Reservoir. Once the concrete structure is constructed, approximately
18,000 to 20,000 cubic yards of engineered fill (rock/soil) would be placed around and over the culvert to
buttress the landslide. When the culvert is in place 650 feet of affected roadway and utilities will be
reconstructed. Creek slopes including areas above the culvert will be revegetated and steeper slopes will
receive bioengineered slope protection that may include brush mattress and rip rap and pole plantings.
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NCE has prepared the CEQA document (mitigated negative declaration and noticing) and has submitted
permits, including the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board 401 Permit, U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers 404 Individual Permit (including an alternatives analysis), California Department of Fish and
Wildlife Streambed Alteration Agreement, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Section 7 Consultation, and local
agency permits. A NEPA document is currently under development.
Additional supplemental tasks that NCE advised the City on included designing best management
practices (BMPs) and erosion control measures to winterize the project area to protect the site and local
habitat in the upcoming winters. NCE completed the necessary stormwater pollution prevention plan
(SWPPP) to be in compliance with the construction general permit and establish measures for additional
protection of water resources. NCE is continuing to complete ongoing movement monitoring, assess
potential additional landslide movement, and is continuing to develop construction documents, facilitate
permit review, and complete environmental documents.
The subconsultants we have included below for this project have worked on numerous projects with NCE
over the last 10 years and have been deliberately selected based on their relevant experience, ability to
successfully deliver projects, and for their experience working with the Town.
Cal Engineering & Geology (CE&G) will provide geotechnical and structural engineering
services for design of the retaining wall. Cal Engineering & Geology (CE&G) provides
geologic, geotechnical, and related civil engineering consulting, design, testing, and inspection services to
both public and private sector clients. CE&G was founded in 1993 in Walnut Creek and has since expanded
to include an office in San José, and a lab/office in Oakland with an AMRL (AASHTO) accredited soils and
materials testing laboratory. Our clients include numerous counties, cities, water and flood control
districts, special districts, and schools throughout the East Bay and the greater Bay Area. CE&G employs
23 fulltime equivalents including five registered geotechnical engineers, three professional engineers,
three certified engineering geologists, and four special inspectors, as well as CADD/GIS specialists, and lab
and field technicians. Most of CE&G’s project managers have been with the company for over 10 years.
The company has delivered scores of slope stabilization projects throughout Northern California. A project
example of CE&G’s relevant experience include:
Foothill Road Stabilization, Sunol, CA. CE&G was retained by Alameda County Public Works
Agency for an emergency repair of Foothill Road; a major commuter bypass between State Route
84 and I‐680 in Sunol. The downslope lane was closed after Arroyo de la Laguna eroded the toe
of the roadway embankment as a result of the wettest winter in California history. The road was
stabilized for emergency opening using cast‐in‐drilled‐hole concrete piles connected together at
the top with a concrete grade beam. Existing aerial utilities similar to those located along Shannon
Road in Los Gatos required that a low‐overhead clearance drill rig be utilized and, in some
locations, by over excavating the roadway embankment. One‐way traffic control was provided
throughout the duration of the project using temporary signals. The permanent restoration is
currently being designed which will include the construction of a concrete waler with ground
anchors and shotcrete facing. Construction is scheduled for summer 2021. CE&G’s experience
with designing projects to accommodate low‐overhead clearance and limited construction
footprints with one‐lane closures will benefit this project, the Town of Los Gatos, and the
residents that utilize Shannon Road.
Fehr & Peers (F&P) will provide traffic engineering services for traffic handling and
detours if required. F&P specializing in providing transportation planning and traffic
engineering services to public and private sector clients and emphasizes the development of creative,
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cost‐effective, and results‐oriented solutions to planning and design problems associated with all modes
of transportation. F&P bring national expertise in pedestrian safety, innovative bicycle planning, transit
planning, and best practices in complete streets implementation. Through their transportation planning
and traffic engineering design work on state highway improvement projects, they are well‐versed with
Caltrans’s analysis procedures, both for project approval/environmental documents and for engineering
plans, specifications, and estimates. A project example of F&P’s relevant experience include:
Pathline Park Off‐Site Improvements, Sunnyvale, CA. F&P developed signing & striping, detour
and traffic control plans for the Irvine Company's Pathline Park office development and off‐site
improvements of providing parking protected bike lanes along Mary Avenue in Sunnyvale,
California. Detour and traffic control plans were developed for the utility and median work being
done along Mary Avenue, Almanor Avenue, Palomar Avenue, and Pastoria Avenue. F&P
coordinated with the civil engineer and construction contractor on developing work zones and
traffic control staging for the two phases of the project. Detailed traffic control staging was
provided along Mary Avenue to accommodate access to adjacent office uses while still
maintaining an effective work schedule and accommodating the City of Sunnyvale’s Temporary
Traffic Control requirements. Bicyclists were accommodated as part of the traffic control, and
pedestrians were accommodated using detours.
Mountain Pacific Surveys (MPS) will provide surveying services. MPS is a professional
survey services firm providing boundary surveying and mapping, design surveys, right‐of‐
way engineering, construction surveys, environmental surveys, monitor surveys, and photogrammetric
engineering services to the public and private sector. The firm is a member in good standing with
Operating Engineers Local 3 and Bay Counties Association, as well as active members of many professional
organizations, including the California Land Surveyor’s Association (CLSA) and American Society for
Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS), to name a few. MPS offers our Clients state of the art field
equipment (e.g., robotic total stations, digital levels, static and R.T.K. g.p.s. equipment) and office facilities
(including the latest versions of all relevant software) for the successful completion of each project. To
this end, they have fully automated their work processes to provide seamless integration from initial
fieldwork through final product delivery. MPS continually update their methodologies as well as provide
ongoing training to all of our personnel so as to ensure, a quality product. NCE has worked with MPS on
dozens of projects for over 15 years. A project example of MPS’s relevant experience include:
Via Verdi Slope Stabilization Project, Richmond, CA. Mr. Weakley served as Project Manager for
aerial mapping, supplemental conventional topographic and utility surveying, right of way
determination, and settlement monitoring surveys in support of the City’s emergency response
to the Via Verdi Landslide, design of a temporary emergency access road, as well as design of the
ultimate slope stabilization solution with a toe buttress and culvert within San Pablo Creek.
Almond Gove District Street Reconstruction Project, Los Gatos, CA. Mr. Weakley served as
Project Manager for all surveys related to improvement of concrete streets within the historic
Almond Grove District.
City of Berkeley Street/Pavement Repair Project, Berkeley, CA. Mr. Weakley serves as Project
Manager for all surveys related tasks to a multi‐year street and pavement repair project
throughout the City.
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NCE TEAM ORGANIZATION
We are pleased to have Mr. Lee Taubeneck as our proposed Project Manager for this project. Lee brings
more than 35 years of industry experience with expertise in local streets and roads. His relevant
experience includes serving as the Caltrans Deputy Director for Caltrans District 4 Division of
Transportation Planning and Local Assistance. Most recently Lee assisted the Town of Los Gatos with the
initial investigation phase for this project. The geotechnical investigation provided enabled the Town to
advance to the project’s second phase, namely the development of contract‐ready bid documents to
stabilize the hillside and the roadway. He also currently managing the City of Oakley’s rehabilitation of
Laurel Road to upgrade to the City’s main truck route pavement section, while correcting side‐street sight
distance issues, adding buffered class 2 bike lanes, and design of pedestrian crossing improvements.
