5-General Notes - Fog Seal Spring 2026.doc

General Notes and Technical Specifications

Cul-De-Sac and Straight Section - Fog Seal Spring 2026 Definition of Terms

Fog Seal Season: October 1 through June 30.

County: Williamson County acting through the Road and Bridge Division.

Contractor: Successful bidder of the attached invitation to bid.

Engineer: Williamson County Engineer, or designee.

Inspector: Engineer’s designee assigned, full or part time, to the contractor's crew for the oversight of the work.

Specifications: Texas Department of Transportation Standard Specifications for Construction and Maintenance of Highways, Streets, and Bridges 2024.

TxDOT: Texas Department of Transportation.

Working Day: Monday through Friday (excluding County approved holidays), if weather permits the performance of the contract (as determined by the inspector) for a continuous period of at least 6 hrs. (excluding lunch) between 8:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M.

General Notes

All work performed and all products furnished under the provision of the Contract shall comply with requirements which pertain to the various items of work included as Standard Specifications for Construction of Highways, Streets and Bridges of the Texas Department of Transportation, adopted September 1, 2024, and as amended and/or updated, which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. In the event that any specification set out herein conflicts with the said TxDOT specifications, the specification set out herein shall control and govern.

The Contractor shall self-perform at least 25% of the contract bid Items.

All the work in this contract shall be 100% completed by September 30, 2026.

The Contractor will be given written Notice to Proceed for this project on June 1, 2026. This fog seal project shall begin within five (5) working days after such notification and shall continue for eighty (80) working days.

For this project, the Contractor shall operate two (2) fog seal crews simultaneously in one working day.

Contractor specifically acknowledges that Williamson County will sustain damages for each working day beyond the date in which construction work is to begin. Once the written Notice to Proceed is given by Williamson County, the Contractor has five (5) working days to begin the work. Contractor agrees that five-hundred and No/100 Dollars ($500.00) per working day shall be retained by Williamson County from any amounts due Contractor for every day that Contractor does not begin the construction work.

Contractor specifically acknowledges that Williamson County will sustain damages for each working day beyond the required dates of substantial completion of the project. Because of the impracticality and extreme difficulty of fixing and ascertaining Williamson County's actual damages, Contractor agrees that five-hundred and No/100 Dollars ($500.00) per working day shall be retained by Williamson County from any amounts due Contractor for every day that Contractor does not complete the project.

Periods of time (i) during which Williamson County suspends the work by written notice to Contractor, or (ii) during which contractor has performed work and is waiting for Williamson County’s acceptance, or (iii) during which a delay directly related to delays caused by "Acts of God", non-county governmental processes, national emergency, or any other causes beyond Contractor's or Williamson County's reasonable control, shall not be taken into account in computing the amount retained. In the event that work received by Williamson County is found to be incomplete, the period of time from the end of the performance of the work to the receipt of subsequent performance necessary to produce completed work will be taken into account in computing the number of days and the amount retained.

Contractor shall submit a basic work plan, table chart, or schedule for the Engineer to review one week prior to commencement of work.

Once work begins, Contractor shall continuously execute the work until completion, unless otherwise directed by the Engineer.

Nighttime, weekend and holiday work is allowed with prior approval by the Engineer.

The Contractor shall perform work during appropriate weather conditions, unless otherwise directed by the Engineer. If work is performed at the Contractor’s option during, or prior to, inclement weather conditions and the work is damaged, the Contractor is responsible for all costs associated with replacing the work.

The Contractor shall arrange the fog seal operation in such a manner as to avoid excessive inconvenience to the public.

Prior to commencing fog seal applications, all cul-de-sac and straight section residents shall be informed by the contractor that the application is about to occur and to relocate their vehicles if they anticipate needing to leave their home within the next 3 hours. Contractor shall provide the County with a background check on all persons the Contractor proposes to utilize in informing residents. No person with convictions, other than traffic violations, on their background check will be allowed to inform residents that the fog seal application is about to occur.

