INDOT Honored With Harry H. Mellon Award of Excellence in Job Order Contracting

Greenville, S.C. – Gordian, the leading provider of facility and construction cost data, software and expertise, announced today Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) received the 2017 Harry H. Mellon Award of Excellence in Job Order Contracting for repairs to the Rockville Road Bridge over I-465. The honor for exemplary use of Job Order Contracting included recognition of both INDOT and local contractor Rieth-Riley Construction Co. due to the special circumstances surrounding the $1.3 million project.

On Jan. 10, 2017, a mobile car crusher crashed into the Rockville Road Bridge, destroying four of the 14 load-bearing girders. The bridge carried a main artery into town from the west side of Indianapolis – specifically into the portion of town where the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is located. With the added pressure of the rapidly approaching Indianapolis 500, urgent repairs were a necessity.

INDOT realized this was an opportunity to utilize their Job Order Contracting (JOC) program designed specifically for high-priority bridge repairs beyond what can typically be performed by in-house maintenance staff. The awarded JOC contractor, Rieth Riley Construction Co., responded that same day to begin demolition and re-route traffic over the undamaged section of the bridge. The replacement beams were ready within two months, and deck reconstruction, bridge wall replacement and traffic striping were completed ahead of schedule. Due to JOC’s streamlined process, the repairs were completed in less than half the time of INDOT’s standard project sequence. Additionally, JOC’s pre-established pricing removed the risk of paying a premium that likely would have been expected with an expedited delivery timeframe.

In addition to awarding INDOT with the Award of Excellence, judges comprised primarily of former award winners named the following five Award of Merit Winners for demonstration of Job Order Contracting best practices:

Bollea Road Bridge Emergency Repairs
Agency: San Joaquin County
Contractor: T & S Intermodel Maintenance, Inc.
After heavy rainfall in February 2017, the residents of Bollea Road reported the bridge was settling at the south abutment and the concrete abutment was dislodged and downstream. Due to bridge failure and public safety concerns, the county inspectors immediately closed the bridge, cutting off vehicular access to the residents. The county coordinated with engineering consultants and utilized its existing JOC program to stabilize the bridge, create a temporary crossing and make permanent repairs in a safe and efficient manner. The bridge was returned to regular service within 120 days.

Indian Creek Drive Storm Water Drainage Improvements
Agencies: City of Miami Beach and Florida Department of Transportation
Contractor: David Mancini & Sons, Inc.
The City of Miami Beach needed a new storm drainage system in order to meet new flood elevation requirements. However, before beginning in the infrastructure improvements, the city needed to quickly construct a temporary concrete seawall and dewatering pumps to mitigate flooding during the yearly “king-tides.” The city utilized JOC to install the barrier wall and supply innovative and eco-friendly solutions to help improve water quality while monitoring and assessing the record high tides. Thanks to effective collaboration, the team was able to secure the safety of residents and keep the state-owned highway from flooding.

Norristown State Hospital – Building 10 Emergency Forensic Upgrades
Agency: Pennsylvania Department of Human Services
Contractor: Lobar Associates, Inc.
Due to a mandate from the Federal Government, the State of Pennsylvania needed to provide a more forensic environment at the Norristown State Hospital. The project needed to be competed quickly while maintaining the highest level of care for the patients. Utilizing JOC for this high priority project saved the state taxpayers millions of dollars in potential legal penalties if the project would have followed the standard procurement process.

Oak Knoll Slide Sewer Repair
Agency: County of San Mateo Department of Public Works
Contractor: Yerba Buena Engineering & Construction, Inc.
Damage to a six-inch sewer line from heavy winter rain resulted in a sewage leak to nearby Emerald Lake. The lake is used by the community, so potential sewage contamination posed a serious health and safety concern. The county accessed its JOC program to complete the urgent repairs in less than five days.

St. Paul the Apostle Pre-K Center
Agency: NYC Department of Education
Contractor: Pro Con Group Inc.
The NYC Department of Education needed to convert space at St. Paul the Apostle Church into a Pre-K center, but logistical challenges were threatening the project timeline. NYC Department of Education utilized its JOC program to ensure the project was completed within budget and on time for the new school year.

About the Awards
The Harry H. Mellon Award of Excellence in Job Order Contracting is an annual award recognizing innovative uses of Job Order Contracting. Judging was conducted by a panel of Job Order Contracting experts and past award winners from all facets of the industry. Projects submitted were judged on their adherence to Job Order Contracting principles, innovation, complexity, special circumstances and overall time and cost savings.
In order to be eligible, projects had to be completed during 2017. Nominations were submitted by agency owners or contractors. The award program is named for Harry H. Mellon, the creator of Job Order Contracting and co-founder of Gordian.

Job Order Contracting is a competitively bid procurement process used by building and infrastructure owners to save money by fast-tracking repair, renovation and alteration projects based on locally priced construction tasks and competitively awarded contracts.