[Ord. of 12-4-1991, § 20-91; Ord. No. 2003.16, 2-4-2003]
(a) 
The standards set out in this division for the construction of streets in the City are promulgated to ensure that the streets will provide the traveling public with safe and convenient passage, both pedestrian and vehicular; and concurrently, to provide the City with facilities which will be a long-lasting asset, requiring only nominal maintenance.
(b) 
Generally, the provisions of Division 200, Earthwork, of the latest edition of the State of Maine Department of Transportation Standard Specifications for Highways and Bridges shall be followed in the construction of new streets in the City, whether in subdivisions in accordance with plans approved by the Planning Board or other streets which are to be traversed by the public. All subsequent references to the above mentioned state specifications shall be to the most recent edition of that publication. All streets to be built or rebuilt shall be designed by a registered professional engineer, and the design is to be approved by the engineer prior to the commencement of construction.
(c) 
Definitions for urban and nonurban areas within the City of Biddeford.
Urban area: Generally, the area bounded by the following landmarks will be considered the urban area for City of Biddeford Public Roadway Requirements. To the West: The Maine Turnpike to its intersection with Alfred Road and then Alfred Road to the Arundel Border, to the South: The Arundel Border, to the East: A northeasterly line from the Arundel Border to the West Brook branch nearest to Granite Street Extension and then following West Brook to the Saco River, to the North: The Saco River,
Non-urban area: Generally, all areas outside the border of the urban area.
The Director may change a streets urban/non-urban classification if it is in the best interest of the City to do so.
The Director shall determine road classification of any street category not listed in Table A.[1]
[Ord. of 12-4-1991, § 20-92; Ord. No. 2003.16, 2-4-2003]
Clearing and grubbing is a necessary first step in the construction of a street, and must be accomplished thoroughly, whether the location is across undeveloped terrain or across areas previously paved or built upon, demolished and leveled. It is most important to remove all material which could be detrimental to the structural integrity of the roadway, and its consequent long life. In general, the provisions of Section 201 of the State Department of Transportation Standard Specifications for Highways and Bridges will be followed for all right-of-way clearing.
(1) 
Width, depth and contour. The entire area within the roadway lines shall be cleared of all vegetation and other material unsuitable for a base, unless specifically excepted [see Subsection (2) of this section] All stumps and roots shall be grubbed out completely, and all topsoil, peat and muck shall be excavated to whatever depth is required to produce a firm and solid base for the roadway structure, and rock shall be removed to the depth indicated on the approved plan, or as specified in Table A, Section 62-126, whichever is greater.
(2) 
Exceptions for certain trees, etc. If clearly shown on the approved plan, or if agreed to in advance by the engineer and marked appropriately, certain trees which are good, healthy plants of pleasing shape may be exempt from the clearing provision of the previous subsection. In allowing such exceptions, the engineer will consider all possible interference by such trees, their root systems, branches and shed leaves with the full use of the traveled portion of the street, the sidewalks, sewers and drainage systems thereof, both present and future, to the fullest extent possible.
[Ord. of 12-4-1991, § 20-93; Ord. No. 2003.16, 2-4-2003]
(a) 
Generally. All subsurface utility conduits shall be installed at the location and depth shown on the approved plan, or as specified in writing by the engineer. Any deviations from planned locations made necessary by unforeseen subsurface conditions must be approved by the engineer.
(b) 
Excavation and backfilling. No excavations may be made in any right-of-way without proper permits from the Director as provided in Section 62-171 et seq. Excavations in a paved portion of any street, sidewalk or public parking lot shall not commence until the paved surface has been cut with an approved type of pavement cutter completely around the area to be excavated; or in the case of a trench for a pipeline, both sides of the proposed trench shall be cut on parallel lines. Excavated material shall be loaded onto trucks and hauled away to an approved dump site, unless specific written permission has been granted by the Director to use the material for backfill. Such permission, if granted, shall be granted on the condition that an inspector from the City be at the site during all backfilling operations; the contractor to pay the sum of $50 for each hour or part thereof that the inspector is at the site. Excavated material may not be stockpiled on the paved portion of the street overnight, and may be so stockpiled on the unpaved portion of the street only by specific, written permission of the Director and for less than 14 days without using temporary erosion control measures. All excavation and backfilling shall be generally in accordance with the provisions of Section 206 of the state's Standard Specifications for Highways and Bridges, latest edition.
Backfilling shall be accomplished using clean, reasonably dry bankrun gravel, having no stones larger than four inches maximum dimension. Material shall be placed in the excavation in lifts not exceeding six inches uncompacted depth, and shall be well compacted using appropriate vibratory compactors before placing the next lift. When placing the first few lifts of backfill material around a pipeline or other cylindrical conduit, extreme care shall be taken to assure that the gravel surrounds the pipe completely, and that no voids are allowed to remain under the pipe barrel.
