Appendix E - LOWE Steel Pole Installation Specification.pdf

20035-00 Draft Final 100% Design Submittal 16050 – 1 May 2021 VOLPE Center, National Historical Park, Lowell, MA WLD2754

SECTION 16050

NEW STEEL CATENARY POLES

PART 1 – GENERAL

1.1 DESCRIPTION OF WORK:

A. Work Included: This Section specifies basic materials and methods for electrical line and communication cable work and the installation of new steel catenary poles.

i. The Contractor shall determine interfaces and coordinate electrical work and communication cable work with the utility company or the authority where the power source or communication cable is controlled by that authority.

ii. The Lowell National Historical Park will shut off the power to the catenary wire for the duration of this project. The Contractor is responsible to have a licensed electrician confirm that the power is off prior to starting work at each pole location.

iii. Communication cabling must be protected during the removal and replacement process.

All communication cables will remain operational during the duration of the project and it is the Contractor’s responsibility to ensure that no disruption of service occurs.

1.2 REFERENCES:

A. Comply with applicable requirements of the following:

i. National Electrical Safety Code

ii. National Electrical Code

iii. Massachusetts Electrical Code

iv. ASTM

v. AISC

1.3 SUBMITTALS

A. Submit shop drawings for review showing fabricated work being furnished and installed under these Specifications. Submit such drawings prior to fabrication and within sufficient time to prevent delays in the work and as further described in Section 01300 Submittals. Fabricated work shall include catenary poles.

B. All pole locations are to be field measured to confirm the dimensions of the new steel poles and appurtenances to be installed, including the reinstallation of equipment as shown on the Contract Drawings.

C. Submit verified test results to the Engineer promptly upon completion of catenary wire test as required.

D. Before installation of the catenary poles, submit the following information for each type pole for review:

i. Manufacturer of the pole.

ii. Type of pole being manufactured.

iii. Type of steel and strength.

iv. Detail drawings showing size of pole and all applicable dimensions.

v. Bending moments and deflections.

20035-00 Draft Final 100% Design Submittal 16050 – 2 May 2021

vi. Detail drawings of connection of existing cross-arms to new steel poles, including new communication cross-arms for Pole Type B and channel at Poles 001A and 001B.

vii. Fabrication details or catalog cuts for all equipment items including clamps, eye bolts, guy wires, connectors, turnbuckles with locks and pole caps, etc.

viii. Methods of fabrication, assembly, and installation.

ix. Type of paint and method of application.

PART 2 – PRODUCTS

2.1 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:

A. Furnish all items of the materials, design, sizes, and requirements shown on the Contract Drawings and herein specified.

B. Furnish materials and equipment bearing evidence of ASTM or other applicable standards association.

C. Provide products that are new, free from defects impairing performance, durability, or appearance, and of the commercial quality best suited for the purpose shown on the Contract Drawings or specified herein.

D. Steel components comprising construction of catenary poles shall conform to ASTM A53 grade B seamless steel pipe (Schedule 40) with a minimum strength at yield of 50,000 psi.

E. Poles shall have a final factory coat of paint and have protection from abrasion, scratching and damage during shipment. Finish coat of paint shall be touched up after installation if damage occurs.

F. Poles installed by the Contractor shall have identification numbers conforming to Lowell National Historical Park pole numbering system.

2.2 TUBULAR STEEL POLES

A. Poles shall be two section direct embedment poles fabricated from steel pipe equipped with a corrosion collar for corrosion prevention at the ground line. Each section shall be round and true and shall not contain any defects or camber.

B. Each pipe section shall be straight and the assembled pole with the two sections shall also be straight and true with no camber.

C. Paint system shall be Sherwin Williams, color shall be Essex Green:

Primer: B69A00100 – Zinc Clad® III HS Organic Zinc-Rich Epoxy Primer 3-4 Mils DFT

Intermediate Coat: B58W00610 – Macropoxy® 646 Fast Cure Epoxy 5-10 DFT

Finish: B65W00651 – Acrolon® 218 HS Polyurethane – Semi-Gloss 3-5 DFT

The finished surface shall be commercial blast cleaned in preparation for painting. When viewed without magnification, shall be free of all visible oil, grease, dirt, dust, mill scale, rust, paint, oxides, corrosion products, and other foreign matter. Before blast cleaning, visible deposits of oil or grease shall be removed by any of the methods specified in SSPC-SP1 or other agreed upon methods. For complete instructions, refer to Joint Surface Preparation Standard (SSPC- SP6/NACE No. 3).

