THE UTILIZATION OF CONSULTANT CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AND CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION SERVICES BY STATE DEPARTMENTS OF TRANSPORTATION

State departments of transportation are facing a need to perform a greater number of projects than in the past. The nation's infrastructure is not even close to a level that is adequate to serve the needs of its users. State Departments of Transportation (DOT) need to find ways to adequately handle all of the work that is necessary to improve their roads and bridges to a level that can meet the needs of the people that travel on them. Most of the departments do not currently have adequate staffing to perform the construction management and inspection tasks that are associated with the projects that need to be completed. Without the ability to increase their workforce by hiring, the DOTs will have to rely on consultant staffing.There are many advantages associated with state departments of transportation outsourcing construction management (CM) and inspection to consulting firms. The advantages include the ability to supplement DOT staff without having to layoff employees during slow periods, consultant CM expertise, and specialized services that the DOT may not be able to provide by itself. The disadvantages include high cost, an additional burden on DOT staff to train consultants in department procedures, and a fear of losing employees to the consulting firms.The goal of this study is to objectively analyze the use of construction management and inspection consultants by state departments of transportation. While the issue will be analyzed from a national perspective, an in-depth study will be performed on two states: one that is performing mostly new construction projects and one that is performing mainly rehabilitation and reconstruction. The State of Texas will be evaluated as a new construction state, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will be examined as the rehabilitation and reconstruction state