Engineering Support to the U.S. DOT Office of Inspector General

业务访问：美国交通部监察总长办公室议题：大型基建项目合规审查及项目审计Briefing to the Chinese Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural DevelopmentExecutive Development ProgramJanuary, 27, 2015 University of Maryland

Overview of Engineering Support

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How engineering is relevant to the Office of Inspector General’s mission.

How engineering enhances audits and investigations of transportation programs and projects.

Examples of engineering services to audits and investigations of highways and public transport projects.

Other services rendered.

Internal and External Engineering Resources.

Conclusions

Why is engineering support relevant to theOIG Mission?

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The OIG mission is to promote accountability and effectiveness in federal transportation programs and projects, and to prevent or stop waste, fraud and abuse of the resources devoted to those programs and projects.

Engineering is intrinsic to the transportation business and its infrastructure: highways, public transport, airports, rails, etc.

OIG audits and investigations involve many engineering issues related to the design, construction, operation and maintenance of infrastructure, and vehicles in every transportation mode.

Engineering support adds impartial credibility to audits and investigations

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Examining complex technical issues pertinent to the safety, the costs, utilization and quality of transportation infrastructure.

Detecting fraudulent practices like the introduction of inferior construction materials or equipment in transportation projects.

Interpreting objectively engineering documentation and material evidence to ensure that programs and infrastructure projects adherence to federal regulations and technical contract requirements.

Adding technical credibility to OIG congressional testimonies and opinions rendered on transportation programs and projects.

Examples of Engineering Support toAudits and Investigations of Public Transport

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OIG engineers examined a citizen’s complaint about the reuse [without thorough testing] of 30-year old steel pile foundations to support a new guideway in the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project. The foundations were subsequently tested because of the OIG’s intervention and rigorous technical examination of the foundations’ structural safety and durability.

TO BEBUILT

EXISTING

Elevated G

uideway

Buried Foundation

Examples of Engineering Support toAudits of Highway Bridges

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OIG engineers assisted in a series of audits related to federal oversight of the National Bridge Inspection Program by providing technical guidance and support to audit teams visiting various states throughout the country.

Examples of Engineering Support toAudits and Investigation of Highway Bridges

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After the Interstate 35W bridge collapse:

National Transportation Safety Board investigators extensively consulted with OIG engineers because of their previous work in audits of bridge inspections, and load rating and postings.

Congress directed the OIG to independently evaluate technical criteria to select bids for the design and construction of the new bridge.

Bridge Collapsed

on August 1, 2007

New Bridge Opened on September 18,

2008

Examples of Engineering Support toAudits and Investigations of Mega Projects

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$15 Billion Central Artery Tunnel Project in Boston (a.k.a. Big Dig)

Multiple audits, congressional inquiries and “real-time” oversight related to the Big Dig Project, and direct oversight of the federal response to major incidents: widespread water leaks in the tunnels (2004) and the fatal collapse of part of a tunnel ceiling (2006)

We reviewed the inspections, repair approaches and also monitored the repair work to ensure that the tunnels would function safely.

Watching Federal Oversight of the Safe Reopening of Big Dig Tunnels closed after theCeiling Collapse

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Removal of Tunnel Ceiling Panel

Tunnel Ceiling PanelConstruction Drawing

A real-time contribution to public safety.

Big Dig Tunnel Ceiling Collapsed Because of Defective Epoxy Anchor Bolts

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Other Engineering Support Services

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Review of Department of Transportation’s top management challenges, regulations and legislation pertinent to the safety and inspection of bridges, tunnels and rail infrastructure.

Assist the investigation of fraudulent substitution of construction materials in projects for highways, public transport, and airport runways.

Assist in developing congressional testimonies on the safety of the nation’s bridges and problems in major projects like the Big Dig.

Present the OIG’s engineering work at the National Conference on Fraud in Transportation Construction and to foreign delegations of transportation officials.

Internal OIG Engineering Resources

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Engineer Advisor with over 30 years of civil engineering experience in the private and Federal sectors. Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative for procuring external engineering services. Licensed Engineer.

Structural Engineer with over 20 years of experience in the private and Federal sector including structures, project management and regulatory standards. Licensed Engineer

Materials Engineer with 11 years of experience in audits and investigations of transportation programs and projects construction. Candidate for Engineering License

External OIG Engineering Resources

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Interagency agreement with the US Army Corps of Engineers has provided expert engineering services including:review of remaining service life of the 30-year old piles

(potential stray current corrosion) during the audit of Federal Transit Administration’s oversight of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project;

Multi-disciplinary expert panel to assist in OIG’S oversight of the Massachusetts Safety Review of the Big Dig Project;

Review of value engineering proposals to support our audit of the Federal Highways Value Engineering Program; and

Independent review of bridge load ratings practices for our audit of the National Bridge Inspection Program.

Private Consultants

Conclusion: Engineering supportsignificantly contributed to the OIG mission

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Protecting the safety of the traveling public

OIG Engineers followed State and Federal inspectors immediately after Big Dig tunnel ceiling collapse

Conclusion: Engineering supportsignificantly contributed to the OIG mission

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Protecting federal investments against fraudulent material substitutions

Conclusion: Engineering supportsignificantly contributed to the OIG mission

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Audits and Congressional testimonies that resulted in federal initiatives to improve inspections of the nation’s bridges

Engineering News Record Journal

Federal Highway Administration Focus Journal

Engineers strengthen the OIG’s mission for accountability and transparency

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Ensured the structural safety and durability of federal investment the Dulles Rail Project

Thank You 谢谢

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Rodolfo Pérez, P.E.Director of the Engineering TeamOffice of Inspector General , USDOTrodolfo.perez@oig.dot.gov