20035-00 Draft Final 100% Design Submittal 16050 – 3 May 2021

2.3 CONCRETE FOR FOUNDATIONS

A. Concrete shall comply with the Concrete Association of America and as follows:

Portland cement shall conform to Specifications for Portland Cement, ASTM C175 or Portland Cements CSA A5. Type of cement to be used shall be Type 2. Aggregate shall conform to specifications for Concrete A, ASTM C33, Specifications for Lightweight Aggregates for Structural Concrete, ASTM C330 or Concrete Materials and Methods of Concrete Construction, CSA A23.1. Size shall be 3/8 inch. Compressive strength shall be 4,000 PSI.

2.4 POLE IDENTIFICATION TAGS & SAFETY SIGN

A. IDENTIFICATION TAGS

Provide exterior grade, all weather reflective pole marker decals for each pole installed numbered as per the drawings (without the N and R designations). Letters to be 1-inch high black on a white background. They shall be read horizontally and be placed eight feet (8’0”) above ground.

B. SAFETY SIGNS

Provide an exterior grade, all weather safety sticker/decal, 3 ½ inch by 5 inch in size, on each pole. Design to be as per Figure 1 attached to this specification. Affix just below the pole number decal.

PART 3 – EXECUTION

3.1 EXISTING POLE REMOVAL

A. The Contractor must have a licensed electrician confirm that the power is off at each pole location prior to starting work at each location. Contractor shall not remove any poles until all existing wires, cables, clamps and cross-arms have been properly removed and temporarily supported.

Care must be taken not to damage any existing items to be reinstalled.

B. Care shall be taken so that all slings and lines and hoisting equipment do not contact any adjacent existing utility wires or cables.

C. Existing poles are to be removed in their entirety in locations were the new steel pole is being replaced in the same location. Where the pole is to be moved to a new location, the existing hole is to be backfilled with non-contaminated material and compacted, or filled with crushed stone.

3.2 FOUNDATION EXCAVATION

A. Pole holes shall be augured or hand excavated as necessary due to proximity of underground utilities. Walls of the hole shall be stable and relatively smooth. Where unstable soil is encountered or the walls of the hole cannot be contained using a sonotube, the Contractor shall insert a steel liner into the hole.

B. The diameter of each foundation shall be two feet (2’-0”) and depth of each foundation shall be six feet (6’-0”).

C. The liner, if used, shall be removed after the pour so that the concrete will bear directly against the soil to prevent voids from occurring. Where the liner cannot be removed, it shall remain in place but the Contractor shall insure that it bears completely and totally against undisturbed soil, that no voids exist, and that when the pole is completely loaded, it will not allow foundation movement.

20035-00 Draft Final 100% Design Submittal 16050 – 4 May 2021

D. Poles shall be set in an excavated hole and shall bear directly against earth.

E. Install all poles with attached items in their proper locations as shown on the Contract Drawings.

Slight variations may be permitted to clear obstructions with the approval of the Engineer.

F. Upon completion of the foundation excavation, the new pole will be inserted into it, positioned properly, and raked in the correct direction. If the pole cannot be inserted into the hole during the same work shift and the hole will be open, the Contractor shall cover the open hole with a steel plate, of such size and thickness that it cannot move and will prevent pedestrians from falling in.

The area around the plate shall be clearly marked and coned so that pedestrians will not walk on the plate inadvertently.

G. The top of the hole including any liner support shall be at the same elevation as the surrounding area.

3.3 POLE INSTALLATION

A. Poles shall be inserted into the excavated foundation so that the bottom end of the pole is centered in the pole hole. The pole shall be covered with insulation wrapping specific for utility poles to insulate them from energized wires where such wires are in close proximity to the new pole.

