EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2020-2021 Review Cycle
The following executive summary highlights the implementation and some of the major updates to the
City of Houston’s (City) Infrastructure Design Manual (IDM), General Requirements, Standard
Construction Specifications, and Standard Drawings from the 2020-2021 review cycle.
GENERAL CHANGES
The July 2021 Infrastructure Design Manual, General Requirements, and Standard Construction
Specifications show change bars on the left side of the page to indicate a major revision has taken place.
For specific details on what changes took place, redlines will be posted on the Design and Construction
Standards website for reference.
AASHTO HS-20 vehicular design loading requirement has been changed to HL-93 loading as defined by
AASHTO LRFD Bridge Specifications. This has been carried out across the entire IDM and Standard
Specifications.
INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN MANUAL (IDM)
Chapter 3 Graphic Requirements
Chapter 3 – Graphic Requirements was not officially part of the 2020-2021 review cycle. Due to the
addition of boring log requirements for Drawings in chapter 11, geotechnical drawing requirements have
been added to chapter 3 along with 2 example plan sheets. Electronic document data format submittal
requirements were added to chapter 7, therefore chapter 3 electronic document data format submittal
requirements have been added.
Chapter 6 Utility Locations
Chapter 6 – Utility Locations was not officially part of the 2020-2021 review cycle. During the review of
chapter 7, new Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) requirements were added. The levels of SUE were
defined and added to chapter 6 to provide clarity to requirements in chapter 7.
Chapter 7 Water Line Design Requirements
Chapter 7 – Water Line Design Requirements is now organized into sections for easier navigation and
referencing. Dead-end lines will no longer be permitted and existing dead-ends near proposed water
lines will be evaluated for connection and dead-end elimination. New requirements for small diameter air
valves, open cut construction, connection to existing water lines, joint restraint systems and trace wire
for non-metallic pipes have been added. Submittal requirements for As-Built drawings have been added.
Revisions have been made regarding water lines within cul-de-sacs, water meter service and water line
crossings. Requirements for depth of cover and vertical clearance at water line crossings have been
updated. New tables defining minimum horizontal and vertical separation at Large Diameter Water Line
(LDWL) crossings have been added to the Appendix. New requirements for LDWL on minimum easement
widths, water line shutdown and installation parallel to existing LDWL have been added to the Appendix.
Geotechnical and environmental requirements for LDWL have been removed and the article now refers
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2020-2021 Review Cycle
to Chapter 11 IDM requirements. Improvements to corrosion control and on the SUE requirements have
been made in Appendix. Reference to Chapter 13 GIS Data Digitization has been added.
Chapter 8 Wastewater Collection System Design Requirements
Chapter 8 – Wastewater Collection System Design Requirements is now organized into sections
for easier navigation and referencing. It has a new requirement that outlines conditions for
when a connection to a backlot easement is allowed. The definition section, manhole vent spacing,
manhole cover placement location and bolting and gasketing requirements for manholes in flood plain
have been updated. The minimum size of commercial service leads and requirement for commercial
service lead to terminate at a manhole has been updated. Reference to Chapter 13 GIS Data
Digitization has been added.
Chapter 9 Stormwater Design and Water Quality Requirements
Chapter 9 – Stormwater Design and Water Quality Requirements was not officially part of the 2020-2021
review cycle. It has been updated to incorporate the existing IDM supplements.
Chapter 11 Geotechnical and Environmental Requirements
Chapter 11 – Geotechnical and Environmental Requirements is now organized into sections for easier
navigation and referencing. A new section was added with requirements for the project’s engineer of
record. New geotechnical drawing requirements have been included. Geotechnical Baseline Report
(GBR) has been added as a conditional geotechnical requirement on tunneling and micro-tunneling
projects. GIS requirements for the chapter have been updated and now include reference to Chapter 13
GIS Data Digitization. Requirements for boring spacing and depth, Environmental Site Assessment (ESA
I/ESA II), Geotechnical Fault Study, Potentially Petroleum Contaminated Area (PPCA) investigation, and
bore hole termination requirements have been updated.