Backfilling shall continue in six-inch lifts all the way up to final grade, except that in areas which are not paved, and upon which no vehicular travel is normally expected, the engineer may allow deeper lifts to be used, but in no case shall the lifts exceed 12 inches in depth.
(c) 
Sewers and drains. (Refer to Chapter 70, Utilities, of this Code for additional requirements for sewer and drains.)
(1) 
When laying sewer or drainage pipelines, proper attention shall be given to the design grade and alignment of the pipeline. The use of a laser alignment device is strongly recommended, and shall be used in strict accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. If a builder's level is utilized for individual sections of pipe, the grade shall be checked with a surveyor's level every five sections of pipe, or every 50 feet, whichever is the lesser distance. Once in proper position, each section of pipe shall have approved backfill material placed under its entire length, and the grade checked again, before proceeding to place the next section.
(2) 
Sewer and drainage structures (i.e., manholes) shall be of precast concrete material for all new construction. The base sections shall have openings located at the proper elevation and with proper orientation as indicated by the approved plans; and the openings shall provide for rubber-ring gaskets to provide the seal between the pipe and the structure.
All storm drain manholes must have sumps, and all sewer manholes to have smooth inverts.
If openings in the wall of the structure must be created on-site, the openings shall be cut using a masonry saw guided by a pilot-hole (cored) or other approved positioning device. In no case shall the opening be created by a hammer or chisel, or other nonprecision instrument. In any case of doubt, the engineer shall determine the acceptable method to be used. In addition, rubber boots shall be installed in all openings.
Testing—All sanitary sewers shall be tested using air pressure tests and must pass the standards given by the City engineering office. Sewer manholes shall be vacuum tested and must pass City standards, unless otherwise approved by the engineer. Applicant shall provide evidence that all boots are securely fastened to the pipe. All testing results must be submitted to the City engineering office for approval.
(d) 
Water and gas lines. Alignment of these subsurface conduits shall be as indicated on the approved plan, or as agreed to by the engineer. If these utilities are located within the traveled portion of the street, the excavation and backfilling requirements specified in this section for sewers and drains shall be adhered to. If, however, these are located off of the traveled way, then the engineer may allow less strict requirements for backfilling and compaction. Such variance shall be obtained beforehand, in writing.
If nonferrous material is used for water or gas pipes, the contractor shall place a conductive material in the trench between the pipe and the surface, to allow detection of the buried pipe with magnetic locators. In addition, the pipe shall be identified by a brightly colored flagging laid in the trench above the pipe. This may be combined with the conductive material required above, if desired.
(e) 
Electric, telephone or TV cable conduits. When these utility lines are installed underground, they shall be located as shown on the approved plans, or as directed or allowed by the engineer. These utilities shall not be located beneath the traveled portion of the street except for lateral connections crossing at approximately right angles to the center line of the street. As required in this section for water and gas lines, these conduits shall be identified both visually and magnetically for ready identification by the City or contractors working in the area.
[Ord. of 12-4-1991, § 20-94; Ord. No. 2003.16, 2-4-2003]
(a) 
Generally. The provisions of Section 203 of the state's Standard Specifications for Highways and Bridges shall be followed for roadway excavation and the placement of fill material where necessary to meet the requirement of the subgrade elevation shown on the plans (i.e., the design grade of the finished road, less the total depth shown in Table A, Section 62-126).
(b) 
Quality of material. All unsuitable subgrade material shall be removed and shall be replaced by clean, bankrun gravel approved for use by the engineer, or material meeting the requirements of Sections 703.19 or 703.20 of the State Department of Transportation Standard Specifications for Highways and Bridges. Material shall be compacted to 95% of maximum density as specified by Section 304.04 of such specifications. Before the base material is spread, the subgrade shall be shaped to a true surface conforming to the proposed cross-section of the road, and shall be compacted as required in this section.
