S02 - Design Narritive - 830CM3018.pdf

Bay Pines National Cemetery

Bid Documents—Design Narrative 16 March 2021

Roadway and Drainage Improvements

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

National Cemetery Administration VA Project No: 830CM3018 Contract No: 36C78618D0144 Delivery Order No: 36C78620N0535

Bay Pines National Cemetery

St Petersburg, FL

Roadway and Drainage Improvements

PROJECT 830CM3018

Bid Documents

Design Narrative

March 16, 2020

PREPARED BY:

LEAD DESIGN CONSULTANT/ LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT

John Gallup & Associates, LLC (JG&A) 3225 Shallowford Road NE, Suite 830 Marietta, GA 30062

CEMETERY PLANNER/ STORMWATER CONSULTANT

Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions, Inc.1075 Big Shanty Road, Suite 100 Kennesaw, GA 30144

CIVIL ENGINEER

Atriax pllc

102 3rd Avenue NE, Hickory, NC 28601

COST ESTIMATOR

R&R Construction Services.

315 Indian Ridge Road, Moon Township, PA 15108

Bay Pines National Cemetery - Roadway and Drainage Improvements Project No. 830CM3018 16 March 2021

TASK 3 - DESIGN DEVELOPMENT NARRATIVE

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Existing Drainage System

B. Existing Roadways

C. Existing Committal Service Shelter

II. ENVIRONMENTAL

A. Environmental Compliance

B. Section 106

III. CIVIL

A. Existing Site Conditions

B. Paving Assessment and Evaluation

C. Topography, Drainage and Grading

D. Environmental Permits

E. Roadway Design

F. Cortege Lane Expansion

G. Erosion and Sedimentation Control

IV. GEOTECHNICAL

A. Geotechnical Report

B. Soils

C. Asphalt Coring

D. Subsurface Conditions

V. SITE DESIGN

A. Committal Services Shelter

VI. CODE ANALYSIS

I. INTRODUCTION

The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) contracted this roadway and drainage project to correct existing deficiencies of the existing roadway and drainage systems at Bay Pines National Cemetery (BPNC) to extend the service life of facility infrastructure, systems and equipment as well as upgrade the function and appearance of the cemetery by eliminating areas of standing water in sections of roadway and burial areas. Items included are:

A. Existing Drainage System

Standing water has been an ongoing problem at Bay Pines, this has been attributed to a lack of an established curb and gutter to control water runoff. Burial sections 51, 52, 53 and 61 have flooded during heavy rain events as well as an area near the administration building and the Carillion Tower.

The existing stormwater system does not appear to have had any major improvement or upgrades since it was constructed in 1975. The system consists of subsurface tiles to an outfall at the swale to the north. A series of stormwater ponds consisting of three stormwater ponds with overflow weirs and irrigation pumping system was added in 1999 at the southern edge of the site. Upgrades to this system was were performed as a part of the Columbarium A project which was constructed in 2005. Additional upgrades to the pond system were completed in 2017 as a part of the Columbarium B project.

A stormwater force main was added in 2017 to cover the runoff from the maintenance complex at the Northeast. This force main discharges into the VA Medical Center lake and is included in the VAMC stormwater permit.

Stormwater quantity storage is not required due to the site draining into neighboring Boca Ciega Bay; however, water quality must be achieved from roadways before discharge.

B. Existing Roadways

The visual appearance of the cemetery is diminished by the roadway’s current condition. Some of the pavement has been upgraded in association with new construction, however the majority of paving has not been upgraded for many years.

C. Existing Committal Service Shelter

According to the Southeast District’s Facility Condition Assessment (FCA), the existing Committal Services Shelter (CSS)requires repair and should be replaced. After a walkthrough of the CSS at the kickoff meeting it was determined that the existing structure is of sound condition with some functional aspects that need to be upgraded. Deficiencies noted are not of the magnitude that would necessitate replacement of the entire structure.

II. ENVIRONMENTAL

A. Environmental Compliance

Based upon Department of Veterans Affairs “Environmental Effects of VA Actions,” 38 CFR Part 26, this project is Categorically Excluded. An Environmental Assessment or update will not be required. Stormwater systems upgrades and improvements will be designed in accordance with Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) stormwater requirements.

B. Section 106

Consultation letter to be prepared by JG&A and submitted to the VA for review and submission to the Florida SHPO.

III. CIVIL

A. Existing Site Conditions Cemetery Setting and Surrounding Area The project site is Bay Pines National Cemetery, located at 10,000 Bay Pines Boulevard, in Pinellas County, Florida. The cemetery is approximately ten miles northwest of St. Petersburg, with access off of Hoover Road. The Department of Veterans Affairs owns one 280 acre parcel adjacent to Bay Pines Boulevard (reference number 02-31-15-00000-300-0000). The parcel contains the Bay Pines Veterans Affairs Healthcare facility to the west, VA regional office to the northeast, and cemetery to the southeast. Work is limited to the southwest corner of the parcel within the existing cemetery grounds, amounting to approximately 6 acres. The parcel spans across Map Sections 02 South and 11 North, within Town 31 South and Range 15 East (023115S and 113115N). Zoning is designated as “Public/ Semi-Public District” (PSP) and the use is “Federal Government - Non-residential (commercial) only” (8810).