We have also assembled a team of professionals to support Lee with demonstrated experience providing
services for similar types of projects. Mr. Ryan Shafer will be the Client Sponsor providing key oversight
and review similar to past projects with the Town and technical expertise with geotechnical, civil, and
pavement engineering. NCE’s Chief Engineering Officer Mr. Franz Haidinger will be the QA/QC Manager
and Dr. James Signore will serve as the lead on pavement design, also both having worked with the Town
on past roadway projects. James’ research background with pavements at UC Berkeley, active on‐call for
pavement engineering and materials testing with Caltrans, and as practitioner designing roadways
throughout the Bay Area and California region will allow him to bring cost saving alternative pavement
treatment alternatives, which we will discuss further in our approach to the project below. . In addition,
our key team members include a variety of technical professionals including engineers, CADD designers,
as well as in‐house administrative support staff. NCE has also included Cal Engineering & Geology (CE&G)
on the team to provide geotechnical services and structural engineering, Fehr & Peers for traffic handling
and detours, and Mountain Pacific Surveys for surveying services. We will also engage one of our utility
location subconsultants that we have worked with on many past projects to locate underground utilities,
in particular the water main.
The Town can count on our team to provide superior, responsive service on this project. All team
members, including subconsultants, will be managed as an extension of NCE. The NCE team is committed
to the project for its duration; personnel will not be substituted without prior approval from the Town.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
Figure 1 below illustrates the structure and team we propose for this project, the roles and responsibilities
of each team member as well as the communication/reporting relationships of the key staff in relation to
the Town for this project. Qualifications summaries for key personnel are provided below and their
focused resumes are included in Attachment A.
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KEY PERSONNEL
Qualifications summaries for each key team member are provided below and their focused resumes are
provided in Attachment A.
Mr. Ryan Shafer, PE, GE, Client Sponsor. In this role, Ryan will be responsible for
communicating with the Town and champion of allocating of resources. Ryan is an
experienced Principal and Project Manager that is highly skilled in managing interdisciplinary
teams of engineers, scientists, and planners for complex projects requiring civil engineering,
geotechnical engineering, pavement engineering, structural engineering, transportation and traffic
engineering, hydrology and hydraulics, coastal engineering, regulatory permits, technical studies and
resource assessments, and environmental documents. In addition, he has managed and provided civil and
geotechnical engineering on a wide range of public and private projects, including vertical development,
municipal roads, trails, drainage infrastructure, landfills, public transit, recreation areas and parks,
industrial facilities including refineries, and waterfront structures giving him an understanding of how to
work with diverse project types. His clients provide feedback that NCE is an effective partner and steward,
understanding what is important to each community. He is a registered civil engineer and geotechnical
engineer with more than 22 years of professional experience.
Mr. Lee Taubeneck, PE, Project Manager. The NCE team will be led by Lee, who will be
responsible for day‐to‐day project management and will also be a point of contact for the
Town. Lee is a transportation professional with extensive experience in the development of
expressways, freeways, roads, transit systems, multi‐use paths, trails, sidewalks, streets, and
Figure 1. NCE Team Organization
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highways. He has worked with public, private, and non‐profit clients throughout California at both the
local, regional, and State levels. He is an expert in transportation planning and design. He is a registered
civil engineer with more than 37 years of professional experience.
Mr. Franz Haidinger PE, QA/QC Manager. Franz will be responsible for quality assurance
and quality control on the deliverables developed by NCE. Franz brings a wealth of
experience and expertise in civil and environmental engineering. He has lead engineering
efforts in projects with civil design components such as pavement design for parking lots,
curb and gutter layout, storm drain design, LID features like overland flow, bioswales, and
small detention basins, grading, design of water services for irrigation and domestic water supply, and
design of a sewer connections for future projects. The depth of his experience also includes the
preparation of Drinking Water Source Assessments, SWPPPs, contaminated soil remediation,
underground storage tank removals, permitting, operation and maintenance of groundwater treatment
facilities and soil vapor extraction systems, and construction quality assurance. He is a registered civil
engineer with 24 years of professional experience and currently serves as NCE’s Chief Engineer.
Mr. James Signore, PhD, PE, Pavement Design Lead. James specializes in pavement design
and evaluation, rehabilitation and maintenance, materials assessment, and training. He has
experience in designing pavements for many local agencies, Caltrans, and for heavy vehicle
loading applications for highways, airfields and ports. He has spent years researching
pavement materials, having directed a state‐of‐the‐art AMRL certified and Superpave mix design
equipped research laboratory, and is well versed in state and local pavement practices and specifications.
He has taught NHI’s and ASCE’s “Techniques for Pavement Rehabilitation” (including best practices for utility
cuts and patches) seminars to practicing engineers for 20 years. He has also taught graduate courses in
pavement engineering at San Jose State University and many of his former students are civil engineers at local
agencies. Additionally, James is a Member of the Transportation Research Board Committee AFD70, Pavement
Rehabilitation, AFD70‐1, Pavement Interlayer Systems and the FAA Airport Pavement Technical Working
Group. He is a registered civil engineer with 25 years of professional experience and holds a PhD in Civil
Engineering.
Ms. Sara Dowling, EIT, Project Engineer/Pavement Design. Sara has been involved in design
projects that include new intersection roadway, high‐rise building foundation, airport
taxiway pavement structure, spatial data analysis, and a green wastewater treatment plant.
She was the fundraising chair for the Institute of Transportation Engineers and is currently a
member of ASCE and Young Professionals in Transportation. Sara has experience in AutoCAD
3D, ArcGIS, MS Project, Technical Writing, Literature Review, EverFE, and C++.
Andrea J. Valentine, CADD Design. Andrea is a CADD drafter with nearly 40 years of
experience providing layout and drawing of civil and structural plans, control lines, profiles,
sections, and details based on engineers’ sketches and markups. She works with engineers
to provide lot line adjustment boundaries; develops, implements, and updates CADD
standards; and sets up and maintains drafting records and documentation. Her program experience
includes AutoCAD, Bentley Micro‐station, and Microsoft Word and Excel. In addition to obtaining her BA,
Andrea and has taken various drafting, graphic arts, solar design, technical math, cartography, natural
sciences, and computer training courses at various San Francisco Bay Area colleges.
NCE Administrative Staff. NCE also has a team of administrative professionals that will support the
strategic engagement task by developing graphics, and content for presentations or collateral material.
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SUBCONSULTANT KEY PERSONNEL
Mr. Phillip Gregory, PE, GE, Geotechnical Engineer. Phillip is an experienced geotechnical
engineer and manager who has completed more than 150 transportation and water
infrastructure improvement projects for public agencies over the past 20+ years. Phil's
expertise is in the analysis and design of earth embankments and slope stabilization
measures including geosynthetic reinforced slopes, and embankments, CIDH pile structures,
segmental block retaining soldier pile and lagging walls, soil nail retaining structures, light weight fill, and
slope dewatering systems. Phillip is an experienced Caltrans‐based specification writer and estimator of
earth construction costs. Phillip managed the majority of the federally‐funded storm damage repair
projects that were completed by CE&G in 1993, 1998, and 2006. He is a registered civil engineer and
geotechnical engineer with 33 years of professional experience.
Mr. Chris Hockett, PE, GE, Structures Design. Chris has expertise in managing geo‐civil‐
structural design projects that involve the preparation of plans, specifications, and
engineer’s estimates, (PS&E) for roadway stabilization projects. Chris has designed stitch
piers, retaining walls founded on deep and shallow foundations, mechanically reinforced
embankments, segmental retaining walls systems, and tieback retaining walls on roadways
for Cities and Counties throughout the Bay Area. Some of his recent roadway stabilization experience
includes the structural design of a 300 foot long stitch pier system along Foothill Boulevard in Sunol and
a 200 foot long soldier pile and wood lagging retaining wall with tieback anchors along Rifle Range Road
in Richmond, and the geotechnical design of over 1,000 linear feet of stitch piers, and soldier pile and
lagging debris walls and retaining walls along the award winning 1.7 mile long George Miller Regional Trail
between Martinez and Port Costa. He is a registered civil engineer and geotechnical engineer with 13
years of professional experience.