Where centering of the pole cannot be accomplished, the pole may be offset in the hole in a manner where the edge of the pole is no less than 6 inches from the foundation wall. Non-concentric pole installations shall be undertaken at the direction of the Engineer.

B. The Contractor shall use lifting slings and lines that are capable of handling the weights of the poles being installed and shall not damage the finish of the pole during installation. Should the surface of the pole be damaged, appropriate restoration measures shall be taken to restore the surface to its original condition and appearance. The Contractor shall have touch up paint conforming to all requirements for touch up set forth by the manufacturer of the poles available on-site. After installation and concrete setup, all scrapes nicks, and other surface imperfections and damages shall be touched up according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

C. Upon insertion and positioning of the pole, it shall be properly raked in the correct direction. The pole shall be supported and concrete poured into the hole and vibrated to insure complete filling of the hole. The pole shall be supported until the concrete sets up and the pole can support itself.

The support shall be left in place for a minimum of 24 hours and then removed.

D. The top of the hole shall be at the same elevation as the surrounding area with the exception of the water runoff mound against the pole. If the pole is in a sidewalk, the surface of the concrete shall have the same finish as the sidewalk and conform to MassDOT standards.

E. After completion of pole setting and surface restoration, each new pole shall have identification number tags placed on them.

3.4 CONCRETE POURING

A. Holes shall be dewatered and dry during concrete pour. Concrete shall not be hand mixed but delivered via concrete truck and poured into the hole through chutes. Care shall be exercised during the pour to keep splatter to a minimum and any splattered concrete shall be immediately cleaned after the pour is complete. Any splattered concrete on poles or adjoining surfaces shall be removed so that all surfaces are clean.

B. The pour shall ensure that concrete is properly distributed in the hole and around the pole.

20035-00 Draft Final 100% Design Submittal 16050 – 5 May 2021

3.5 FOUNDATION RESTORATION

A. Excavated foundations shall be completely restored so that the filled hole will not settle or have less bearing capacity than the surrounding soil. Holes that have partial foundations in place shall be filled with concrete. Holes that have had the pole and/or concrete removed shall be filled with clean, uncontaminated soil or crushed stone and thoroughly compacted by a layered process to ensure sufficient bearing capacity.

B. Any excavated pole hole that is in a sidewalk shall have the sidewalk restored as described herein and in the Specifications to the standards and to the requirements of MassDOT.

END OF SECTION

April 2, 2021

Mr. Michael Buonopane Contracting Officer’s Representative Department of Transportation Volpe National Transportation Systems Center 55 Broadway Cambridge, MA 02142

Subject: Geotechnical Investigation Report DOT Purchase Order No. 6913G621P800012 Geotechnical Investigation and New Steel Pole Design Lowell National Historical Park, Lowell, Massachusetts Watermark Project No.: 20035-00

Dear Mr. Buonopane:

In accordance with the above referenced purchase order, Watermark is pleased to submit this Geotechnical Investigation Report that presents the results of a geoprobe investigation completed at the project site on March 16, 2021.

Introduction

Watermark was contracted by the Department of Transportation (DOT), Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) to complete a geotechnical investigation and the subsequent design of new steel catenary poles to replace aging wooden poles at the Lowell National Historical Park trolley system in Lowell, Massachusetts. The purpose of the geotechnical investigation is to provide subsurface information required to support the design of the foundation(s) for the new steel catenary poles.

Site Description, Purpose, and Scope

The project is located along the trolley tracks that run parallel to Dutton Street and adjacent to Lowell High School from Father Morrisette Boulevard, crossing the intersection at Merrimack Street, and extending on to the end of the trolley line at Swamp Locks on the east side of Dutton Street.

The scope of work is to remove and replace approximately 34 existing wooden poles with steel poles along the entire length described above, and install two new steel poles in the vicinity of Swamp Locks. The existing poles are numbered from Pole No. 1 at the terminal end, adjacent to Swamp Lock, to Pole No. 42 at the intersection of Father Morrisette Boulevard.