The receiving water body for site runoff is Boca Ciega Bay, which drains into the Gulf of Mexico. The site is relatively flat and prone to flooding, as confirmed by soils and floodplain mapping. In flooded conditions, the infiltrative capacity of all soil types on site drops substantially from Hydrologic Soil Groups A or B to HSG D. The cemetery falls under the jurisdiction of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

The site consists of the following soils per NRCS Web Soil Survey:

11 - Felda soils and Urban land, HSG B/D 13 - Immokalee soils and Urban land, HSG A/D 14 - Kesson fine sand, very frequently flooded, HSG A/D 17 - Myakka soils and Urban land, HSG A/D

In accordance with FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map Number 12103C0192G, effective September 3, 2003, the site falls within Zone AE, special flood hazard areas inundated by the 100-year flood. The base flood elevations have been determined for the site and range from 10- 12 feet.

The existing cemetery consists of 80 burial sections, an administration/ public information building, two columbarium areas, a committal shelter, rostrum, a memorial monument, and a maintenance facility.

B. Paving Assessment and Evaluation

The paving assessment and evaluation report includes an assessment of the asphalt roadways as well as recommendations for maintenance and an improvement strategy for all areas based on the assessment. All asphalt surface evaluations completed for this report were performed based on applicable American Society for Testing of Materials (ASTM) standards. The detailed report is included under separate cover.

C. Topography, Drainage and Grading

The Stormwater Report is included in this submission as a standalone document.

As described in the statement of work, the site has drainage issues caused mainly by the topography of the site. There is little elevation change causing standing water after rain events. Another contributing factor is the high ground water table, slowing or preventing infiltration in low areas of the site.

To decrease the standing water onsite several solutions will be constructed:

Roadway Flooding: A large portion of the existing roadway has standing water after a rain event. In order to provide better drainage, the new roadway section will receive a crown allowing the water to drain off into the grass. The roundabout at the administration building will be reconstructed to slope to the north, and a new drainage swale will be constructed to carry the stormwater to the existing ditch. Special care will need to be taken to avoid damaging the existing trees lining the roadway.

It was discovered that the 3 stormwater ponds that are designed to be “dry ponds” are not functioning properly and not in compliance with the existing permit (additional information in the drainage report). These ponds may need to be converted to wet ponds, with a permanent pool depth of 8” and a treatment depth of 18”. This will allow the ponds to drain to approximately 1.5’ lower than the existing pond elevation. While modifying the ponds will not assist in the flooding of the site, the lower pond elevation with help with saturated soils throughout the south portion of the site. A major modification to the existing permit will need to be made.

D. Environmental Permits

Federal

EPA Notice of Intent (NOI) and SWPPP

State/Local Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFMWD) - Major Permit modification for retrofit of the stormwater ponds.

E. Roadway Design The roadway network throughout the site was constructed at different times and varies in width and thickness. The portions of the roadway that are failed and receiving full reconstruction, will be designed in accordance with the recommendations for the geotechnical report. The loop road is designed to match the existing width of 19’ (17’ asphalt + 1’ concrete ribbon curb on each side). The current roadway is not crowned, which contributes to the drainage issue. The center line of the new loop road will be raised 4”-6”, and normally crowned with 2% slope.

The geotechnical report provides a pavement design, as well as resurfacing requirements.

F. Cortege Lane Extension The existing entrance to the cemetery is via a connecting roadway running north and south with entrances off Hoover road to the north and Cemetery Road to the South. The entrance road to the cemetery is located on the eastern side of the connecting road halfway between Hoover and Cemetery roads. The Cemetery entrance road runs north of the administration building and terminates at the memorial monument traffic circle. Currently cortege operations stack vehicles on this entrance road segment in front of the administration building. Vehicle capacity is limited with larger services cars backing up on the connector road.

The proposed cortege lane extension will provide dedicated direct access to the entrance segment from Hoover road. This segment will provide stacking for 9- 12 vehicles in three lanes. Access will be controlled by Tubular steel swinging gates which will be closed when services are not scheduled.

G. Erosion and Sedimentation Control An erosion and sediment control plan must be submitted as part of the application as a way of providing reasonable assurance that water quality standards will not be violated during the construction phase of a project. The plan must identify the location, relative timing, and specifications for all erosion and sediment control and stabilization measures that will be implemented as part of the project’s construction. The plan must provide for compliance with the terms and schedule of implementing the proposed project, beginning with the initiation of construction activities. The plan may be submitted as a separate document or may be contained as part of the plans and specifications of the construction documents. (Environmental Resource Permit Applicant’s Handbook Volume 1).

Contractor shall prepare a SWPPP as part of compliances with NPDES permit.