Mr. Ryan McClain, PE, TE, Traffic Handling & Detours. Ryan has worked in the transportation
planning and engineering field since 2001. Focusing on multi‐modal transportation design
and analysis, Ryan provides alternatives development and assessment and transportation
engineering design for complete streets projects ranging in size from single intersections to
complex multi‐jurisdictional corridors and master plans. Ryan works closely with agency staff,
stakeholders, and the community to develop engineering solutions that work for all users. Ryan leads Fehr
& Peers’ companywide Complete Streets Design group is the vice chair of the international ITE Complete
Streets Council. He frequently teaches courses on complete streets design, including recent classes for
MTC throughout the Bay Area and lectures at UC Berkeley for the pedestrian/bicycle graduate class. In
addition to his project roles, Ryan serves as the Office Leader for Fehr & Peers’ Walnut Creek office, where
he is responsible for overall office strategy and client relations. He is a registered civil engineer and traffic
engineer with more than 20 years of professional experience.
Mr. Charles Weakley, PLS, Surveying. Charles is the President and manager in charge of all land survey
work undertaken by Mountain Pacific Surveys and our aerial mapping company, Aerometric Surveys. His
experience in land surveying includes photogrammetric control, precision as‐built surveys, G.P.S. and
cadastral surveys, boundary determinations and right‐of‐way calculations, topographic mapping, aerial
photogrammetry, and construction layout of hundreds of subdivisions, roadway, commercial, and utility
projects. Charles is responsible for all aspects of project administration, including contract negotiations.
He is a professional land surveyor with 27 years of professional experience.
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PROJECT UNDERSTANDING AND PREVIOUS WORK
Having been called upon by the Town along with our geotechnical partners CE&G for the initial
investigations of Shannon Road distress, NCE has extensive knowledge and understanding of the project.
In early 2020, as downhill creep began to accelerate, we were called by the Town. The team completed
extensive field research, reconnaissance, field borings, and laboratory analyses to enable site
characterization. The Revised Geotechnical Alternatives Report (RGAR, CE&G, December 2020) was the
culmination of these investigations and prepared two feasible alternatives and cost estimates.
Two probable landslides were identified by our investigations
along the Road segment (Figure 2) composed of quaternary
colluvium. The observed colluvium fills more gently sloped
swales that have been mapped as probable landslides of
uncertain age by the CGS and the Town. The colluvium swales
are interpreted to be dormant landslides. The colluvium is
composed of sandy lean clay with and without gravel, and silt/
lean clay with sand. The colluvium was found beneath the Road
prism and above the bedrock (siltstone). The Report correlates
the two dormant slides with the thicker portions of the fill/
colluvium above the bedrock, or roughly between stations 6+35
to 7+48, and stations 3+00 to 4+25.
The Town acquired title to the Road in 2017, in what at the time was determined to be a State of Good
Repair. The outboard side of the Road segment is composed mostly of artificial fill. Given the vintage of
the Road, it is likely that the embankment was not compacted to current standards, leading to settlement
of the fill.
The former owner had been addressing settlement and cracking for several decades. Routine
maintenance of the roadway consisted of HMA overlays to relevel the driving surface. The result was a
thick structural section of AC pavement on the westbound or downhill side. The added mass of repeated
overlays on the outside lane of the Road may have exacerbated the distress and failures over time.
The final overlay of the roadway prior to ownership transfer included polyurethane foam injection within
the area of historic cracking and settlement, along with a 2.5‐inch to 3‐inch pavement overlay. Post‐
ownership transfer, settlement has not only continued, but accelerated. The steepened embankment of
fill and overlying colluvium and likely lack of proper compaction, keying, and benching of fill materials
appear to be involved in long term creep of the Road embankment. The RGAR concludes that sliding of
the Road segment is locally incipient based on the increased rate of movement within the last few years,
especially for the outboard (downhill) portion of the Road prism. Although minimal groundwater was
encountered during the field investigations, soil saturation from precipitation could also be contributing
to sustained creep downslope.
The RGAR completed by the NCE Team presents two viable alternatives and cost estimates for stabilizing
the Road embankment. Either alternative establishes a structure outside the westbound (downhill)
portion of the Road prism connecting them through the Road prism to help buttress the Road. One
alternative proposes the use of tie‐backs (soldier pile with lagging) to apply compressive forces against
the Road prism, and the other uses geogrid fabric (MSE wall). During preliminary engineering the
preferred alternative will be selected and confirmed with the Town based on available ROW, costs, traffic
impacts, and environmental constraints. The current recommendation is the solder pile and lagging wall
Figure 2. Two Dormant, Upslope
Landslides (Gray)
12 | Page
system that is less costly and disruptive allowing for one lane of traffic to remain open during construction
depending on final design and construction means and methods.
KEY ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES
NCE has identified several key issues and opportunities
based on extensive knowledge of the site conditions,
investigations, and alternatives report. The NCE team
experience delivering similar projects for other public
agencies affords the Town confidence that we can meet
whatever challenges present themselves for the Shannon
Road project. A photo of one of our successful projects is
shown in Figure 3.
CONSTRUCTION COST
As the downslope creep and repair of the Road was unexpected and not included in the Town’s capital
improvement plan, managing capital costs for construction must be considered a major issue and
opportunity for reducing costs. Under planned circumstances the Town could entertain addressing Road
conditions with a sufficient budget. Instead, it must consider using reserve funds and postponing other
needed improvements to stabilize the incipient slope movement.
The NCE team as part of this proposal and our design approach has identified the following approach to
managing and reducing construction costs below the current preliminary cost estimate that we
developed:
The inner lane exhibits less distress and is fair to good condition and suitable for use of
conventional mill and overlay treatments to reduce current preliminary pavement reconstruction
costs from $100/sy to $20 to $25/sy.
To prevent pavement distresses in the thickened
asphalt section in the outer lanes from reflecting
back up through the new pavement section and
to allow the existing valuable asphalt to be
recycled in‐place, based on our experience and
speaking further with a pavement recycling
contractor, we recommend pre‐milling at least
the top 4‐ to 6‐inches of the roadway to allow a
Full Depth Reclamation (FDR) reclaimer to
penetrate through the bottom of the very thick
AC. Then the reclaimer can pulverize the existing
roadway materials and recompact in‐place, and
then place a new 4‐ to 6‐inch HMA wearing
course. This approach will reduce the current
preliminary reconstruction cost by 40 to 50%
with a cost of $50 to $60/sy.
Working around existing utility poles is another
example of accomplishing the work for less cost
not to mention less time to coordinate with PG&E and telecom utilities. While there are
advantages to clearing utility poles from the face of the embankment to maintain consistent earth
Figure 4. Narrow Roadway Guardrail Installation
Figure 3. Soldier Beam and Lagging
Retaining Wall, Bailey Road, Pittsburg
13 | Page
pressures against the slope, earth pressures can still be maintained with a gap in the wall by
bridging the gap with a grade or cantilever beam.
Maintaining the existing roadway width, drainage patterns, and elevations to the extent possible
will reduced the need for roadway cuts into the hillside, maintaining work within ROW, and less
construction and materials costs.
