What Do DOT Contracts Require From Temporary Power?

The requirements for temporary power in a DOT contract are not found in one place, and they differ by state agency, contract and project. The only dependable answer comes from reading the actual contract documents for your bid. This page shows where those requirements tend to appear, which questions to ask, and what to confirm with a rental provider. It states no specific agency rules, section numbers or limits on purpose.

Federal worksite electrical rules sit underneath whatever a contract adds. For example, OSHA 1926.404 says that 120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacle outlets on construction sites that are not part of the permanent wiring and are in use by employees shall have approved ground-fault circuit interrupters. It also says the employer shall establish and implement an assured equipment grounding conductor program covering cord sets, receptacles that are not part of the building or structure, and equipment connected by cord and plug. Read the full text on the OSHA 1926.404 page. Contract documents can add conditions on top of federal rules, so read both.

Where temporary power requirements can appear

Temporary power rarely has its own heading in a DOT package. Its requirements tend to be scattered across several documents, so a keyword search of one section can miss them. The table below lists the places worth searching and what to look for in each. Treat it as a reading map and not as a list of requirements.

Start with special provisions and general notes

Begin with the special provisions, because they usually carry the language written for your specific project. Search them for power, generator, lighting, noise, fuel, spill, work hours and staging. Then read the general notes on the plan sheets, which may mention utility connections or limits on where equipment can sit. When a document says nothing about temporary power, record that finding instead of assuming an answer.

Next, move to the standard specifications that the contract incorporates. Agencies organize these differently, so the section covering temporary facilities or electrical work in one state may sit elsewhere in another. Do not carry a section number over from a previous project. Confirm which edition of the standard specifications your contract names, since the bid package controls.

Traffic control, lighting and environmental sections

Work zone items can create the first power demand on a highway or bridge job. Temporary lighting for night work, portable message boards and temporary signals may each carry their own expectations for a power source. Environmental provisions may address noise, spill prevention, fuel storage or equipment staging near waterways on bridge work. Read each of these sections for any condition that would change which generator you choose or where you place it. Light towers and generator-fed fixtures for night closures are compared in the article on lighting and powering a night lane closure.

Submittals and approvals

Some contracts ask for submittals before equipment arrives on site, and others do not. Look for language covering equipment data, temporary electrical plans, spill containment or traffic-related equipment. If a submittal is needed, ask the rental provider early for the unit details you will have to list. Allow for the review time that the contract states, since your schedule depends on it.

Questions to ask the contracting agency or the prime

When the documents leave a gap or conflict with each other, ask in writing through the channel that the bid package names. Written answers can be filed with the project record and shared with your rental provider. The list below covers questions that tend to shape a temporary power plan. Adjust it to the language you find in your own package.

• Does the contract include any requirement for temporary power, generators or temporary lighting, and in which documents?
• Are noise, emissions or hours-of-operation conditions attached to portable generators, and where are they written?
• Are there fuel storage, secondary containment or spill response conditions for equipment on site?
• Is a submittal or approval needed for generator equipment before it is mobilized?
• Will the owner or the prime supply any utility connection, or is all power temporary and self-supplied?
• Do work hours, night work or lane closure windows limit when equipment can be delivered or refueled?
• Are there staging or placement limits near the right of way, waterways or structures?

What to confirm with the rental provider

Once the contract language is clear, take the findings to the rental provider and compare them with the equipment on offer. Stag Power Rentals supplies diesel generators from a Dickinson, TX yard, with a fleet that runs from 20 kW to 2000 kW. Ask each item in the table below and get the answers in writing, so they can be matched to the contract. Where the contract is silent, say so and ask what the provider’s standard practice is.

Unit size is the item to settle early. A load list built from the equipment you plan to run gives the provider something concrete to size against, and the construction site generator sizing and load list guide walks through that process. For long overnight or remote runs, an extended-runtime fuel tank may reduce how often refueling visits are needed, if the contract allows the tank. Cable and panels fall under power distribution, which should be priced and confirmed along with the generator.

How shift billing fits a DOT schedule

Stag bills diesel generator rentals by single, double or triple shift. Highway and bridge work can run on day, extended or overnight schedules, depending on what the contract permits. Match the billing shift to the hours the contract allows, and confirm the shift basis before you sign. The generator rental pricing guide explains how rental pricing is structured. Tools and shift patterns for bridge deck work are covered in the article on powering deck work and formwork on a bridge rehabilitation.

A related reference for public agency work

Public agency projects other than highway work also write temporary power into their documents. The municipal temporary power rental specification page is a related reference for that kind of contract. It does not replace your DOT contract, which controls what you must do. Use it as a prompt for questions, then confirm everything against your own documents.

Checklist before you commit to a unit

Use the checklist below as a final pass once the contract has been read and the rental provider has answered. Each line should end with a document reference or a written answer, not a memory of a phone call. A blank line points to a question that is still open. Resolve those before mobilization.

• Searched special provisions, general notes, standard specifications, traffic control, lighting and environmental sections for power, generator, noise and fuel language.
• Checked addenda and bidder question responses for changes.
• Listed any submittal needs and the review time the contract states.
• Filed written answers from the agency or the prime on every gap.
• Built a load list and shared it with the rental provider.
• Confirmed unit size, enclosure and fuel containment in writing.
• Confirmed delivery windows, the refueling plan and who handles each.
• Confirmed that the billing shift matches the permitted work hours.
• Confirmed that cable, panels and distribution are included.
• Reviewed the OSHA 1926.404 items on ground-fault protection and the grounding program with whoever runs the site electrical work.

Bring your contract notes to Stag

Stag Power Rentals can help you turn what you find in the contract into a diesel generator plan. We supply units from a Dickinson, TX yard across a 20 kW to 2000 kW fleet. See our construction industry overview for the work we support, then send your load list and contract notes through the quote request form. Bring the spec language you found, and we will price the unit against it.