IV. GEOTECHNICAL

A. Geotechnical Report

The Geotechnical Report is included in this submission as a standalone document.

B. Soils

Soils data from the Soil Survey of the site produced by the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) were reviewed as part of the exploration. The soil unit identified within the project area is described below:

• Felda Soils and Urban land (map symbol 11) are poorly drained soils with drainageways on marine terraces. The soil unit consists of fine sands to a depth of 24 inches below ground surface, fine sandy loams between 24 and 36 inches below surface and loamy fine sands between 34 and 80 inches below surface. The water table is between the surface and 12 inches below surface. The available water storage capacity is low, and permeability is moderately high to high, ranging from 0.6 to 2.0 in/hr.

• Immokolee soils and Urban land (map symbol 13) are poorly drained soils with flatwoods on marine terraces. The soil unit consists of fine sands to a depth of 80 inches below ground surface. The water table is between 6 and 18 inches below surface. The available water storage capacity is low, and permeability is moderately high to high, ranging from 0.6 to 6 in/hr.

• Myakka soils and Urban land (map symbol 17) are poorly drained soils with flatwoods on marine terraces. The soil unit consists of fine sands to a depth of 80 inches below ground surface. The water table is between 6 and 18 inches below surface. The available water storage capacity is low, and permeability is moderately high to high, ranging from 0.6 to 6 in/hr.

C. Asphalt Coring

Nine (9), 4-inch diameter asphalt cores (designated AC-1 thru AC-9) were performed on October 6, 2020. The cores were completed to specify pavement and base information, identify pavement and base material thicknesses, and capture crack depths. This information was later used to aid evaluating the existing pavement conditions, and proposed improvements. Upon coring completion, Wood continued with SPTs in the same locations. Figure 2 shows the locations of the asphalt cores and SPT borings.

D. Subsurface Conditions

Based on the findings of our subsurface investigation and laboratory testing, two generalized soil strata beneath the pavement sections have been identified. The strata are distinguished by engineering characteristics, typically grain size, cohesion, and organic content. The consistencies of the soils were defined based on the Automatic hammer SPT-N values (FDOT Soils and Foundations manual, Chapter 6).

• Stratum 1 is composed of pale brown lime rock base material, varying in thickness between

3.25 and 7.50 inches, underneath the asphalt layer. Lime rock base was observed in borings B-1, B-2, B- 3, B-4 and B-7, between 0.2 feet and 1 foot below top of the asphalt layer.

• Stratum 2 consists of very loose to medium dense Sands (SP), with varying shades of brown and gray, as well as sands with silts (SP-SM), and silty sands (SM), with corresponding moisture contents between 9% and 34%, fines content between 4% and 20%, and organic contents ranging between 4% and 6%.

V. SITE DESIGN

A. Committal Services Shelter

• The existing shelter closet is substandard in both height and footprint and will be demolished and replaced with a 12’ x 4’ x 7.5’ closet. The height of the closet will be 7 foot 6 inches tall and constructed with CMU block and covered with a brick veneer. Two aluminum framed doors, 6 foot 8 inches in height, with a total width of 8 feet will be installed on the northwest side opening to the outside of the shelter. The cap on the closet will be a precast concrete slab sloping away from the shelter interior.

• To accommodate access to the shelter, closet the site improvements will include pouring a concrete walk from the shelter closet around the northwest side of the shelter providing the cemetery staff a path for casket removal and or taking the bier to/from storage.

• Existing electrical to be protected/salvaged during construction and reinstalled to original location once the shelter construction is completed.

VII. CODE ANALYSIS

• Design Manuals, NCA Master Specifications, VA National CAD Standard Application Guide, and other Guidance on the Technical Information Library (TIL) (http://www.cfm.va.gov/til/).

• International Building Code (IBC) (only when specifically referenced in VA Design Documents)

• NFPA 101 Life Safety Code

• NFPA National Fire Codes (except for NFPA 5000 and NFPA 900)

• Occupational, Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Standards

• VA Seismic Design Requirements, H-18-8

• National Electrical Code (NEC)

• International Plumbing Code (IPC)

• Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Standards (ABAAS)

• Building Code Requirements for Reinforced Concrete, American Concrete Institute and Commentary (ACI 318)

• Building Code Requirements for Structural Masonry (ACI 530), Specifications for Structural Steel Buildings (AISC 360), National Design Specification (NDS) for Wood Construction with 2015 NDS Supplement

• Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct)

• Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings: Memorandum of Understanding

(MOU)

• Executive Order 13423: Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management

• The Provisions for Construction and Safety Signs. Stated in General Requirements Section 01010 of the NCA Master Construction Specification

• Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, Section 438

• VA Signage Design Guide, National Cemetery Signs, Chapter 12

3225 Shallowford Rd NE, Suite 830, Marietta, GA 30062

770.321.4040 | www.johngallup.com

In partnership with:

Contract No: 36C78618D0144 Obligation No: 835Z00000