(c) 
Placement and compaction. All approved fill material used for road base gravel, shoulders or side slopes shall be placed in layers without segregation of particle size, to such loose depth that when compacted the layer will have a maximum thickness of six inches. Each layer of aggregate shall be placed over the full width of the section of roadway. Each layer shall be compacted separately until a uniform surface is obtained, conforming to the lines and grades of the plan, or as directed by the engineer. Each layer shall be maintained during subsequent compaction in such a manner as to produce a uniform texture, and such that the aggregate is firmly keyed. Extra care shall be taken on slopes, that the layer of fill is reasonably consistent in depth and conforms to the required slope before compaction. Compaction shall begin at the toe of the slope and shall proceed parallel to the slope, gradually working upward to the top of the slope, to preserve the uniformity of the layers as much as possible. Compaction shall be achieved by mechanical means except on very small areas where hand-tamping may be approved. Equipment used shall be suitable for the type of soil being compacted (see Section 203.11 of the Maine DOT specifications). Rock embankments (Section 203.15 of the state specifications) shall not be used except as specifically permitted, and no frozen material shall be used for fill purposes (Section 203.16 of the state specifications). Soil shall be tested according to Section 62-137 or other suitable method.
Crushed material shall be spread as indicated above, except for thickness of the layer. No materials shall be added to the crushed gravel in order to obtain compaction, unless specifically allowed by the engineer. No water shall be added unless approved.
[Ord. of 12-4-1991, § 20-95; Ord. No. 2003.16, 2-4-2003]
(a) 
Material for roadway base shall consist of a mixture of sand and gravel consisting of clean, hard, durable particles which are free from organic matter, lumps, balls of clay, and other deleterious material. The graduation shall conform to the following: 100% to pass three inch sieve; 70% to pass one-fourth-inch sieve; 30% to pass No. 40 sieve; 5% or less to pass No. 200 sieve (equivalent to MDOT Type D).
(b) 
Crushed gravel shall be placed as the topmost layer of the roadway gravel. The gradation of the crushed material shall be: 100% shall pass a three-fourths-inch sieve; 45% to 70% shall pass a one-half-inch sieve; 30% to 55% shall pass a one-fourth-inch sieve; 0% to 20% shall pass a No. 40 sieve; 5% or less shall pass a No. 200 sieve (equivalent to MDOT Type A).
[Ord. of 12-4-1991, § 20-96; Ord. No. 2003.16, 2-4-2003]
(a) 
Materials. All roadway pavements will be plant-mix bituminous-concrete, in general conformity with Division 400 of the state specifications for highways and bridges. Specifically, the provisions of Sections 401.02 through 401.06, inclusive, of such specifications shall be followed in selecting the components of the mix. See Table A in Section 62-126 for pavement requirements.
(b) 
Methods. The provisions of the state specifications for highways and bridges shall be observed closely, and the methods therein specified (Division 400) shall be followed.
(c) 
Existing pavement. Where pavement joins an existing pavement, the existing pavement shall be saw cut along a straight line to form a neat, even, vertical joint. A tack coat shall be applied to all joints prior to placement of new pavement.
(d) 
Surface coat. The surface coat shall not be placed sooner than one year after the base coat has been placed unless the engineering office considers this acceptable or a maintenance guarantee for 150% of the roadway construction costs is posted for a period of at least one year after the surface coat is placed.
[Ord. of 12-4-1991, § 20-97; Ord. No. 2003.16, 2-4-2003]
(a) 
Culverts and headwalls.
(1) 
Culverts generally shall be installed consistent with the provisions of Section 62-128. All culverts shall be laid to the line and grade as indicated on the approved plans, and any deviation therefrom required by unforeseen subsurface conditions must be approved in advance by the engineer. Culvert pipes shall be installed as recommended by the manufacturer, consistent with the type of material being used. Bedding for culverts, especially those of flexible materials, shall be carefully prepared, graded and compacted; and special care shall be taken during backfilling to assure proper support under the lower half of the pipe.
(2) 
Headwalls, including wingwalls if required, shall be constructed at both ends of culverts under all streets and roadways, for the purpose of support and containment of embankments above and around the culverts. Materials for headwalls may be varied depending upon conditions: cement concrete, bituminous concrete, steel sheets or plate, riprap of stone, wood, cement, or other material may be used if approved. Aprons shall be used at the outfall of most culverts, unless natural conditions will provide similar protection from scouring of the streambed. Material of aprons will normally be the same as the headwall.
(b) 
Paved swales. Swales or ditches for conveying stormwater, whether parallel to a roadway or perpendicular thereto, shall be protected from scouring if anticipated velocities exceed the following:
(1) 
Two feet per second in uncompacted sand, silt, fine gravel or soft clay.
(2) 
Four feet per second in undisturbed or well-compacted medium or coarse gravel.
(3) 
Five feet per second in stiff clay, shales or hardpan, cobbles or shingles.
Swales may be paved with bituminous concrete, cement concrete, bricks, natural stone or other approved material, so long as the material serves to protect both the bottom and the sides of the swale from scouring and erosion, to the depth anticipated from a ten-year storm.