Pole Replacement in the Same Location

The initial design investigation revealed that the best method for replacing the poles with minimal impact to the existing hardware, cross-arms, power lines, insulators, etc., is to separate the catenary support arm and guy wires from the existing wooden poles, remove the wooden poles, and install the new steel poles in the same location as the existing poles. Therefore, the scope of work for the subsurface investigation where the poles are to be replaced in the same location was limited to hand digging and probing around the existing poles to determine if the wooden poles have concrete foundations, or if they were installed with an auger without a concrete base/foundation as is typical for the installation of a standard wooden telephone pole.

Geotechnical Investigation Report

The poles that are to be replaced in their current locations are Pole Nos. 12 through 42 (with a few that are to be removed in their entirety) which are located from the intersection at Broadway Street to the intersection at Father Morrisette Boulevard.

New Pole Locations

There is a section of the trolley catenary line where the scope of work requires the elimination of one of the pole locations due to its proximity to a damaged section of the adjacent canal granite block wall (Pole No. 7).

Eliminating this pole location then requires the spacing of the poles from the intersection at Broadway Street to the terminal end at Swamp Locks be adjusted to new locations within the same pole alignment. There are also two new poles proposed at the terminal end of the trolley spur at Swamp Locks. The geoprobe locations were assigned based upon the planned location of the new poles.

The design depth, or bottom, of the new pole foundations is approximately 6 feet below ground surface (bgs).

(Note: All subsequent references to depth in this report are in bgs). Therefore, where new pole locations are proposed, the scope of work for the subsurface geotechnical program included driving a geoprobe boring at each of the new pole locations to a depth of approximately 10 feet. If refusal was noted at any of the locations, another geoprobe boring was performed at a one- or two-foot offset until the design depth was exceeded or to a bottom of boring depth of 10 feet. In addition to site observations and visual soil classification, soil samples were also taken to further document the soil conditions at each new pole location.

Field Program and Results

Given the above scope of work and purpose, a total of nine geoprobe boring locations were identified as shown in the attached Figure 1. Geoprobe borings were performed and samples were taken at each new pole location from 0 to 5 feet and again from 5 to 10 feet in two separate tubular soil sample liners. Photos of each boring location and photos of the recovered soil samples are included in the attached Figures 2 through 10. Visual field soil classification was performed and documented and composite soil samples were taken from each of the two soil strata at each of the nine new pole locations.

Geoprobe boring logs that include the soil classifications/descriptions are included in Attachment B. The bottom of boring depth was reached in five of the nine locations (Pole Locations 2A, 2B, 3, 5, and 7). Two-foot offsets were required to reach the 10-foot depth at three pole locations (Pole Locations 6, 9, and 10). The 10-foot bottom of boring depth was reached at all but one of the pole locations. At Pole Location 8, refusal was noted at a depth of 8.2 feet, which is sufficient for the depth of the new pole foundation.

Excavation/probing at the other pole locations (where the new poles are to be located in the same location as the existing) revealed that the poles were installed with an auger and do not have concrete foundations that would complicate the removal of the existing wooden pole.

Summary of Soil Samples Results

The soil samples at all of the pole locations reveal that the soils in the area of the new pole locations are comprised primarily of a variety of fill materials. Given the location of the rail line adjacent to the granite canal wall, and at an elevation above the level of Dutton Street, the presence of fill along the trolley tracks is not unexpected. Fill materials included a variety of silty sands, sand, and gravel with some organic material. The sampling also revealed a significant amount of “Urban Fill” which is a non-native dark brown/black material comprised of varying amounts of asphalt, wood ash, coal, and coal ash, mixed with sand and gravel fill material.

This is also not unexpected as urban fill is common and often found in excavations within the City of Lowell.

Bedrock and Groundwater

As stated above, refusal was noted at a few locations where offsets of approximately 2 feet were necessary to obtain the full 10-foot bottom of boring depth, and at one location refusal was hit at 8.2 feet (Pole Location 8).

This is indicative of the presence of boulders or cobbles and does not seem to indicate a consistent underlying bedrock layer.

Although some of the samples were observed to be wet, there was no standing groundwater noted in any of the geoprobe locations after drilling. Also, the water levels in the adjacent canal were well below the bottom of the borings at all locations.