Another potential cost savings will be to place guard rail as close to the inside of the soldier piles
as possible again to maintain the existing road prism as much as possible and within existing ROW.
Figure 4 reflects just such an installation with a narrow roadway installation.
TRAFFIC HANDLING
Either as a detour or with one‐way traffic control, maintaining eastbound and westbound traffic around
or through the construction site will require careful coordination. Connections for power supply to traffic
signals are often a constraint in working these situations. Our solution builds off our successful
engagements with Fehr & Peers in the past on stabilization projects such as Via Verdi in Richmond. For
the soldier pile and lagging alternative, the installation of 2 temporary traffic signals and a protective
barrier will allow travelers to pass east or west with minimal
queuing or delay. The power supply will be provided either
by solar or conventional, low‐noise generators. On the east,
the temporary signal will be established at the intersection
with Santa Rosa Drive. On the west, the temporary signal
will be established at Diduca Way. Advance warning signs
will be used to notify approaching vehicles of charges well
in advance. A protective barrier in the form of either k‐rail,
sand barrels or water filled segmental barriers will be
established on the outboard side of the centerline to inhibit
the incursion of vehicles into the active work zone (cf.
Figure 5).
The soldier pile and MSE wall alternative will require the complete closure of the Road segment to allow
for placement of the geogrid fabric. The solution here is a traffic detour either be set up along Kennedy
Drive or along the combination of Hicks Road and Blossom Hill Road. As this out‐of‐direction travel will on
average increase travel time by 10 minutes, more extensive public outreach will be needed in comparison
with the soldier pile and lagging alternative to encourage public cooperation.
RIGHT OF WAY
The current vertical drop‐off on the downhill side of the Road ranges from 3 to approximately 20 feet with
a slope of 1.5 (V) to 1 (H). In its current condition, the downhill
slope is steep and a potential hazard for motorists. While
channelizers and signs reflect the nature of the hazard, the
risk has been present for several years. Consequently, the
installation of guardrail is recommended for consideration.
This will increase the width of the Road prism, add a bid item
to the engineers estimate, and may have ROW implications.
Also, the limits of public and private property lines in the RGAR
were placed using parcel maps provided by the Town (cf.
Figure 6). Several indicate that the current road may extend
into private property, which would
Figure 5. One Way
Traffic Control, Rifle
Range Road
Figure 6. Portion of Figure 2C, RGAR
14 | Page
be unusual for a public roadway and will be further confirmed by ROW mapping during completion of
topographic surveys. This will be important to confirm as work outside Town ROW can be time consuming
to coordinate with outside stakeholders/property owners, particularly if ROW acquisition is required.
Our solutions for these ROW challenges are varied and multiple. First, we will refine the parcel maps
provided by the Town with a topographic survey. For this reason, the topographic survey is included in
the proposed schedule as one of the first items of work.
Next, we will complete a review of available Town data regarding collision records or accidents within this
section of roadway. Perhaps, if little to no accidents or collisions have occurred, it may be possible to use
a combination of reflectors, signs, and delineation to provide sufficient warnings that can avoid guardrail
placement.
Finally, it is possible to erect the guardrail as a vertical extension of the MSE or soldier pile wall. If we find
that ROW is indeed constrained, we can use this to shorten the horizontal dimensions of the project.
UTILITIES
A water line is known to exist along the inside, eastbound travel lane. Our current assumption and
approach to scoping this project is that this water line can be sufficiently located and roadway
rehabilitation and repair methods can be completed to avoid conflict, lowering, or relocation of this
waterline to reduce design and construction costs and additional
coordination with the San Jose Water Company. If conflict cannot be
avoided additional scope for utility coordination and design
consideration will be required.
Overhead electric and telecommunication lines as shown in Figure 7 are
also apparent above the Road, which will require consideration during
development of construction documents and during construction as to
the types of equipment and coordination needed by contractor working
next to these facilities.
Utility locations will be developed based on utility as‐builts and record
maps as well as use of ground penetrating radar (GPR) for improved
accuracy on the depth of the water line below ground surface. Also, if
required we will specify the use of low‐overhead construction
equipment working next to overhead lines.
CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE
The current estimated number of working days for construction, excluding bid award, negotiation, and
mobilization, is likely greater than 60 days. With an notice to proceed for design in March and design not
be completed until late Summer this places construction in the fall and early winter months. We will
discuss the project schedule with the Town at the Kickoff meeting and discuss which tasks can be
processed in parallel during preliminary engineering and design to enable earlier PS&E delivery and
subsequently earlier advertisement and mobilization dates. We will also evaluate the potential to
complete the project during the rainy season depending regulatory, construction, and other site
constraints.
Figure 7. OH Utility Lines,
Sta 12+80
15 | Page
KEY ASSUMPTIONS
In order to deliver the most cost‐effective design strategy for this project, we have formulated the
following key assumptions:
TOWN’S RESPONSIBILITIES
NCE has assumed that the Town will be able to provide the following to the extent available:
1. Provide information regarding Town‐owned utilities (i.e., sanitary sewer and storm drain).
2. Provide project requirements, including design schedule, budget, constraints, and criteria.
3. Provide review and approval of exceptions to geometric roadway design standards when
appropriately documented with collision records, cautionary signage and delineation, and guardrail
placement.
TOPOGRAPHIC SURVEYING, BASE MAPS, AND RIGHT‐OF‐WAY
1. A topographic survey will be completed along the subject section of Shannon Road to establish a base
map sufficient for developing civil design plans. This will also include record data location of the
existing right‐of‐way for the mapping corridor.
2. It is assumed that all improvements will be completed within existing Town ROW. If based on title
report review and ROW mapping the private parcel adjacent to the proposed project improvements
is found to encroach into the roadway we have included additional ROW engineering services as part
of optional Task 5B.
UTILITY COORDINATION AND LOCATION
1. Assumes that utility poles on the uphill side of the alignment will not be impacted or relocated by the
project. Further, it assumes that poles on the downhill side of the alignment can be bridged around
by either the MSE Wall or Soldier Pile and Lagging Wall.
2. NCE will prepare and distribute utility notification letters to collect facility maps and as‐builts, confirm
utility planned work, and notify utilities of the Town’s proposed slope stabilization project. NCE will
prepare and distribute a second round of letters including utility location information based on ground
penetrating radar (GPR) that is provided for the subject street section to solicit feedback and need for
utility relocation or adjustments.
3. Low hanging overhead utility lines will be considered in construction documents as needed.
4. Regarding the water line beneath the eastbound lane within the project limits, beyond obtaining as‐
built records from the San Jose Water Company, NCE will conduct a ground penetrating radar survey
to determine water line depths below grade. Traffic control for completing GPR to be provided by
the NCE. In the event the MSE and Soldier Pile Combination Wall is selected as the preferred
alternative, we assume that temporary supports during excavation for the geogrid fabric will enable
continued operation of the water line in‐situ.
5. No known utility covers or manholes are present along the alignment within the project limits.
6. For the purposes of this scope of work it is assumed that utility relocation or lowering is not required.
PAVEMENT TESTING AND DESIGN
1. Pavement design will be based on Caltrans Standards with a combination of supplemental coring,
laboratory testing of subgrade, and pavement condition surveys.
2. Pavement coring will be performed with spacing criteria and bulk samples as follows:
16 | Page
a. Up to two pavement cores will be obtained approximately every 750 feet within the eastbound
lane (inner lane) to estimate the pavement section thickness, as previous geotechnical exploratory
borings were located within westbound (outer lane) only.
b. Up to two bulk samples of subgrade for laboratory testing will be obtained.