(c) 
Easements. Wherever roadway drainage is to be located within an easement across private property (see Section 62-108), care shall be taken to construct the drainage swale between the limits of such easement, to avoid future problems of encroachment.
[Ord. of 12-4-1991, § 20-98; Ord. No. 2003.16, 2-4-2003]
(a) 
Preformed curbs or edgings of granite or concrete shall be placed to true line and grade [see Section 62-109(4)], supported by a base of properly compacted crushed gravel, as specified on the plans. Care shall be taken to align abutting ends to minimize the width of the joint. Joints shall be finished using a mortar of comparable color to the stones. Bedding, both behind the stones as well as on the street side, shall be of crushed gravel, well compacted up to the subgrade indicated on the plans, leaving sufficient depth to place loam to the rear of the stones and pavement to the fore.
(b) 
Cast-in-place edgings shall be of two types: cement concrete poured into prefabricated forms, or cement concrete or bituminous concrete extruded through a slip-form device. In either case, care shall be taken to assure proper line and grade of the completed edging. Extruded edging shall be placed on a prepared base, usually the base course of the roadway pavement, which shall have been laid extra width to accommodate the proposed edging. Placement of extruded edging upon the finish course of the roadway pavement shall be avoided, unless a key or other device has been placed which will inhibit slipping of the completed edging.
[Ord. of 12-4-1991, § 20-99; Ord. No. 2003.16, 2-4-2003]
(a) 
Bituminous sidewalks:
(1) 
Excavation shall be made for the full width of the designed sidewalk, and to a depth below the design grade equal to the combined thickness of the bituminous paving and the specified gravel base. Any soft or yielding material lying below this grade shall be removed and replaced with common borrow and compacted.
(2) 
Gravel base shall be placed in lifts not exceeding six inches, and compacted thoroughly before placing the subsequent lift. Final lift shall be graded to the design grade, less the thickness of pavement to be laid.
(3) 
Bituminous material shall meet the requirements of Section 403 of the Department of Transportation specifications, and shall be machine-laid on the compacted base course in two courses to provide the required depth when rolled. Compaction shall be by a power roller having a minimum total weight of 2,000 pounds and a maximum width of 30 inches. A vibratory compaction device may be used if approved in advance by the City engineer. Hand tamping is permitted for areas inaccessible to the power compactors.
(b) 
Cement concrete sidewalks:
(1) 
Excavation for cement concrete sidewalks shall be made as indicated in Subsection (a)(1) of this section for bituminous sidewalks, and shall be to the depth and width that will permit the installation and bracing of the forms.
(2) 
Forms shall be of wood, metal or other approved material, and shall extend for the full depth of the concrete. All forms shall be true, free from warp and of sufficient strength to resist the pressure of the concrete without springing. Bracing and staking of forms shall be such that the forms remain in both horizontal and vertical alignment until their removal. Forms shall not be removed until slabs have cured for at least 24 hours.
(3) 
Immediately before placing concrete, the foundation shall be thoroughly moistened. The proportioning, mixing and placing of the concrete shall be in accordance with the requirements of Section 502 of the Maine DOT Standard Specifications for Highways and Bridges.
(4) 
After placing, the surface shall be finished with a wood float which shall be moved in a circular motion to produce a shell-like pattern. No plastering of the surface with mortar will be permitted. All outside edges of the slab and all joints shall be rounded with a one-fourth-inch radius edging tool.
(5) 
Joints shall be located as shown on the plans. Slabs shall be placed alternately and the joints coated with an approved bituminous material before placing the adjacent slab. When a concrete sidewalk is constructed adjacent to a curb, building, retaining wall or other fixed structure, a one-fourth-inch-thick preformed joint filler shall be used between the slab and the structure.
(6) 
The concrete shall be cured for at least 72 hours. Curing shall be by moist burlap or mats, white pigmented curing compound, or by other approved methods. During the curing period, all traffic, both pedestrian and vehicular, shall be excluded. Vehicular traffic shall be excluded for such additional time as may be directed.
[Ord. of 12-4-1991, § 20-100; Ord. No. 2003.16, 2-4-2003]
(a) 
In general, monuments are to be located and set as indicated in Section 62-87. They shall be placed in a vertical position in excavated holes, and at depths appropriate to the surroundings. Roadway bounds shall be placed with two edges parallel to the tangent at PC's and PT's; and at points of deflection they shall be set skewed equally from the two lines. Backfill material shall be of sand or fine gravel, and placed in lifts of six inches, and well compacted.
