Complex water and wastewater infrastructure projects require more than design excellence — they demand constructability. When construction management (CM) and construction inspection (CI) experts are integrated early in the project lifecycle, their insights reshape designs for success. This proactive approach helps identify physical constraints, coordinate permits, manage utilities, and prevent cost overruns. 

At GFT, our CM/CI teams are not simply observers; they’re partners. Their involvement early in the design phase adds value across scheduling, permitting, field coordination, and long-term project efficiency for pipelines, treatment facilities, and related assets. Their collaboration strengthens problem-solving among design and construction team members. 

The Becks Run Raw Water Main in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, exemplifies constructability challenges. This project involved parallel 42-inch mains routed along a narrow, steep, and highly trafficked corridor. The right-of-way (ROW) was hemmed in by hillsides and infrastructure, leaving little margin for error.

During early planning, CM input helped identify that placing a temporary 36-inch high-density polyethylene (HDPE) main in the roadway or creek would be unsafe or impossible to permit. Instead, CM teams recommended reusing a previously benched hillside corridor. This alternative avoided traffic hazards and permitting delays, while leveraging an existing installation path.

To manage HDPE thermal expansion, CM/CI professionals designed an aerial bore-and-jack crossing anchored on both ends and restrained along the route with Jersey barriers and HDPE rollers. This solution balanced safety, stability, and constructability, outcomes only possible through collaborative design processes and disciplined quality control.

In Clinton, Maryland, GFT partnered with WSSC Water on a three-mile 42″ and 30″ transmission main supporting regional water systems through tight ROW adjacent to highways and wetlands. The ideal workspace, 60 feet wide for laying pipe, storing materials, and moving equipment, was not available, yet the project was still successful.

Leveraging the project’s success, the design team met with the contractor after the project to discuss constructability and how projects like this could be even more successful in the future. One of the highlights of those discussions was the concept of limit of disturbance (LOD) bump outs. These strategic widenings of the LOD would give crews room to safely stage equipment and materials without impacting sensitive areas and simplifying right-of-way agreements with property owners. The bump outs would be purposeful and placed where depth or complexity warranted more working room.

This practical adjustment was born from experience in the field. The potential benefits include reduced construction delays, improved safety, and limited environmental impact. These are outcomes difficult to achieve through design alone. 

In Baltimore, Maryland, GFT’s involvement in the city’s Unbundling Initiative provided oversight and mentorship. The program empowers local small businesses to grow from subcontractors into capable prime contractors. 

GFT’s resident engineer guided emerging contractors through standards, specifications, and field operations. With CM insight, teams corrected installation errors, improved trench safety, and enhanced material handling. The result was a stronger local contractor pool and higher-quality project delivery. 

Beyond this initiative, GFT also launched its own mentorship program in partnership with WSSC Water. Recruiting high school graduates with potential, but no prior construction experience, GFT trained them in safety, inspection, and field coordination. With CM guidance, these trainees learned everything from reading slope drawings to managing daily reports. One inspector now supports developer water and sewer projects as a result of this proactive investment.

The value of CM/CI isn’t just in planning. It’s in constant vigilance on the ground during active construction work.

At Becks Run, inspectors stayed ahead of pipeline crews by weeks, identifying conflicts with existing utilities before they became problems. In the Clinton project, CM professionals helped define realistic detour paths and signal changes that worked with traffic, not against it. And in Baltimore, inspectors stepped in when contractors misinterpreted specs or sequenced work out of order, helping ensure compliance and reduce rework.

This real-time field feedback loop promotes compliance and fosters trust among designers, contractors, and owners.

When CM/CI services are treated as core project elements, water infrastructure projects are better built, safer, and more resilient. Whether it’s routing a pipe through steep terrain, mentoring the next generation, or guiding projects through the permitting process, GFT’s CM/CI teams make a difference for long-term water quality and system performance.