3. Base repairs will be measured in length and width for the eastbound lane only to advise for the case
if the soldier piles with lagging alternative is selected. It is the intent that base repair quantities will
be for bidding quantity purposes only and that actual locations will be marked by NCE with the Town’s
inspectors prior to construction.
4. A no‐fee encroachment permit will be pulled with the Town for all pavement testing if required.
5. A half‐day of traffic control for pavement coring will be provided by NCE.
TRAFFIC STRIPING
1. Final traffic signing and striping is assumed to match existing striping, any revisions will be reviewed
with the Town.
2. A review of SWITRS data including the most recent available 3‐year continuous record of accidents
within the project limits is included as part of this scope.
TRAFFIC HANDLING PLANS
1. In the case of selecting the combined MSE wall and soldier pile wall with lagging, traffic handling plans
in the form of detour plans will be prepared assuming full Road closure. In the case of selecting the
soldier pile with lagging wall alternative, the traffic handling plans will assume one‐way traffic control
with temporary traffic signals. In either case draft traffic handling plans will be submitted as part of
preliminary engineering to the Town traffic engineering group for review and comment.
DRAINAGE
1. No major drainage improvements are assumed for this project requiring significant stormwater drain
and pipe alteration and/or reconstruction.
2. The project will, to the extent possible, and within the context of proposed stabilization address visible
drainage issues including structural backfill. However, it should be noted that no existing drop inlets
or paved ditches exist within the Road segment.
ENCROACHMENT PERMIT
1. NCE will apply for no‐fee Town encroachment permits for all field work, including pavement coring
work, if required.
BID PACKAGE
1. NCE has assumed for the purposes of developing bid packages the following:
Shannon Road Embankment Stabilization Project – Bid Fall 2021
CEQA DOCUMENT
1. The documentation required for CEQA is assumed and judged based on current information and
planned roadway repair project to be a Categorical Exemption.
2. If for any reason the project does not qualify for a Categorical Exemption or new information arises
indicating the presence of critical habitat or historical/tribal resources within or adjacent to the
project, NCE can prepare and provide support for CEQA compliance, additional technical studies,
and/or regulatory permits for additional scope and fee.
17 | Page
SCOPE OF WORK
TASK 1 – PROJECT MANAGEMENT
This task will include an initial kick‐off meeting and progress meetings to update the Town with the results
of studies and the development of contract documents. Regular meetings afford direction and feedback
from the owner which are invaluable in navigating the multitude of decisions needed for successful project
selection and implementation. Microsoft TEAMS software will be used to allow the seamless sharing of
information and for virtual meetings . Agendas will be provided in advance of the meetings. A summary
of meeting notes and action items will be provided after each meeting along with decisions reached and
schedule updates. In keeping with the Town’s Agreement for Consultant Services, progress reports and
invoices will be submitted monthly.
NCE’s Project Manager will arrange a Kick‐Off Meeting with the Town to initiate work on the project. The
objectives of the Kick‐Off Meeting will be:
Review of the Scope of Work
Establish Lines of Communication
Confirm Deadlines
Establish Project Schedule and Milestones
Define Design and Operation Criteria.
Whether a simple preventive maintenance project or a complex reconstruction project, it is critical to
establish effective lines of communication with, and coordination amongst, the various stakeholders from
the start to ensure the delivery a high‐quality project within budget and on schedule.
In addition to Town staff (Engineering, Maintenance, etc.), NCE will research and coordinate, as‐needed,
with other agencies such as PG&E, AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, San Jose Water Company, etc., to identify any
potential conflicts, requirements, or design issues early to help minimize delays (and costs) later in the
design process or during construction. At the Kick‐Off Meeting, key deliverables for each Task and the
Project Schedule would be reviewed and adjusted accordingly to meet Town needs.
NCE is very sensitive to construction costs, particularly the volatile price of materials, which have affected
the scope of many similar projects. In order to keep the Town aware of overall project costs, NCE will
begin developing Preliminary Engineering Cost Estimates as soon as we have developed our engineering
design recommendations to closely monitor any potential funding issues, which may develop.
Throughout the project, NCE staff will be available to attend regularly scheduled progress meetings with
the Town, to maintain good communications, to offer up efficiency and reduce the number of design
review and coordination meetings. Therefore, we have assumed up to three (3 ) meetings. The purpose
of the progress meetings will be to identify and resolve any design or funding issues that may surface in a
timely manner, present design alternatives and recommendations to Town staff, and continue
coordination with project stakeholders as necessary.
NCE will also prepare exhibits for Town outreach and Council meetings. Up to two outreach meetings and
2 Council meetings are included in our scope with up to 2 exhibits for each meeting. If attendance at
additional exhibits or meetings is necessary, they can be added to the scope for an additional fee.
Deliverables:
Project schedule
Meeting agendas and summaries
18 | Page
Monthly progress reports and invoices
Project schedule update
Exhibits for public outreach and Council meetings.
TASK 2 – PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING
Preliminary engineering gathers data needed to prepare roadway and structural designs and develop
construction documents including design data gathering, topographic surveys and ROW information,
seismic survey and geotechnical design, utility location and coordination, pavement design, and
environmental.
TASK 2A – DESIGN DATA GATHERING
NCE will review relevant available data and records from the Town, public and private utility providers,
and other sources that may be appropriate to support the preparation of project contract documents.
These may include, but are not limited to, the Town drainage structure inventory maps, aerial
photographs of the Town; as‐built Road improvement and infrastructure plans, striping and markings, as‐
built plans from utility providers, including any preliminary plans for future work that may conflict with
this project. Along with the maps previously used with the phase 1 investigation, the gathered information
will be compiled and included in the base map used for design. Based on our review we will identify any
data gaps or missing information and provide this information to the Town for review and discussion. NCE
will also confirm with adjacent County of Santa Clara property if encroachment permits are required to
conduct proposed work.
Subsurface moisture beneath roadways is known to reduce the useful life of the pavement placed above.
Currently, there are no known culverts for this segment of Shannon Road. Consequently, drainage occurs
by sheet flow based on road superelevation and crown. While it is possible to insert a culvert through
both the lagging of a soldier pile and an MSE wall without compromising wall integrity, a less expensive
option is the employment of a roadside ditch or vee channel.
A brief review of existing drainage conditions will be reviewed with the Town and if drainage
improvements are required beyond existing drainage facilities will be incorporated into the design.
Deliverables:
Drainage technical memo.
TASK 2B – TOPOGRAPHIC SURVEY & ROW
NCE’s Project Surveyor will complete monument/control recovery, field investigation and field surveys
sufficient to prepare a design level topographic mapping product for the portion of Shannon Road
beginning approximately 100 feet westerly of Diduca Way and extending to approximately 100 feet
southerly of Santa Rosa Road. The mapping corridor will begin at a point approximately 5’ from the edge
of pavement on the southerly (upslope) side and extend to approximately 30 feet northerly of the
northerly (downslope) edge of pavement.
The final topographic base sheet shall be compiled at 20 scale with a 1’ contour interval and include cross
sections/spot elevations at an approximate 50’ interval. The topographic data to be collected is more
specifically defined as:
Cross‐sections at 50’ intervals, along with additional spot elevations as required to define the road
alignment and grade, as well as the slope/bank. Typically, the cross section will include top or toe
of banks, ditches, edge and centerline of pavement, and grade breaks.
19 | Page
Surveyed locations for significant surface features, such as pavement or concrete, driveways,
striping, fences, surface utilities, trees (over 4‐6” in diameter on tree survey requirements), signs,
utility poles, and streetlights will be included. Sanitary and storm drain structures will include rim
elevations, invert elevations, pipe size & direction for all accessible structures within the mapping
limit.