If there is a manufacturer/authorized dealer certification requirement for applying a proposed product, the Contractor must be approved by the manufacturer/authorized dealer as a certified applicator.

The Contractor shall not apply a fog seal the day before or on the actual day that a street is to receive garbage, recycling or waste collection. Contractor shall research the applicable garbage, recycling or waste collection schedule for each street prior to bidding.

Contractor shall provide a cul-de-sac by cul-de-sac and straight section schedule before any work shall begin.

Contractor shall not apply fog seal to more than 8 cul-de-sacs, or 3 cul-de-sacs and 3 straight sections per crew in one working day.

Contractor shall not fog seal or apply asphaltic material to roadway surface before 9:00 am or after 2:00 pm, unless directed by the Engineer.

The County shall notify abutting property owners twice of upcoming fog seal operations by means of door hangers. The first door hanger will be distributed ten (10) to fourteen (14) days prior to fog seal application, while the second door hanger will be distributed two (2) days prior to fog seal application.

Contractor will coordinate daily with the County for a listing of cul-de-sacs and straight sections that have received advanced notice of fog seal operations (door hangers). Contractor shall not begin fog seal operations on streets in which no advance notice has been provided to the residents.

All construction equipment involved in roadway work shall be equipped with a permanently mounted 360 degree revolving or strobe warning light with amber lens. This light shall have a minimum lens height of 5 inches and a diameter of 5 inches.

This light shall have a mounting height of not less than 6 feet above the roadway surface and shall be visible from all sides. This equipment shall also have attached at each side of the rear end of the vehicle an approved orange warning flag mounted not less than 6 feet above the roadway surface.

Contractor shall cover up an entire vehicle where vehicles are parked within 30 feet of the fog seal operation.

Contractor is responsible for cleaning up any overspray fog seal material to curb/gutter or driveway.

Care shall be exercised to prevent damage to all property in and around the construction zone. The Contractor shall be liable for the repair and restoration of any property damaged as a result of the contractor’s prosecution of the work.

This shall include, but is not limited to, re-vegetation of all areas damaged or destroyed by construction. Contractor will be held liable and responsible for such areas until growth is reestablished to the satisfaction of the County.

Ornamental landscape plantings of trees, shrubs and grasses that are damaged or destroyed during construction shall be replaced with plant material of comparable size and quality approved by the County.

Contractor’s equipment and vehicles shall not be maintained on-site during construction, except at designated maintenance sites as approved by the Inspector.

The Contractor may be required to trim and remove brush and trees in order to construct the project or to provide a vertical clearance of at least 12 feet. For this operation, the method shall be approved by the Inspector.

An English-speaking Superintendent shall be available on the project at all times when work is being performed. The Contractor shall provide the Inspector with contact information for the Superintendent.

Contractor shall provide at least one portable restroom near the work site(s) at all times in order to provide a bathroom to individuals providing work hereunder. Contractor shall monitor and prevent its employees and any of its subcontractors that are providing work on the project from urinating or defecating on property in, on or adjacent to the areas in which work is being performed.

ITEM 300 – Asphalts, Oils, and Emulsions

Contractor shall use Onyx frictional mastic surface treatment for fog seal operations as shown on plans.

ITEM 315 – Fog Seal

315.1. Description. Apply an emulsified asphalt and water mixture as an aggregate loss preventative or surface seal.

315.2. Materials. Use emulsified asphalt of the type and grade shown on the plans that meet the requirements of Item 300, “Asphalts, Oils, and Emulsions.” Provide water free of industrial wastes and other objectionable matter.

Use a quantity of emulsified asphalt in the mixture, expressed as a percentage of total volume, which meets the percentage shown on the plans or as directed.

315.3. Equipment. Provide applicable equipment in accordance with Article 316.3, “Equipment.” Furnish the necessary facilities and equipment for determining the temperature of the mixture, regulating the application rate, and securing uniformity at the junction of 2 distributor loads.

