Section 1680-06-01-.05 - DESIGN(1) Prior to commencing design of utility facilities that will encroach upon highway rights-of-way, it is recommended that utility company representatives contact the Department of Transportation's Regional Utilities Engineer and arrange for a preliminary review and, if necessary, a field inspection of the highway facility. This review will provide a basis for discussing proposed highway construction, type of highway facility involved or planned, and extent of approvals that will be required. As the State highway system is composed of many types of facilities, this is the only way design of proposed utility facilities may proceed on an orderly basis.(2) The utility shall be responsible for the design of the utility facility to be installed within the highway rights-way or attached to a highway structure. The Department will be responsible for review and approval of the utility's proposal with respect to the location of the utility facilities to be installed and the manner of installation or attachment. This includes the measures to be taken to preserve the safe and free flow of traffic, structural integrity of the roadway or highway structure, ease of highway maintenance, appearance of the highway, and the integrity of the utility facility.(3) Utility installations on, over or under the rights-of-way of state highways and utility attachments to highway structures shall, as a minimum, meet the following design requirements: (a) Electric Power and communications facilities shall conform with the currently applicable National Electric Safety Code, Bureau of Standards, U.S. Department of Commerce.(b) Water lines shall conform with the currently applicable specifications of the American Water Works Association Standards and Specifications.(c) Pressure pipelines shall conform with tire currently applicable sections of ANSI Standards for Pressure Piping of the American National Standards Institute including:1. Power Piping, ANSI B31.1.0.2. Petroleum Refinery Piping ANSI B31.3.3. Liquid Petroleum Transportation Piping System ANSI B31.4.4. Gas Transmission and Distribution Piping System ANSI B31.8.5. Any pipeline carrying hazardous materials shall conform to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Department of Transportation governing the transportation of such materials.(d) Liquid petroleum pipelines shall conform with the currently recommended practice of the American Petroleum Institute for Pipeline Crossings under Railroads and Highways.(e) Encasements shall be of a durable material and shall conform to H 20 loading where located under the roadway template.1. Tunnel liners shall be of a durable material and shall conform to HS 20-44 loading where located under the roadway template and shall be designed and installed in accordance with application provisions of the current AASHTO Specification for Highway Bridges. Installation procedures not specifically covered by AASHTO specifications shall be in accordance with manufacturer's recommendations. Plans and design notes shall be reviewed and approved prior to installation. Wood tunnel liners will not be acceptable.(f) Irrigation or drainage pipes and associated appurtenances shall conform with currently applicable design criteria of the Department of Transportation for the type of facility to be installed.(g) When utility facilities must be adjusted and/or relocated to accommodate highway construction, provisions should be made for known or planned expansion of the affected facility, particularly those located underground or attached to highway bridge structures. This will serve to minimize future hazards and interference with highway traffic or other types of utility facilities installed within the highway rights-of-way.(h) All utility installations on, over or under highway rights-of-way and attachment to highway bridge structures shall be of durable material designed for long life expectancy and relatively free from routine servicing or maintenance. When a non-metallic facility is installed by a utility, except where pushed or jacked under the roadway, a metallic tape, wire or other proven metallic detection device must be simultaneously placed with and attached to or over the facility in the trench to provide a means of detection. The detection device shall be of sufficient size and type to be located by any standard metal detector or pipe finder. Exceptions will be made for conduit installed for future use which will contain detectable facilities.
(i) The type and size of utility facilities and the manner and extent to which they are permitted within scenic strips, overlooks, rest areas, recreation areas, the highway rights-of-way adjacent thereto. and the right-of-way of sections of highway through public parks and historic sites can materially alter the visual quality and view of these lands. New utility facilities will not be permitted within the foregoing described except as follows:1. New underground installation may be permitted where they do not require extensive removal or alteration of trees visible to the highway user or impair the visual quality of the land being traversed.2. New aerial installations are to be avoided at such locations unless there is no feasible and prudent alternative to the use of such lands by the aerial facility and it is demonstrated to the satisfaction of the State Transportation Engineer with concurrence of the Division Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, that: (i) Other locations are not available or are unusually difficult and unreasonably costly or are less desirable from the standpoint of visual quality.(ii) Undergrounding is not technically feasible or is unreasonably costly.(iii) The proposed installation will be made at a location and will employ suitable designs and materials which give the greatest weight to the visual quality of the area being traversed. Suitable design will include-but is not limited to-self supporting, armless, single-pole construction with vertical configuration of conductors and cable.