The Pennsylvania Department of General Services (PA DGS) and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) selected E2PM to assist with the rehabilitation and/or replacement of 53 Fire Lookout Towers in various State Forest Districts throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The fire tower restoration and site improvement projects were constructed by PA DGS but maintained by the PA DCNR local State Forest districts. E2PM was retained as the Engineer of Record and the Construction Manager responsible for carrying out all contract requirements from initial site inspections and programmatic phase, design and permitting phase, and demolition / construction phase.
E2PM and its team subcontractor, KMCE, visited all 53 fire tower sites, completed field inspection sheets and collected photographic documentation of all existing towers to prepare Condition Reports. The condition report organized the inspection observations into the following tower site categories: Tower Foundation, Tower Structural, Tower Surfaces and Paint Condition, Tower Stairs and Landings, Tower Lookout Cab, Site Utilities, Tower Base Compound, and Access Road. Recommendations and a condition rating were applied to each tower based on the inspection results.
Services included complete field inspections, Condition Reports, rehabilitation and redesign of miles of access roads within State forests; topographic surveys; evaluations of the 53 tower sites for environmental sensitive receptors (wetland delineations / threatened and endangered species); structural and geotechnical engineering of 100- and 80-foot steel structures and foundations; preparation of detailed architectural and engineering design plans for the demolition and/or the rehabilitation of the fire tower sites; preparation of architectural drawings for lookout cabins; preparing stormwater management and soil erosion and sediment control (SESC reports;) obtaining PA DGS agency approvals; obtaining local and county land-use construction permits; performing all the required natural and cultural resource assessments (steam/wetlands studies); and performing required FAA-2C evaluations for each tower site.
E2PM’s on-site representatives reviewed all contract related documents (including, but not limited to: drawings, specifications, shop drawings, submittals, General Conditions, and Administrative Procedures) to assess and assure all project related items were in compliance. They also chaired and conducted the order of business at Initial Job Conferences, Regular (bi-weekly) Job Conferences, and Special Meetings at each site, and recorded and distributed minutes of the meetings. E2PM received, tracked and issued final approved Submittals, and kept an up-to-date log for use during construction and during installation inspections. E2PM representatives met weekly with the Prime General Contractors to review all progress.