(b) 
When underlying bedrock prevents setting the full length of a monument, the monument may be cut to an appropriate length to allow setting it onto the rock, using concrete at the base to secure it to the rock. The remaining portion shall be backfilled as specified in this section. When bedrock is exposed at the surface at a location to be monumented, alternate materials and procedures will be permitted (see Section 62-87).
[Ord. of 12-4-1991, § 20-101; Ord. No. 2003.16, 2-4-2003]
All portions of a street which are not paved shall be landscaped in accordance with the provisions of Sections 615 through 622, inclusive, of the Maine DOT Standard Specifications for Highways and Bridges.
(1) 
Soils and soil enrichment. Loam, meeting the requirements of Section 615 of the Maine DOT specifications, will be spread on all areas to be seeded for grass. Minimum depth of loam will be four inches (10 cm). All loam material must be approved by the engineer as to its source; whether from off-site, or from stockpiled material from the original clearing of the site.
Sod may be used if it meets the requirements of Section 616 of the Maine DOT specifications. If available loam is of poor quality, it may be enriched by the addition of lime, peat, fertilizer, or other material to produce the necessary characteristics for good growth.
(2) 
Grass and/or ground cover. Seeding shall meet the requirements of Section 618 of the Maine DOT specifications, and the specifications, if any, of the provider of the seed.
(3) 
Mulching. Material for mulch and the procedures for application shall conform to Section 619 of the Maine DOT specifications. Variations from this specification may be approved in advance by the engineer.
(4) 
Maintenance. Following the seeding and mulching operations, the developer or contractor shall be responsible for maintaining the seeded areas until an acceptable stand of reasonably thick and uniform grass or other ground cover is achieved (90% ground cover and no gaps larger than five square inches).
[Ord. of 12-4-1991, § 20-102; Ord. No. 2003.16, 2-4-2003]
(a) 
Inspection is required for all new streets and sidewalks during construction, and for any other work conducted on any public street or sidewalk for which a permit is required. The inspection will be conducted by the engineer, or by his/her designee from the department. Inspections must be requested in writing at least 48 hours in advance, and sent to the engineer. Requests must be dated and signed by a responsible developer, contractor or foreman, and must indicate clearly the location and portion of work to be inspected.
Sewer testing criteria shall be found in Chapter 70 of the Biddeford Code of Ordinances.
Inspectors shall, upon completion of every such inspection, make a written report stating the results of the inspection and any recommendations for changes or remedial action which may be required; and he shall give one copy of such report to the developer, contractor or foreman at the job site, and also to the Planning Board if the inspection was made on a current subdivision on behalf of the board.
Inspections shall be requested upon completion of the following phases of the development (if applicable):
(1) 
First inspection: Upon completion of all preliminary rough grading of all roadways.
(2) 
Second inspection: Following installation of underground service pipes, but prior to backfilling. Inspectors will witness backfilling operations and make it part of the report.
(3) 
Third inspection: Upon completion of all grading of the roadway subgrade, and the subgrade of any sidewalk.
(4) 
Fourth inspection: Upon placement, grading and compaction of the roadway gravel but prior to placing any of the crushed gravel.
(5) 
Fifth inspection: Upon completion of all paving, landscaping and cleanup of all work required.
(6) 
Final inspection: On subdivisions which have been approved by the Planning Board, a review and approval of plans showing as-built conditions.
In addition to the above-scheduled inspections, the inspectors may conduct additional inspections at any time, or during any phase of the work, if such additional inspection is deemed beneficial. The engineer or his/her designee may issue directives to a developer or to a contractor working for the City. Appeals to such directives may be made to the City Manager by developers, or to the City Council by a contractor working for the City. Road or sidewalk builders who are neither subdividers or contractors to the City should consider the provisions of Sections 62-35, 62-56 or 62-82 of this chapter.
(b) 
Tests may be made by the engineer of any material, tool, implement or device being used, or proposed for use, in or on any project for which inspection is required by Subsection (a) of this section. Testing shall be for the purpose of determining if materials are of satisfactory quality for the use for which they are intended, and to determine if tools, etc., are adequate for the task for which they are intended. Tests may be conducted on-site if appropriate, or material may be sent to an appropriate testing laboratory for analysis or testing. Material testing will follow generally the requirements of Section 106 of the Maine DOT Standard Specifications for Highways and Bridges. Results of any testing shall be furnished to the developer, or contractor, together with a statement by the inspector as to the results being satisfactory or not so. All costs associated with the tests shall be the responsibility of the contractor/developer.
The engineer also has the option of requiring the contractor/developer perform the testing and forwarding the results on to the City engineer's office. All costs associated with the tests shall be the responsibility of the contractor/developer.
The engineer may request that the contractor/developer provide submittals from manufacturers on items furnished to the City.