(j) Design of utility installations which will occupy highway bridge structures will be reviewed by the Department of Transportation subject to the following criteria: 1. That there is no other feasible, reasonable or economical location for the utility facility.2. On a controlled access highway, when it is in the best interest of the Department, utilities shall be located around the abutment and up the back wall to a point above the lowest elevation of the bridge superstructure and within an interior girder.3. On an uncontrolled access highway, the utility will be required to go through the abutment if it can do so without disturbing the through traffic lanes or impeding traffic. Where the roadway and bridge are narrow and where going through the abutment will cause open cutting of the roadway and blocking of one or more lanes of traffic, the utility will be allowed to go around the abutment as described above. This will be determined jointly by the Department of Transportation, Utilities and Structures Division on a case by case basis.4. The facility shall occupy a position beneath the structure's floor, between girders or within a cell, and at an elevation above low superstructure steel or masonry. All holes to be made in the diaphragms shall be by core drilling; however other methods will be considered on a case by case basis.5. No pipe or conduit in excess of twelve inches in diameter will be permitted, except when it is determined to be in the best interest of the Department of Transportation.6. No pipelines or transmission lines, as defined in ANSI Standard Code B31 series, transmitting flammable liquids or gases will be permitted on highway structures.7. Gas mains and gas distribution mains, when designed for Type D construction and Class 4 location as set out in ANSI Standard Code for Pressure Piping B31.8, will be permitted to occupy bridge structures.8. The safe operation of the highway facility, efficiency of maintenance, and appearance of the highway facility shall be taken into consideration during design.9. Communication and electric facilities shall be suitably insulated, grounded and carried in protective conduit or pipe from the point of exit from the ground to reentry.10. Consideration shall be given to placement of shutoff or sectionalizing devices at or near the bridge structure when the commodity to be transmitted would pose a hazard to the traveling public.11. Pipelines transmitting liquid transmittants shall be encased or protective measures taken to insure the safety of the traveling public. Protective measures should employ a higher factor of safety in the design, construction and testing of the pipeline than would normally be required for cased construction.12. Blasting around and under bridges and culverts shall be in accordance with section 1680-6-1-.07, paragraph (13); Appendix #9 of these rules and in accordance with other applicable State laws.13. In order that the Department of Transportation may be insured that "Corrosion Control Measures" have been taken into account, the following guidelines will be used in reviewing proposed installations:(i) Provision of dielectric barrier between the utility and bridge structure which will insulate them electrically. This can be accomplished by using a non-metallic material for mounting hardware, encasing the utility in non-metallic pipes or providing a coating or wrapping such as neoprene between the utility and the mounting hardware. Additional precautions shall be taken by avoiding contact between metal components in the bridge and metal inserts and anchor bolts. Where a pipe or utility is mounted on saddles and guides to allow for movement, additional provisions shall be made to compensate for wear. All contact between dissimilar metals shall be avoided.(ii) The installation of insulating joints in the utility in the ground on each end of the bridge structure will help reduce the possibility of corrosion interference. Electrical test leads installed on each side of an insulated joint will provide the necessary means for periodic testing.(iii) One utility shall not be allowed to have electrical continuity with another in any of the sections attached to the bridge. Individual isolation will allow for correction of future problems which might occur and will expedite periodic maintenance checks and tests.(iv) Where the utility passes through any part of the concrete bridge structure into the soil or water, provisions shall be made to separate the contact area. This can be accomplished by installing a non-metallic sleeve through the concrete or by wrapping the utility with a mastic or neoprene material. Consideration shall be given to separating the utility and concrete in buried thrust blocks.(v) Selection of the proper materials is extremely important. Corrosion resistant material such as stainless steel and galvanizing for mounting hardware is recommended. Coatings and paints shall be selected which are suitable for the existing environment and will require a minimum of maintenance. It is the responsibility of each utility to install and maintain its facility and not create undue maintenance problems for other utilities or the bridge structure. Such conditions as rust streaks, discoloration and deterioration can be eliminated proper materials selection.14. All installations on bridge structures must be approved by the Department of Transportation's Engineering Director of the Structures Division.(k) Concrete box culverts and pipe culverts are designed to function as drainage structures only. For this reason utility installations through these drainage structures will not be considered except in extreme hardship cases, In such cases utility design criteria shall include the following as a minimum:1. Resume and sketch of alternate locations considered and reasons why they are not suitable or are extremely costly.2. Hydraulic analysis of the effect the proposed utility facility will have on the function of the highway drainage structure.3. Type of protection to be provided to prevent debris from restricting the opening of the drainage structure. All installations of this nature Must be approved by the State Transportation Engineer and if applicable the Division Administrator, Federal Highway Administration.(l) Roadway lighting installations shall conform to the latest edition of the AASHTO, publication "An Information Guide for Roadway Lighting".(m) Plans or sketches submitted by the utility in support of the Use and Occupancy Agreement shall show the existing and/or proposed location of the utility facilities within the highway rights-of-way with respect to the existing and/or planned highway improvement, the traveled way, the right-of-way lines and where applicable, the control of access lines, approved points of access and other existing utilities. The plans shall be color coded as follows; GREEN-existing facilities to be removed; RED-proposed facilities; YELLOW-existing facilities to remain; BLUE-temporary facilities. In addition, information outlined in Appendix-4 of these rules and regulations shall accompany each plan or sketch either by indicating same on the plan or sketch or by attachment thereto.Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1680-06-01-.05
Original rule filed August 8, 1983; effective September 7, 1983. Amendment filed July 20, 1984; effective August 19, 1984.Authority: T.C.A. § 4-3-2303(2).