Location of all recovered street monumentation within the mapping corridor (for preservation
and Record ROW purposes).
Location of underground utility locator markings.
Provide a finish drafted topographic survey in AutoCAD Civil3D, including a dtm surface.
Based upon a combination of record data and any monuments collected during topographic surveying,
NCE’s surveyor will calculate and show the record data location of the existing ROW for the length of the
mapping corridor. Additionally, our surveyor will calculate and show the location of each adjoining parcel
lot line from record data (assessor’s parcel data, record mapping and apparent lines of occupation).
Horizontal and vertical datums shall be based upon the Town of Los Gatos survey network control.
Note: This scope does not include the preparation of legal descriptions for any easements that may be
necessary to facilitate construction of the work. If work extends beyond existing Town ROW, our surveyor
can provide this for additional scope and fee.
Before the survey can be made, an encroachment permit will be completed with the Town if required for
traffic control, which is assumed to be provided by the Town as previously done for cost savings.
Deliverables:
Topographic survey file
Tree location survey file (> or = 4‐6”)
TASK 2C – SEISMIC SURVEY AND GEOTECHNICAL DESIGN
An essential component of accurate retaining wall design includes depths‐to‐bedrock. The depth to
competent material directly impacts the design height and corresponding cost of the retaining wall.
Exploratory borings are widely spaced and located several feet from the edge of the embankment where
the retaining wall will be located. The result is a depth to bedrock profile that is interpolated both laterally
and longitudinally. Assumptions based on the interpolation may result in a retaining wall that is over‐
designed or subject to potential changed conditions claims.
A geophysical seismic refraction survey (Figure 8) could be effectively used to more clearly identify the
depth to bedrock along the downslope edge of the roadway. This additional information will fill in the
gaps between the geotechnical borings and provide a continuous geologic profile showing the ground
surface and the depth to competent material.
20 | Page
This study will allow accurate development of the Geotechnical Design Report. This report will include all
the calculations and dimensions needed to complete the structure design of either the combination MSE
and soldier pile wall or the soldier pile and lagging wall.
Deliverables:
Seismic Refraction Survey – including seismic velocity tables and contour drawings
Geotechnical Design Report – including structure calculations.
TASK 2D – UTILITY LOCATION AND COORDINATION
NCE will coordinate with utility agencies early in the design process to help avoid potential construction
delays and unnecessary disruptions to public services. Known utilities along this stretch of Shannon Road
include both San Jose Water Company and PG&E. At least one telecommunications company is also
present along the poles located on the uphill (eastbound) side of the Road. Initial contact with PG&E will
enable identification of which telecom provider(s) occupy space on the PG&E poles.
Utility coordination will be a critical item to keep utility providers informed about the project and
schedule. One of the first and earliest items that NCE will complete is reaching out to our contacts with
PG&E and San Jose Water Company by telephone. This will be followed up by sending notification letters
to applicable utility providers along with a preliminary project schedule for design and construction. We
will also request utility as‐builts and record drawings. This will allow utility providers to plan maintenance
on their facilities prior to a moratorium during construction.
NCE will also carefully document all utility coordination notifications, emails, conversations, and meetings
with utility contacts and information in a matrix format with dates of contacts and mailing detailed in this
matrix. Follow‐up calls will be made for each of the above notifications to confirm receipt. NCE will also
keep the Town informed of any project delays related to utilities.
While the overhead utility poles themselves are located off the traveled way, lines strung between the
poles cross over the Road prism itself. Consequently, drilling and excavation equipment associated with
construction will need to be cognizant of these low overhead‐lines and protect against line strikes.
The RGAR reflects the location of a water main along the inside (eastbound) travel way for the entire
length of the Road segment. Although San Jose Water Company may have as‐built information about this
Figure 8. Determining Depth‐to‐Bedrock Using Seismic Velocity Contours, Bailey Rd, City of Pittsburg
21 | Page
water line, our scope includes a ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey to enable improved location
accuracy below existing grade.
Using GPR, NCE’s utility locator will field locate utility alignments and depths for utility mains and laterals
to the extent that GPR methods can detect utilities. If GPR cannot establish utility alignments and or
depths, potholing may need to be completed for additional scope and fee. GPR along utility mains will be
marked at various locations along the subject street section, and the accuracy for the electronic depths
will depend on the soil conditions and utility material. Traffic control will s be provided by NCE’s utility
locator.
Neither milling and overlay of HMA nor drilling of tie‐backs are expected to come close to contacting the
water line, however selection of the MSE alternative plus soldier pile wall alternative could expose the
water line as a result of geogrid placement.
Deliverables:
Utility notification letters
Utility contact matrix
Marked utility depths and alignments and data.
TASK 2E – PAVEMENT DESIGN
NCE will perform a pavement condition survey of the travel lanes based on visible distresses. Pavement
condition surveys serve the purpose of further refining the appropriate rehabilitation/reconstruction
strategy in relation to the distress caused by downhill creep of the Road prism and traveled way.
This condition survey will generally note the presence of load related and environmental distresses, such
as alligator cracking, longitudinal and transverse cracking, rutting, patches and utility cuts, distortions and
depressions as they pertain to developing appropriate pavement treatments. In addition, potential base
repairs will be identified in the condition survey. Base repairs will be marked in the field on the pavement
in white paint, numbered, and verified prior to construction.
NCE will collect up to four (4) pavement section core samples (4” – 8” diameter cores) in the eastbound
lane (inner lane). These will supplement the 13 borings already sampled in the westbound lane. For each
core sample, NCE will measure and record the thickness and material type of each layer encountered in
the pavement structural section, including the presence of any pavement reinforcing fabric. A half‐day of
traffic control by NCE is provided in our cost estimate for this subtask.
Bulk samples of subgrade will be obtained in support of structural section design. We will collect bulk
samples of subgrade materials at the core locations for laboratory testing such as R‐value, moisture
content and Atterberg Limits (plasticity index) determinations. Our current fees assume 2 bulk samples
will be obtained for testing. The thickness of aggregate base (AB) will be measured at all core locations.
Using the data obtained from the 4 supplemental corings, the laboratory test results from these samples,
the 13 original borings and their laboratory data, NCE will perform pavement analysis and design services,
and develop pavement rehabilitation and reconstruction recommendations for both the westbound and
eastbound traveled lanes and shoulders. NCE will perform its analysis in accordance with the Caltrans
Highway Design Manual.
NCE will develop pavement structural section recommendations expressed in the form of a Traffic Index
(TI) that will be provided by the Town. NCE will develop recommendations including, but not limited to,
the following:
22 | Page
Reconstruction
o Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) over AB
o Full Depth HMA
o FDR
Conventional Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA)
Rubberized Hot Mix Asphalt (RHMA)
Alternative rehabilitation methods if feasible (in‐place recycling, mill & fill treatments, etc.)
Locations and treatments of failed pavement sections (base repairs)
Full‐width milling and wedge grinding requirements.
NCE will then summarize its recommendations in a pavement design memorandum to the Town that, at
a minimum, will include the following:
Results of pavement condition surveys, coring, and laboratory testing
Description of testing procedures and analysis performed for the project
Recommended alternatives for rehabilitation and reconstruction.
NCE will submit two (2) copies of its draft technical memorandum to the Town for initial review. Upon
receipt of any comments from the Town, NCE will then prepare its final technical memorandum, which
will be signed and stamped by NCE’s Pavement Engineer. Two (2) copies of the final technical
memorandum will then be provided to the Town reflecting any comments on the draft technical
memorandum. NCE will also develop an encroachment permit application for the coring work.