Chapter 13 GIS Data Digitization Standards
Chapter 13 – GIS Data Digitization Standards was not officially part of the 2020-2021 review cycle. A
new section was added on geotechnical and environmental GIS digital submission requirements. This
new section was added due to review and modifications to chapter 11.
Chapter 14 Facility Design Requirements
Chapter 14 – Groundwater Plant Design Guidelines has been formatted. Chapters are now designated
as Sections. Reference to Hydraulic Institute (HI) Standards have been added to Section 3 and 4.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2020-2021 Review Cycle
Chapter 17 Bicycle, Transit and Pedestrian Design Requirements
Chapter 17 – Bicycle, Transit and Pedestrian Design Requirements was not officially part of the 2020-
2021 review cycle. This chapter was updated to conform to City Code of Ordinances published in 2020.
IDM Supplements
The City creates supplements for the IDM when there is a need to revise a current IDM chapter that is
outside of its normal review cycle period. At the time when a new IDM is to be released, any active
supplements are incorporated into the new IDM and those supplements subsequentially deactivated.
Prior to the completion of the 2020-2021 review cycle, there were four active IDM supplements (chapter
9.2.01, chapter 9.2.01H and the Frequently Asked Questions, and chapter 17.06). Those IDM
supplements have now been officially incorporated into the IDM for the 2021 release.
Infrastructure Design Manual Implementation
• Capital Improvement Projects A 90-day design grace period will be given for Houston Public Works capital improvement projects
managed by the Capital Projects service line. Phase II final designs that have not been submitted
for a required review prior to October 1, 2021, will be required to completely comply with the new
Infrastructure Design Manual.
• Private Sector A 90-day design grace period will be given for projects in the public/private sector. Plans submitted
for initial review after October 01, 2021 will be required to comply with the new Infrastructure
Design Manual.
• IDM Supplements for Private and Capital Improvement Projects IDM supplements were effective upon signature. There is no design grace period for Chapter 9
of the IDM. Therefore, Chapter 9 updates were effective April 01, 2021.
CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATIONS
Revised Specifications
Various specifications, that are associated with the IDM chapters reviewed during the 2020-2021 review
cycle, were reviewed and updated. A total of 17 specifications were revised and 3 new specifications
were created, and one specification was retired. 02082 “Precast Concrete Manholes” was updated in
coordination with the creation of new standard details for precast concrete manhole. The three new
specifications created are 02614 “Large Diameter Line Stop”, 02615 “Insertion Valves and Line Stop”,
and 16124 Trace Wire for Water Lines”. The 16717 “Programmable Vehicle Signal Head” standard
specification was retired since it is not in use by the City. A list of all specifications created or updated is
provided at the end of this executive summary.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2020-2021 Review Cycle
Specification Implementation
Capital Improvement Projects Per Document 00700 General Condition, section 1.2.4:
“Reference to standard specifications, manuals, or codes of a technical society, organization, or association, or to laws or regulations of a governmental authority, whether specific or implied, mean the latest edition in effect as of date of receipts of bids, except as may be otherwise specifically stated in the Contract.”
Private Sector All projects in the public/private sector submitted after October 01, 2021 shall comply with the latest version of the City’s Construction Specifications.
STANDARD DETAIL REVISIONS Revised Standard Details
Various standard details associated with IDM chapter 8 and chapter 7 were up for review during the 2020-2021 review cycle. A total of eleven standard details were revised and three new standard details were created. The three new standard details are for trace wire on non-metallic pipes on water lines. The trace wire standard details were created to go along with the new specification created this review cycle. A list of all standard details created or updated is provided at the end of this executive summary.
Two new stormwater details were created. 02082-12 and 02082-13 are new standard details for precast concrete manholes. They have been created in coordination with city, state, and national subject matter experts. These details were created along with the updates to the precast concrete manhole standard specification. Storm Sewer standard details 02081-01 through 02081-04, that detail brick manhole construction, are retired because of the new precast manhole standard details.
Revised Standard Detail Implementation
A 90-day design grace period will be given for implementation of the standard details. Changes shall be effective October 1, 2021.
