Construction Field Staff Manual

The purpose of this manual is to establish general principles, practices and guidelines for the on-site management of MBTA construction projects and Transit Oriented Development (TOD) or 3rd Party projects by MBTA Resident Engineers and Construction Inspectors collectively referred to as MBTA Field Staff. This manual is to be used in coordination with all the manuals contained with the MBTA Capital Programs Practices and Procedures Catalogue as follows: 

• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) Manual 
• Project Office Manual 
• Project Field Staff Manual 
• Professional Services and Construction Procurement Manual 
• Design and Construction Quality Assurance Manual 
• Construction Change Order Manual 
• Project Controls Manual 
• Policies and Directives 

On-site management of construction and construction support activities is managed by the Resident Engineer with the assistance of their assigned Construction Inspectors. This on-site management function is periodically supplemented by specialized assistance in the form of Safety, Quality Assurance, Environmental, Geotechnical, Survey, and/or Design input as requested directed, or assigned. In all cases, however, the Resident Engineer (RE) is expected to be the primary point of contact for a job site and acts as the principal MBTA site management representative. 

The MBTA typically performs its Capital Programs projects through the use of private sector General Contractors and Construction Managers with a fraction of our construction work performed by MBTA work forces. These Capital Program projects are managed by MBTA Expansion Program Groups (South Coast Rail), Project Delivery groups (Capital Delivery Structures/Transit/Commuter Rail) or Transformation Groups (Green Line Transformation, Red Line/Orange Line Transformation, Commuter Rail Transformation).  

Construction activities are also performed on or adjacent to MBTA property by: 

• 3rd Part Developer/Contractors 
• Public sector agencies such as the Commuter Rail Operator, MassDOT, the Massachusetts Port Authority or other State or Local entities. 
• Public Utilities 

In these cases, the projects are managed by the MBTA Transit Oriented Development Group (TOD). 

In all cases, MBTA Field Staff will provide site surveillance and inspection services to ensure that agreed-upon standards are met and the interests of the MBTA are protected. 

In cases where work is performed by private sector Contractors, the Contractors are responsible for controlling their own activities and work forces within the terms of the Contract. This includes but is not limited to; providing direction to their own work forces, setting their own priorities and schedules (as allowed under the constraints of the Contract); obeying all applicable laws, including labor, safety, environmental, noise, and other restrictions; and following the MBTA Contract Plans, Specifications, and the project schedule. 

It is the MBTA Resident Engineer’s and Construction Inspector’s responsibility to ensure, monitor and document the contractor’s compliance with all required safety, quality, schedule, budget, and environmental specifications and standards as well as their contractual obligations to the MBTA. 

This manual defines the duties and responsibilities of the MBTA construction field staff and stipulates specific authorities, responsibilities, procedures, and documentation/reporting requirements. The manual is meant to be a guide to help the Resident Engineers and Construction Inspectors fulfill their responsibilities and to manage MBTA construction projects to successful completion. 

The MBTA Field Staff must be mindful that the procedures in this manual are intended to assist them employ best practices. On a more practical level, however, the Field Staff must be prepared to supply the documentation required in this manual to a variety of auditors who frequently visit the MBTA to confirm these procedures are being followed. Auditors often request that documentation be supplied in electronic format, so to the extent possible, the MBTA Field Staff should maintain electronic files. 

This manual supersedes and replaces the following: 

• Resident Engineer’s Manual (V2) (May 2012) 
• Construction Inspector’s Handbook

The Field Staff Manual has been formatted so that it is easy to identify MBTA Field Staff best practices. At any time, Project Stakeholders can download the entire manual, individual chapters, and/or appendices in the form of templates or reference documents. 

The Field Staff Manual will be reviewed and updated on an annual basis. The MBTA Field Staff group is responsible for capturing feedback and comments throughout the year, which will inform the annual update process.

View and download the full Field Staff Manual

Effective date 4/4/22

View and download the full Field Staff Manual Introduction

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View and download Field Staff Manual Chapter 1: General Roles and Responsibilities

This chapter establishes the duties and responsibilities of the Resident Engineer and Construction Inspector staff on MBTA Capital Programs, Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and miscellaneous 3rd Party projects.

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View and download Field Staff Manual Chapter 2: Bid Process and Contract Award

This chapter provides a general outline of the bidding and contract administration process performed before beginning a construction project.

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View and download Field Staff Manual Chapter 3: Preconstruction

Provides an overview of administrative activities that need to be performed before the commencement of actual construction operations. 

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View and download Field Staff Manual Chapter 4: Document Management

Reviews the use of a uniform project filing system to support ongoing construction activities, and provides a general overview of submittal, requests for information (RFI), design change requests (DCR), and change order processes and their specific uses.  

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View and download Field Staff Manual Chapter 5: Labor and DBE Compliance

Delineates the subcontractor approval process, labor compliance provisions, and administrative responsibilities required on a construction project.

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View and download Field Staff Manual Chapter 6: Construction Schedule

Defines the project schedule requirements, and the means of monitoring and tracking the progress of work activities throughout the construction period.

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View and download Field Staff Manual Chapter 7: Construction

Summarizes the sections of the contract plans and specifications, the regularly scheduled construction phase meetings, and the format and content required to prepare a concise and informative daily inspection report.

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View and download Field Staff Manual Chapter 8: Construction Invoicing

Explains the construction invoice process, the use of standard forms and required documentation, and supplemental information to process a complete and accurate payment to the contractor.

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View and download Field Staff Manual Chapter 9: Quality Assurance/Quality Control

Describes the quality control testing, inspection and documentation, and quality assurance verification required to ensure that the work performed and material incorporated into the project complies with the contract documents.

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View and download Field Staff Manual Chapter 10: Safety

Contains information regarding safety requirements, plans, meetings, reporting, and inspections required during the construction phase.  

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View and download Field Staff Manual Chapter 11: Project Closeout

Outlines the general process, required testing and inspections, and related certifications and documents necessary to properly close out a construction contract.

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View and download the Field Staff Manual Definitions

Defines terms used throughout the Field Staff Manual.

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• Federal Department of Labor WH-347 form
• Joint Environmental Inspection Checklist
• MA Construction Control Documents
• MA Weekly Payroll Report
• MBTA System Safety Certification Checklist
• Right of Way (ROW) Access Request form
• Safety Inspection Checklist
• Statement of Compliance

• 780 CMR MA State Building Code
• ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Building and Facilities
• e-Builder User Guides
• FHWA Commercially Useful Function (CUF)
• MA Architectural Access Board (MAAN, 521 CMR) Publications
• MBTA Construction Contractor Change Order Manual
• MBTA Project Controls Manual
• MBTA Right of Way (ROW) Safety Rulebook
• MBTA Safety Certification Program
• MBTA Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)