Deliverables:
Encroachment permit application – traffic control provided by Town for pavement coring
Draft and Final pavement Technical Memorandums.
TASK 2F – ENVIRONMENTAL (CEQA CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION)
Projects that are subject to the discretionary approval of a government agency must comply with
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) regulations and procedures. Based on our experience
fulfilling CEQA requirements for roadway repair projects of similar nature, this project will likely qualify
for a Categorical Exemption as described
at California Code of Regulations in Article
19, Section 15301 – Existing Facilities or
Article 19, Section 15302 – Replacement
or Reconstruction.
A visual assessment of the project area
will be conducted, databases will be
reviewed, and the project area will be
assessed for exceptions to the CEQA
exemptions per CEQA Guidelines Section
15300.2. Factors related to the potential
for exceptions to be documented in the
administrative record include biological
resources, historic resources, hazardous
waste lists, State scenic highways, flood hazard areas, and fault zones. NCE will prepare an administrative
record supporting the determination for the Town’s files. NCE will then prepare a Notice of Exemption
(NOE) form (Figure 9) for the Town to review, sign and file with the County Clerk. Whereas the project is
Figure 9. California’s OPR’s Notice of Exemption Form
23 | Page
not of regional significance and there are no State responsible entities, there is no need to file with the
State Clearinghouse.
The Categorical Exemption will be supported by an administrative record that includes brief biological and
cultural resource technical memoranda. Based on preliminary database research, the project area
contains no critical habitat for federally listed special status plant or animal species. However, three
special status plant species have current ranges that overlap the project area, according to the US Fish
and Wildlife Service. While we believe the potential is low for these plants to occur within and adjacent
to the roadway, our proposed reconnaissance‐level survey will confirm this assumption, and our findings
will be presented in a tech memo and described below.
The biological resources technical memorandum will include a database review and a reconnaissance‐
level field survey. Additionally, in support of a potential tree removal permit application and during the
reconnaissance‐level field survey, NCE will also identify tree species greater than 4 inches in diameter (as
collected by our surveyor during topographic surveys) that may require trimming or removal. The results
of the field survey, relevant field observations, and findings will be presented in a biological resources
technical memorandum.
NCE assumes the tree trimming and removal can be completed per Section 26.10.063 of the Town’s
municipal code for removal required for Capital Improvement Project, repair of a geologic hazard, and/or
interferes use of pavements. A tree removal permit application will be completed and submitted to the
Town for review.
The cultural resources technical memorandum will present the findings of a record search request from
the Northwest Information Center and a brief pedestrian survey. Given NCE’s experience with small road
rehabilitation projects and the location of the present project on steep slopes, away from perennial water
sources, the probability of encountering historical resources (as defined by CEQA) is judged to be low. For
this project, NCE assumes no cultural resources will be identified. In addition, because an NOE is assumed
for this project, AB52 Native American consultation is not required. If historical resources (which can also
be tribal resources) are identified as a result of the records search, as part of the pedestrian survey, or as
provided by the Town, NCE can initiate Native American consultation on behalf of the Town for a separate
scope and fee.
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Deliverables:
CEQA Notice of Exemption
CEQA Administrative Record
Biological resources technical memorandum
Cultural resources technical memorandum
Tree removal permit application
TASK 3 – PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, & ESTIMATES (PS&E)
TASK 3A – 35% PS&E
Upon completion of preliminary engineering, the project team will prepare a 35% Plans, Specifications,
and Estimate of Probable Construction Cost (PS&E) for the project. The 35% plans will depict the basic
roadway repair plans and outline of details, required tie‐in into existing features, new paving of associated
roadway, drainage flow lines, traffic handling, draft profile‐and‐plan views, retaining wall and either tie‐
back or geogrid systems, structural and roadway detailing, and construction limits. The plans will be
accompanied by and outline of draft technical specifications and an engineer’s estimate. The combined
plans, specification, and estimate (PS&E) will be reviewed for quality assurance and edits incorporated
prior to delivery to the Town. Upon completion of the Town’s review a Review meeting will be held to
discuss the 35% PS&E package. The following plan sheets are anticipated:
Name No. of Sheets
Title Sheet 1
Notes, Legend and Abbreviations 1
Survey Control 1
Traffic Handling 1 (Alt 1)/ 5 (Alt 2)
Excavation/ Demolition 2
Plan and Profile 3
Retaining Wall Plan and Profile 6
Pavement, Guardrail and Drainage Details 3
Retaining Wall Details 3
Water Pollution Control 2
Signing and Striping 3
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As part of the 35% design, CE&G will finalize the retaining wall design. Calculations made during
development of the Geotechnical Design Report will be verified and included with a structures design.
The Engineer’s Cost Estimate will be prepared in MS Excel format and will be based on the most recent
construction cost data available to NCE for projects of this type. Because of NCE’s involvement in the design
and construction of numerous similar projects throughout California, we are confident in our ability to estimate
the construction cost of the Town’s project. This initial estimate will then be updated and refined as the design
effort progresses. It is assumed that the Town will require a 10‐day review/comment period once the 35%
PS&E package is submitted.
Deliverables:
35% Plans (electronic ‐ pdf)
Outline of Technical Specifications
Engineer’s Estimate of Probable Construction Cost.
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TASK 3B – 65% PS&E
Upon completion of 35% PS&E review meeting, the NCE team will begin resolving comments and
incorporating edits from the 35% review meeting into the 65% PS&E set of contract documents. The team
will also conduct a constructability review prior to submittal to the Town to ensure anticipated means and
methods by any contractors for completing the work in the field. NCE will provide a response to each
comment that is included in a comment table provided by the Town. The 65% PS&E will include additional
design information and details typically expected at this stage of completion. The 65% PS&E package will
then be packaged and submitted similar to the 35% PS&E unless directed otherwise.
The contract documents (proposal, special provisions, and technical specifications) will be developed for
the project to fit the anticipated work items. The Contract documents will be prepared in MS Word and
according to the Town’s format. For the purposes of this proposal NCE assumes that standard front end
and specific provisions templates will be provided by the Town. The special provisions will follow both the
Town’s and Caltrans’ standard formatting conventions.
NCE also believes that an efficient yet thorough Quality Control/Quality Assurance program is essential for
getting the maximum value out of every dollar spent on construction. Projects designed by NCE therefore,
contain technical specifications that attempt to optimize the balance between using rigid, but time‐tested,
specifications and meeting local agency needs, with the goal of obtaining the very best value for its clients.
NCE recognizes the value of incorporating Caltrans Standard Specifications in projects such as these, both
because these specifications have been developed by an agency that designs and builds a vast amount of
highway work, and because most contractors performing public works construction in Northern California
are familiar with them. Caltrans, however, has the resources to administer projects quite differently than
most local agencies, so NCE advocates modifying the Caltrans Standard Specifications to better fit the
abilities, needs, and budgets of municipal agencies.
The Engineer’s cost estimate will also be updated to reflect the revised quantities of work depicted on the
plans. It is assumed that the Town will require a 10‐day review/comment period once the 65% PS&E package
is submitted.
Deliverables:
Tabulated response‐to‐comments at 35% PS&E Review meeting
35% Plans (electronic ‐ pdf)
Technical Specifications
Engineer’s Estimate of Probable Construction Cost.
TASK 3C – 100% PS&E
The 100% PS&E will be revised to incorporate comments received from the Town. NCE will again meet
with the Town to review these comments, from which the final (Bid Set) PS&E will be prepared. Similar to
100% PS&E, NCE will provide a response to each comment that is included in a comment table provided
by the Town. The final (Bid Set) PS&E will include all notes and details necessary for construction. One
reproducible copy of the final (Bid Set) PS&E will then be packaged and submitted similar to the 100%
PS&E unless directed otherwise. Upon receipt of the Town’s final review comments, the project
documents will be finalized for bidding purposes.