For Houston Public Works capital improvement projects managed by the Capital Projects service line, Phase II final designs that have already been submitted for a required review prior to October 1, 2021, it is recommended that all designers make an effort to incorporate the new changes into their current design to the extent that it does not increase cost or delay a project.
END OF EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
(See Next Page for List of New Revisions)
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2020-2021 Review Cycle
NEW IN THE 2021 REVISION
Infrastructure Design Manual (IDM), Standard Construction Specifications and Standard Details for Houston Public Works Design & Construction — 2021 Revision
Infrastructure Design Manual (IDM) Chapters Updated:
IDM Ch. 3 – Graphic Requirements IDM Ch. 6 – Utility Locations IDM Ch. 7 – Waterline Design Requirements IDM Ch. 8 – Wastewater Collection System
Design Requirements IDM Ch. 9 – Stormwater Design and Water
Quality Requirements IDM Ch. 11 – Geotechnical and Environmental
Requirements IDM Ch. 13 – GIS Data Digitization IDM Ch. 14 – Facility Design Requirements
Groundwater Plant Design Guidelines IDM Ch. 17 – Bicycle, Transit and Pedestrian
Design Requirements
New Standard Specifications:
02614 – Large Diameter Line Stop 02615 – Insertion Valves and Line Stops 16124 – Conductive Trace Wire for Non-Metallic
Water Line Pipes
Standard Specifications Updated:
02082 – Precast Concrete Manholes 02400 – Tunnel Shafts 02431 – Tunnel Grout 02501 – Ductile Iron Pipe and Fittings 02506 – Polyvinyl Chloride Pipe 02507 – Prestressed Concrete Cylinder Pipe 02511 – Water Lines 02512 – Water Tap and Service Line Installation 02513 – Wet Connections 02514 – Disinfection of Water Lines 02517 – Water Line in Tunnels 02518 – Steel Pipe and Fittings for Large
Diameter Water Lines 02520 – Fire Hydrants 02524 – Air Release and Vacuum Relief Valves 02527 – Polyurethane Coatings on Steel or
Ductile Iron Pipe 02528 – Polyethylene Encasement/Wrap 02613 – Bar-Wrapped Steel Cylinder Pipe
Standard Specifications Retired/Deleted:
16717 – Programmable Vehicle Signal Head
New Standard Details:
02082-12 – Storm Sewer Type ‘C’ Precast Round Manhole (Storm Sewer)
02082-13 – Storm Sewer Precast Box Manhole (Storm Sewer)
16124-01 – Complete Utility Locating System Sample Plan (Water)
16124-02 – Complete Utility Locating System Water Service Detail (Water)
16124-03 – Complete Utility Locating System Hydrant Detail (Water)
Standard Details Updated:
02091-01 – Non-Metallic Frame and Cover (Wastewater)
02082-06 – Sanitary Sewer Manhole Vent for Sealed Manhole (Wastewater)
02082-10 – Standard LDWL Access Manhole Details (Water)
02317-09 – Standard LDWL Excavation and Backfill Detail (Water)
02517-01 – LDWL Tunnel and Casing Details for Water Lines 24-Inch and Larger (Water)
02520-01 – Standard Fire Hydrant Detail (Water) 02524-03 – LDWL Air Valve Assembly in Service
Manhole Detail (Water) 15641-01 – Standard LDWL Cathodic Protection
Details for Test Stations (Sheet 1 of 3) (Water) 15641-02 – Standard LDWL Cathodic Protection
Details for Test Stations (Sheet 2 of 3) (Water) 15641-03 – Standard LDWL Cathodic Protection
Details for Test Stations (Sheet 3 of 3) (Water) 16640-01 – Standard LDWL Cathodic Protection
Details for Test Stations & Anodes (Water)
Standard Details Retired/Deleted:
02081-01 - Storm Sewer Manhole Type "C" for 42" Diameter RCP and Smaller
02081-02 - Storm Sewer Manhole Type "C" for 48" to 72" Diameter RCP
02081-03 - Storm Sewer Manhole Type "C" for 78" Diameter RCP and Greater
02081-04 - Storm Sewer Manhole Type "C" for Proposed Concrete Box Sewer
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