Geotechnical Conclusions and Recommendations

The goals of the geotechnical program are summarized as follows:

1. Determine if refusal due to large boulders, bedrock, or possibly shallow sections of granite from the adjacent canal walls would impact the new steel pole foundation design;

2. Determine if soil conditions raise a concern regarding the capacity of the soil to support the new steel pole concrete foundations;

3. Determine if the existing poles that are to be replaced in their current locations are encased in concrete, which would complicate their removal; and

4. Determine if groundwater or soil contamination would need to be addressed in the new steel pole foundation design.

Based upon the results of the geotechnical program described herein, Watermark makes the recommendations listed below regarding the proposed design of the new steel pole foundations.

1. There do not appear to be obstructions present in the nine new pole locations that would preclude the use of an auger to create the excavation required to install the steel poles in concrete sona-tube style foundations. This method is deemed to be the most cost effective means to construct the foundations.

The final diameter and depth of the concrete encasement foundations will be determined during final design.

2. The soil conditions are indicative of fill materials that were placed adjacent to the granite block canal walls and compacted to create the subbase of the existing trolley track system. Based upon the visual soil observances and classifications it appears that the existing soil strata in the new pole locations is of sufficient bearing capacity to support the proposed concrete encasement/foundations at the new pole locations.

3. The existing wooden poles that are to be removed and replaced in their current locations do not appear to be encased in concrete so that removal should not disturb any adjacent utilities. It is recommended that an auger or similar device be used to advance the excavation to the required width (diameter) and depth. Installing the new poles in the same locations as the existing poles has the added benefit of reduced risk of impacting adjacent utilities when the new pole foundations are installed.

4. Given the current water level in the canal, groundwater in the foundation excavations does not appear to be an issue of concern. That said, if the water levels are raised to a point above the bottom elevation of the new steel pole foundations, some degree of dewatering may be required depending upon the transmissivity of the groundwater from the canal into the pole foundation excavations.

5. Urban fill as described in the boring logs is present in many of the new pole locations. The material did not have an oily smell and did not exhibit an oil sheen so that visual and olfactory observations did not reveal oil or other volatile compound contamination. Regardless, this material does contain asphalt, coal, and coal ash and will need to be managed, transported, and disposed of as an environmentally contaminated material. The Contractor will be required in the specifications to stockpile any urban fill material generated during installation of the pole base foundations. This material will then need to be sampled, analyzed in a laboratory, and then characterized for proper disposal.

Limitations

As with any subsurface geotechnical boring program, the results are based upon the conditions observed and noted in the exact location of the 2-inch diameter boring that was advanced into the subsurface. The soil conditions noted in these locations could vary significantly from the actual soil conditions encountered when a larger diameter hole is excavated in the location of each boring. The nature and extent of variations between explorations may not become evident until construction. If variations appear, it will be necessary to re-evaluate the recommendations of this report.

Groundwater levels vary seasonally based upon the time of year and the raising and lowering of the water level in the canals by the canal operations staff. Groundwater observances noted on the day of the performance of the geotechnical boring program could vary from the actual groundwater conditions at the time the new pole foundations are constructed.

Environmental soil contamination noted was limited to the presence of urban fill. Given the larger excavations to be advanced for the new pole foundations, there is always the possibility that other environmental contaminants could be found in the excess soil removed.

Subsurface utilities were marked as part of the preparation for the geotechnical program. The Contractor will be required to contact DigSafe and other utilities to locate all subsurface utilities prior to the installation of the new pole foundations. While it is beneficial to install the new poles in the same locations where possible, and there were no utilities marked in the areas where the new poles are to be installed, the foundations will be of a larger diameter. While the risk of impacting adjacent utilities is deemed to be low, there is the possibility that a utility relocation could be necessary in one or more of the existing or new pole foundation locations.

If you have any questions regarding this letter, please do not hesitate to contact the undersigned at (978) 452- 9696.

Sincerely, WATERMARK

Joseph G. Spangenberger, PE Vice President, Project Manager

Attachments:

Attachment A – Figures Attachment B – Geoprobe Boring Logs cc: File 20035-00/WLC3749