A final quantity calculation will be tabulated, and this will be entered into the final Engineer’s cost estimate
for the project. All final documents will be reviewed, stamped, and signed by NCE’s registered civil
engineer, and the final PS&E will be delivered to the Town in both hard copy and electronic formats.
Deliverables:
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One wet‐signed and one electronic file of the final plans, technical specifications, and engineer’s
estimate. The electronic files for the final construction plans, specifications, and engineer’s
estimate will be in AutoCAD 2018 or later version, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel,
respectively.
TASK 4 – CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION
TASK 4A – BIDDING SUPPORT SERVICES
Services during advertisement and bidding include assistance during the pre‐bid conference, responding
to questions received about the project design, and preparation of any addenda and/ or clarifications to
the PS&E that are deemed necessary. NCE can also assist the Town in determining the responsiveness of
bids received, with checking and tabulating bid results, and with developing recommendations for award
of a construction contract to the Town Council.
Deliverables:
Attend pre‐bid meetings
Prepare responses to questions received regarding project design
Prepare bid addenda as necessary
Provide assistance with bid responsiveness (as needed).
TASK 4B – CONSTRUCTION SUPPORT SERVICES
NCE will provide support services to the Town during the construction phase of the project. At a minimum,
these services are anticipated to include attendance at the pre‐Construction Conference, reviewing
Contractor submittals and responding to Contractor requests for information, field marking and verifying
measurement of base repair (digout) areas, providing recommendations for any necessary construction
changes due to unforeseen field conditions, assisting with the review of Contract Change Orders,
participate in the final inspection and assistance with identifying punch list items, and preparation of
Record Drawings from marked as‐built plans supplied by the Town’s Contractor. The Record Drawings will
be furnished to the Town in both printed and electronic formats.
Deliverables:
Attend pre‐construction conference
Assist with the review of contractor submittals and RFIs as necessary
Provide recommendations for any necessary construction changes due to unforeseen conditions
Assist with review of contract change orders
Upon receipt from the contractor of redlines, record drawings in full‐size hardcopy (1 copy, 22” x
34”), pdf, and CAD format.
TASK 5 – OPTIONAL ADDITIONAL SERVICES
The Town has requested clarification on issues that have the potential to arise during design and for one
or both of the alternatives under consideration. The following supplements our original proposal to
improve expectations should unforeseen circumstances arise. Two general areas of concern are
environmental resource determinations and right‐of‐way engineering. These are outlined below.
TASK 5A‐ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
At the discretion of the Town, NCE can conduct up to three (3) pre‐construction nesting bird surveys as
additional service and is included as an additional cost in our fee estimate. While these surveys are not
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required, if there is the potential to impact nesting migratory birds in the project area, the Town should
consider completing these surveys to minimize the risk of a nesting migratory bird take, a potential
violation of federal and state laws protecting migratory birds. The intent of the pre‐construction surveys
is to verify no nesting migratory birds will be impacted by construction activities (e.g., tree removal,
vegetation trimming or removal, or ground disturbance). Following each nesting bird survey or once all
pre‐construction surveys have been completed, NCE will prepare a brief letter report detailing the findings
from the pre‐construction survey. NCE assumes no nesting birds will be found.
We judge based on the type of roadway repair work to be completed we have developed the appropriate
scope of environmental document services and in the less likely event additional cultural and biological
resources and/or permitting are required beyond our current assumptions these services can be provided
for additional scope and fee not currently estimated herein.
Deliverables:
Nesting bird survey letter report.
TASK 5B‐ROW ENGINEERING SERVICES
The Geotechnical Alternatives Report identified two parcels encroaching into the operating right‐of‐way
of the roadway. Our surveyor has identified the APNs for these parcels. While one of the parcels is owned
by the Town, the other is identified as a private party. If necessary, a title reports will be obtained by our
surveyor. In the unlikely event that the private party encroachment cannot be resolved by the
topographic survey, ROW mapping, and title reports ROW services will be completed.
Depending on project needs and discussions with the private property owner, to secure the rights
necessary for the project a permanent easement, temporary construction easement, and or partial fee
acquisition may be required. For properties less than $10,000 a valuation can be used in‐lieu of appraisal.
Should the property be over this threshold then an appraisal would be conducted. Services included for
ROW would include the following for any rights needed:
1. Initial research and review of all parcel conditions including title review for potential
encumbrances that would impact any acquisition.
2. An initial valuation estimate to determine if an appraisal is necessary for the rights seeking to be
acquired.
3. Initial meeting with the property owner at the property to review the plans for the project, the
impact to their property, discuss their concerns, and collect information germane to the valuation
and negotiations.
4. Engage in information exchange and negotiations with the property owner necessary to secure
agreements for rights needed.
5. Coordinate any appraisals needed with the owner and appraiser. Or prepare a valuation in‐lieu of
appraisal.
6. Prepare offer package including all documents needed to acquire and close any acquisitions.
7. Negotiate in good faith with the owner.
8. Participate in meetings with the Town’s legal counsel and any study sessions with the Town
Council needed.
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9. Open and coordinate escrows including and reconveyances.
\ In support of any necessary acquisition or easement our surveyor would prepare legal descriptions for
the deed and plats. In the unlikely event of an issue developing with the parcel owned by the Town or
annexed roadway area from the County our right‐of‐way consultant can also assist in attending meetings,
performing negotiations with the County, release of rights or abandonments, and reconveyances.
Property Valuation and/or Appraisal
Title Report(s)
Legal Descriptions and Plats
Meetings and Negotiations
Land Rights Acquisition for Permanent Easement, Temporary Easement and/or Partial Fee
Acquisition
PROJECT SCHEDULE
The intent of this design schedule is to complete construction documents within 5 to 6 months for late
summer bidding or earlier if possible and desired by the Town, which can be discussed further and
confirmed with project objectives during project kick‐off. Fall and Winter bidding will allow the Town to
secure more competitive bidding but places construction in winter months and may require delay of
construction to spring months depending on weather, construction, regulatory, and other site constraints.
Richmond, CA501 Canal Blvd., Suite I Richmond, CA 94804 (510) 215‐3620
Richmond, CA
501 Canal Blvd., Suite I
Richmond, CA 94804
(510) 215‐3620
COST PROPOSAL
The following represent hourly rates for NCE and our team members:
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NCE will provide the defined scope of work on a lump sum basis for an estimated fee of $434,900. The
price breakdown by task is attached. Total compensation will not exceed the amounts set forth without
receipt of prior written authorization from the Town.
Richmond, CA501 Canal Blvd., Suite I Richmond, CA 94804 (510) 215‐3620
Richmond, CA
501 Canal Blvd., Suite I
Richmond, CA 94804
(510) 215‐3620
The NCE team is excited to have this opportunity to complete construction documents for the Shannon Road Repair
project based on the work we have already completed to date. As a principal with NCE, I am authorized to sign contracts
on behalf of NCE and will be the point of contact should you have questions. I can be reached via phone at (510) 215‐3620
or via email at rshafer@ncenet.com or via mail at NCE, 501 Canal Boulevard, Suite I, Richmond, CA 94804. NCE looks
forward to your favorable review of our qualifications and continuing our work with the Town.
Sincerely,
NCE
J. Ryan Shafer, PE, GE Lee Taubeneck, PE
Principal Project Manager
Attachments:
A. Key Staff Resumes