315.4. Construction. Remove or protect existing raised pavement markers. Repair any damage incurred by removal as directed. Remove dirt, dust, or other harmful material; blow dry damped area; mask off manhole cover and water valve cover before sealing. This will be considered subsidiary to this Item.

Fog seal shall only be applied in the following conditions: Pavement temperature is 60 degrees and rising not to exceed 130 degrees, air temperature is 60 degrees and rising not to exceed 90 degrees, and dew point separation is 15 degrees or more below the air temperature. Measure the air temperature in the shade away from artificial heat. The Engineer will determine when weather conditions are suitable for application.

Application of the fog seal should be conducted using the distributor spray bars and nozzles to the extent possible. Except where absolutely necessary, hand or wand work shall not be utilized.

The Engineer will select the application temperature within the limits recommended in Item 300, “Asphalts, Oils, and Emulsions.” Apply the material within 15°F of the selected temperature.

Use paper or other approved material at beginning and end of each shot to construct a straight transverse joint and prevent overlapping applied material.

Use sufficient pressure to flare the nozzles fully.

Do not apply asphalt to the roadway until traffic control methods and devices are in place as shown on the plans or as directed. Do not open the treated surface to traffic until directed by the Engineer. When an excessive quantity of asphalt is applied, furnish and uniformly distribute clean, fine sand on the surface to blot the excess. Maintain ingress and egress as directed by applying sand to freshly sealed areas.

315.5. Measurement. This Item will be measured by the square yard of emulsified asphalt used in the emulsified asphalt and water mixture.

315.6. Payment. The work performed and the materials furnished in accordance with this Item and measured as provided under “Measurement” will be paid for at the unit price bid for “Fog Seal” of the type and grade specified. This price is full compensation for materials, equipment, labor, tools, and incidentals. Blotter sand will not be paid for directly but will be subsidiary to this Item.

ITEM 316 – Seal Coat

316.3. Equipment.

A. Distributor. Furnish a distributor that will apply the asphalt material uniformly at the specified rate or as directed. Stop application if asphalt application is not uniform due to streaking, ridging, formation of excess asphalt, or inability of asphalt to remain at applied location. Verify equipment condition, operating procedures, application temperature, and material properties. Determine and correct the cause for non-uniform application. If the cause is high or low viscosity of the emulsion, no further asphalt application will occur until material meeting the contract specifications is provided.

The Engineer may stop asphalt application and require test strips at the Contractor’s expense if any of the following occurs: 1) non-uniformity continues after corrective action, 2) on three consecutive shots, application rate differs by more than 0.02 gallons per square yard from the desired rate, or 3) any shot differs by more than 0.04 gallons per square yard from the desired rate.

1. Transverse Variance Rate. When a transverse variance rate is shown on the plans, ensure that the nozzles outside the wheel paths will output a predetermined percentage more of asphalt material by volume than the nozzles over the wheel paths.

2. Calibration.

a. Transverse Distribution. Furnish a distributor test report, no more than 1 yr. old, documenting that the variation in output for individual nozzles of the same size does not exceed 10% when tested at the greatest shot width in accordance with Tex-922-K, Part III.

Include the following documentation on the test report:

· the serial number of the distributor,

· a method that identifies the actual nozzle set used in the test, and

· the fan width of the nozzle set at a 12-in. bar height.

When a transverse variance rate is required, perform the test using the type and grade of asphalt material to be used on the project. The Engineer may verify the transverse rate and distribution at any time. If verification does not meet the requirements, correct deficiencies and furnish a new test report.

b. Tank Volume. Furnish a volumetric calibration and strap stick for the distributor tank in accordance with Tex-922-K, Part I.

Calibrate the distributor within the previous 5 years of the date first used on the project. The Engineer may verify calibration accuracy in accordance with Tex-922-K, Part II.

ITEM 502 - Barricades, Signs, and Traffic Handling

Contractor shall provide all traffic control measures to prosecute the work.

