Gerald Burgess

Regional Construction Engineer

Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT)

01.2004 - Current

I began my career with MDOT SHA as an Engineering Technician. I was responsible to ensure that contractors constructed our highway system properly by adhering to our specifications. Items that I inspected include: temporary traffic control, grading operations, storm water management pipe systems and facilities, erosion and sediment control devices, water main and sewer systems, sound walls, bridge structures, roadway construction, paving operations, guardrail systems, temporary and permanent roadway markings, roadway lighting and signals, overhead sign structures, sidewalks, and landscaping.
I was promoted to Project Manager after 3 years. In that position, I reviewed all contract documents that are available so that I could familiarize myself with all of the details required to successfully complete construction, according to the contract, plans, specifications, and standards. I cross-checked plans with the standards and specifications in order to ensure their continuity and constructability. I conducted meetings that were required to address any issues and to monitor progress. I was responsible for the coordination of work and the exchange of information between all SHA agencies, such as the Office of Communication, the Office of Traffic, the Office of Structures, the Office of Environmental Design, the Office of Highway Design, the Office of Right of Way, the Office of Equal Opportunity Employment, the Office of Utilities, and the prime contractor.
I was assigned a consultant inspection staff at the beginning of each project. It was my responsibility to assess their individual skills and provide on-the-job training to enhance their skill set so that they were able to properly inspect the construction of the project. I advised, directed, and assigned work assignments to my staff. I ensured our staff and the contractor adhered to Maryland Occupational Safety and Health laws. I ensured that all my staff conducted business in a polite, professional and ethical manner. I approved the Consultant Inspector timesheets and expense statements. I approved and scheduled their requests for vacation and sick leave. I counseled and administered disciplinary measures to the consultant inspection staff when necessary.
If there were questions about the plans, or if something needed to be added to complete the project, I contacted the Design Team, to start the resolution process. Issues were tracked through Partnering Issue Resolution Charts, so that the resolutions were available as quickly as possible. Sometimes my work required working with outside governments and municipalities, utility companies, telephone companies, cable television companies, public transit companies (CSX) and private land developers. I coordinated all work that SHA was doing with those agencies and kept them advised of progress as necessary.
I monitored certified payrolls from contractors to make sure that minimum pay requirements were being met and that equal opportunity laws were being followed. I monitored all Minority/ Disabled Business Enterprise activity on my projects to ensure that the contract required participation was being met and that fraudulent activities were not occurring. I compiled Construction Daily Logs, Item Ledgers, Final Contract Items Reports (Sketchbook), and Monthly Progress Payments to the contractor. Upon completion of the project, I reviewed all documentation for accuracy and completeness. I reviewed and submitted "As-Built" plans to the Design Team so that files may be updated. I was responsible for ensuring that the contractor complied with the contract during one hundred percent of the construction activity on the project and that the construction was properly documented for payment and future use. In total, I managed over 50 contracts that totaled over 80 million dollars.
In my current position, I serve as the Regional Construction Engineer for District 7 and the Office of Maintenance. I provide oversight to all the projects in Frederick, Carroll, and Howard counties, along with some Maintenance. I ensure that the Inspection Staff follow all requirements of their position and the policies required by Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) when funded by federal funds. I review all projects in my District, before they are advertised, providing "Contract Recommendations" to the Design Team to be included in the construction contract documents. Those recommendations include determining how long the project will take to construct, the experience level and number of inspectors needed to properly inspect the work, and the dollar amount of liquidated damages to be assessed if the contractor does not complete the project on time.
I audit the projects, every 90 days, to ensure conformity to the plans and contract documents. I write a report, with my findings, to be filed with the Office of Construction. A copy of that report will be sent to my Director, the Assistant District Engineer for Construction, the Area Engineer for District Construction, and the Project Engineer who manages the project. A copy of that report also gets distributed to Federal Highway Administration, if the project is Federally funded.
Periodically, I will be assigned special tasks to review and/or update the Office of Construction's Memorandums and Directives to ensure the best practices are followed by our Inspection Staff.
I attend monthly Progress Meetings with project personnel and provide support where necessary. I also attend Regional Construction Engineer (RCE) Meetings to discuss findings with my supervisors and peers to ascertain trends or areas for improvement in the inspection of our projects.
Frequently, I am asked to write new specifications (specs) for the Standard Specifications for Construction and Materials and revise existing specs as needed. I review new and revised specs submitted by the Office of Materials, Office of Traffic and Safety, Office of Highway Design, and others, to provide guidance and assurance that SHA Office of Construction interests are being protected.
I am currently leading a team to revise Constructability Review procedures and provide training to all Districts, once complete. This team was created after FHWA compiled a report showing that MOOT SHA has not been performing this function as required. I was asked to lead a team to review our directives and our memos concerning this subject, then work with Design and the Districts to implement any necessary changes to fulfil FHWA's expectation. When this work is complete, MOOT SHA can expect fewer change orders and fewer claims.
I have been tasked with reviewing and evaluating proposals for consultant contracts for various roles at MDOT SHA, ranging from claims evaluations to supplying training and inspection staff.
I have been assigned the task of compiling and writing MOOT SHA Office of Construction's Annual Oversight Report to FHWA. The report, typically 20-25 pages, consists of data charts and narrative for all contracts that contain Federal funds. The major components of this report include statistics for advertisement, contract oversight, contract finalization, change orders, and claims for each fiscal year. Once the report is completed, I submit it to my Director for review before being sent to FHWA.
Upon my promotion into this position, I was asked to lead a team to develop a "Training Academy" for all of the State's Construction Staff. My Team has developed an outline of training courses needed and discussed a mentoring program for our new inspectors. To date, we have developed classes and held a pilot program for basic inspector training.

Summary

Overview

Work History

Regional Construction Engineer

Education

Diploma -

Engineering

Skills

Timeline

Regional Construction Engineer

Engineering

Diploma -

Hobbies and Interests

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