ACPA Quarter 2 2019

www.acpa.org Quarter 2, 2019 23 A B O U T T H E L A W Second, “several studies have concluded that the costs of detailed utility investigations more than offset the impacts of inaccurate utility location information. 18 A Purdue University study, for example, found that construction projects saved $4.62 in expenditures for every $1.00 spend on SUE19 8. Conclusion There should be no dispute that unmarked, mismarked and late utility relocation regularly cause a wide array of significant problems. And, hopefully after reading this article, it should be clear not only why to remedy these utility problems, but also how. * The information contained herein is not intended to be relied upon as legal advice, as a solicitation to provide legal services, or in any man- ner to form an attorney-client relationship. Readers should consult with an attorney about specific project questions and other legal matters. Copyright © 2019 by Olson Construction Law, P.C. References: 1. See Ellis, Ralph D. and Thomas, H. Randolph, “Avoiding Delays During the Construction Phase of Highway Projects,” National Cooperative Highway Research Program (October 2001) at xiv–iv, http://onlinepubs.trb.org/ onlinepubs/nchrp/docs/NCHRP20-24(12) FR.pdf; See also Ellis, Ralph D. and Thomas, H. Randolph, “The Root Causes of Delays in Highway Construction,” Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C. (July 2002) at 1–2, http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/TRB2003-000646.pdf ; Sterling, R.L., et. al., SHRP2 Report S2-R01-RW “Encouraging Innovation in Locating and Characterizing Underground Utilities,” Transportation Research Board (2009), http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/162489.aspx. Thomas Olson is the founding partner of Olson Construction Law. Tom’s commitment is to provide guidance on how to resolve issues on the jobsite, not in the courtroom. Tom has worked on highway heavy projects throughout much of the United States for more than thirty years. A prolific speaker and writer as well as attorney, his expertise is in concrete and asphalt paving, utility, earthwork and bridge construction, schedule analysis, material testing, and the technical and legal obligations of both engineers and contractors. Rielly Lund is a committed advocate for contractors, with the ability to quickly and accurately analyze a client’s issue within the parameters of each specific contract. Rielly works with contractors through all stages of construction, from bidding to acceptance, with the goal of minimizing risk and maximizing profits for contractors. With this in mind, Rielly enjoys discussing various contractual requirements with contractors before issues arise, so they are best able to meet any challenges head on. 2. See Report at 5–7. 3. Id. at 7. 4. Id. at 2. 5. Id. at 3. 6. Id. at 11. 7. Id. at 12. 8. Id. 9. Id. at 20. 10. Id. 11. Id. at 15. 12. Id. at 16. 13. Id. at 13. 14. Id. 15. Id. 16. Id. at 13. 17. Id. at 14. 18. Id. at 13. 19. Id. ABOUT THE AUTHORS