The driveway(s) for each residence in the cul-de-sac and on the straight section shall have cones or TY III barricades placed to remind residents of the fog seal work.

The Contractor will be required to maintain a minimum of one through lane in each direction during daylight hours, on all roadways, except with written approval by the Inspector. Two lane roadways shall use single lane traffic control, which will require the use of flagmen.

Flaggers must comply with all requirements outlined in TxDOT Specification Item 502.2B.

Limiting access to all side streets and driveways shall be minimized to the extent possible.

Contractor shall assign at least one competent employee to each cul-de-sac and to each straight section that have received a fog seal application but have not yet been opened to traffic. These employees will ensure that traffic does not drive on the non-cured fog seal.

Traffic control suitable methods shall be used by the Contractor to protect the fog seal from all types of vehicular traffic without damage. Opening to traffic does not constitute acceptance of the Work. The Engineer shall be notified of the methods to be used.

In areas which are subject to an increased rate of sharp turning vehicles, additional time may be required for a more complete cure of the fog seal mat to prevent damage. Slight tire marks may be evident in these areas after opening but will diminish over time with rolling traffic. If these areas are not severely rutted, they should be considered as normal characteristics of a fog seal and should be accepted.

The Contractor's crew leader shall be a competent person who will be responsible and available on the project site or in the immediate area to ensure compliance with the TCP.

ITEM 3028 – Frictional Asphaltic Surface Preservation Treatment The frictional asphaltic surface preservation treatment sealer shall be a professional grade formula such as:

1. Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions, Inc. – Onyx, Frictional Mastic Surface Treatment.

2. Engineer Approved Equal.

Distribute material at the rate shown on the plans or as directed. While application rates will be determined in the field, an assumed rate total of 2.5 pounds per square yard has been used for estimating purposes.

County will pay to the Contractor, for the satisfactory performance of the work, a specified unit price per square yard of frictional asphaltic surface preservation treatment. This price shall be full compensation for furnishing all labor, equipment, time, materials and incidentals necessary to complete the Work. Surface preparation and cleaning shall be considered a part of the work and will not be measured or paid in addition to the above stated unit price.

If there is a manufacturer/authorized dealer certification requirement for applying a proposed product, the Contractor must be approved by the manufacturer/authorized dealer as a certified applicator.

WILLIAMSON COUNTY

GOVERNING SPECIFICATIONS

(STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS, SPECIAL PROVISIONS, AND SPECIAL SPECIFICATIONS)

WHERE DISCREPANCIES OCCUR BETWEEN THE VARIOUS GOVERNING SPECIFICATIONS, THE SPECIAL PROVISIONS SHALL GOVERN OVER BOTH STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS AND SPECIAL SPECIFICATIONS.

ALL SPECIFICATIONS, SPECIAL SPECIFICATIONS AND SPECIAL PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO THIS PROJECT ARE IDENTIFIED AS FOLLOWS:

STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS:

ADOPTED BY THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, SEPTEMBER 1, 2024. STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS ARE INCORPORATED INTO THE CONTRACT BY REFERENCE.

REFERENCE ITEMS USED ON THIS CONTRACT

ITEMS 1 - 9 ARE SUPERSEDED BY THE CONTRACT GENERAL AND SPECIAL CONDITIONS, WHERE APPLICABLE. Wherever, in the TxDOT Standard Specifications, reference is made to the State of Texas, THE DEPARTMENT and its representatives, such reference shall be taken to mean Williamson County and its representatives.

ITEM 315

FOG SEAL (300)(316)

ITEM 500

MOBILIZATION

ITEM 502

BARRICADES, SIGNS AND TRAFFIC HANDLING

ITEM 3028

FRICTIONAL ASPHALTIC SURFACE PRESERVATION TREATMENT (300)(302)(316)

SPECIAL SPECIFICATIONS: THE CONTENT OF THE SPECIAL SPECIFICATIONS ARE INCLUDED ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES:

SPECIAL SPECIFICATION 3028