6-229 SECTIO N 656 – PLANTIN G TREES , SHRUBS , AND VINES 656.0 1 DESCRIPTION . This work shall consist of furnishing, transporting, planting, and transplanting various size s of trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, and ground cover plants. 656.0 2 MATERIALS . Materials shall meet the requirements of the following subsection s: Barrier Fence ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 727.03 Water ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................... 745.01 Landscape Backfill ................................ ................................ ................................ .....755.01 Topsoil ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 755.02 Compost ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................... 755.05 Fertilizer ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................... 755.06 Mycorrhizal Fungi Product ................................ ................................ ........................ 755.07 Bark Mulch ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 755.10(c) Plant Materials ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 755.12 Tree Watering Bags ................................ ................................ ................................ ...755.1 3 The sizes of evergreen and deciduous trees shall be as specified in Table 656.02A . TABLE 656.02A – TREE SIZES Size Evergreen Trees Deciduous Trees Small Less than 4 feet tall Less than 1/2 inch caliper Medium 4 feet to less than 6 feet tall 1/2 inch to less than 2 inch caliper Large 6 feet tall or greater 2 inch caliper or greater Live fascines shall consist of bundles 8 feet to 15 feet long and a minimum of 4 inches in diameter. The bundles shall contain cuttings from live stems no greater than 1 inch in diameter. The species used shall be native to Vermont. Live fascines shall be prepared from freshly cut dormant plants. No leaf buds shall have initiated growth beyond 1/4 inch and the cambium layer of each cutting shall be moist, green, and health y. Live stakes shall consist of branch cuttings from freshly cut dormant plants. The species used shall be native to Vermont. Live stakes shall be 1/2 inch to 2 inches in diameter and 3 feet to 4 feet long. No leaf buds shall have initiated growth beyond 1 /4 inch and the cambium layer shall be moist, green, and healthy. The live stakes shall have side branches cleanly removed with the adjacent bark intact. The basal ends shall be cut at an angle for easy insertion into the soil and the top shall be cut squa re. 6-230 All plant material shall be the size and species specified in the Plans. Substitutions of plant materials will not be permitted unless authorized in writing by the Engineer , and then only when sufficient evidence is provided that the plant specified cannot be obtained . Plant substitutions shall be either the nearest available size of that variety or a similar variety with comparable form and function. An approved substitute pl ant shall be of a value at least equal to the specified plant for which the substitution is being made . 656.0 3 PLANTIN G SEASON . Unless otherwise specified on the Plans , plantings shall take place between April 1st and October 31st, inclusive . No planting shall be done in frozen ground, when snow covers the ground, or when the soil or weather is determined by the Engineer to be unsatisfactory for planting. 656.0 4 DELIVERY AND INSPECTIO N. Plants transported in open vehicles shall be covered by tarpaulins or other suitable covers securely tied to the body of the vehicle . Closed vehicles shall be adequately ventilated to prevent overheating of the plants. The Engineer will make a preliminary inspection of all plants at the time of delivery on the project . Trees with multiple leaders will be rejected unless otherwise specified in the Contract . Trees with damaged or crooked leaders, broken terminal growth, bark abrasions, sun scald, disfiguring knots or other objectionable disfigurements , insect damage, disease, dead or dry wood, or cuts of limbs over 3/4 inch in diameter that are not completely closed will be rejected . Container grown plants that have stem girdling roots will be rejected . Balled and burlapped trees and shrubs with excess ive soil on top of the root flare and an otherwise minimal root ball will be rejected. Thin, weak plants shall not be acceptable. Plant materials shall display the appearance of normal health and vigor. The Engineer shall perform an inspection at the time of planting. Plants rejected by the Engineer at this inspection shall not be planted. 656.0 5 PROTECTIO N AND TEMPORAR Y STORAGE . The Contractor shall keep all plant material moist and protected from drying out. Temporary storage shall be limited to 45 calen dar day s from the time of delivery. Plants shall be protected when in transit, in temporary storage, and on the project site awaiting planting. The Contractor shall exercise the utmost care in loading, unloading, and handling of plants to prevent injuries to the branches or to the roots of the plants. The solidity of balled and burlapped plants shall be carefully preserved. 6-231 Plants which are not scheduled for planting within 48 hours shall be kept in a moist condition and protected adequately by coverin g the roots with topsoil, wood chips, or other suitable material until removed for planting. Failure to manage the storage of plant material as specified herein may be cause for rejection. 656.0 6 LAYOUT . Plant material locations and bed outlines shall be staked by the Contractor and approved by the Engineer. 656.0 7 EXCAVATION . Prior to performing excavation for plant pits and beds, the area shall conf orm to the lines and grades shown on the Plans. All sod, weeds, roots, and other objectionable material unsuitable for backfill shall be removed from the site and disposed of by the Contractor in a manner satisfactory to the Engineer. Bare root, non -contai nerized seedlings, or transplants may be planted in the existing soil. The size of planting pits shall be as shown in the Contract . The Contractor shall restore all areas disturbed by the planting operations at no cost to the Agency . 656.0 8 SETTIN G PLANTS . Plants shall be set at the locations shown on the Plans and in accordance with the Contract . All plants shall be moved with the root ball intact, using mechanical methods if needed. If the root ball has been badly cracked or broken, the plant shall be re jected for use.
a.Watering . All plant material shall be watered thoroughly at planting . Unless otherwise specified, the minimum number of waterings during the establishment period shall be twice weekly. At each watering, the soil around the plant shall be thoroughly saturated . The time interval between waterings may be increased or decreased by the Engineer to maintain adequate moisture levels. Trees shall receive a minimum of 10 gallons at each watering, shrubs a minimum of 5 gallons and vines and plants a minimum of 3 gallons. Natural rainfall will not be considered watering unless otherwise approved by the Engineer. Tree watering bags may be u sed at the discretion of the Contractor. The installation and maintenance of the bags shall be in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. The bags shall be removed by the Contractor after fi nal inspection . Replacement of watering bags during the establishment period shall be the responsibility of the Contractor. The Contractor shall provide to the Engineer a weekly log to account for the frequency and amount of watering during the establishme nt period. When natural rainfall replaces a watering it shall be noted in the log as measured on site or as measured by the National Weather Service. 6-232 (b) Pruning . All broken, injured, or damaged branches shall be pruned before or immediately after planting in accordance with the VTrans Technical Landscape Manual .
c.Mulching . Bark mulch material shall be applied as detailed in the Contract. Wood chip mulch shall not be used. The same type of material shall be used in all areas to provide visual uniformity.
d.Antidesiccant Spray . The use of antidesiccant spray shall be at the discretion of the Contractor. The antidesiccant spray used shall be approved by the Engi neer. Antidesiccant spray shall be applied per the manufacturer’s recommendations unless otherwise specified in the Contract.
e.Fertilizer and Mycorrhizal Fungi . The use of fertilizer and mycorrhizal fungi shall be at the discretion of the Contractor. F ertilizer and mycorrhizal fungi shall be applied per the manufacturer’s recommendations unless otherwise specified in the Contract .
f.Rodent Guards . Rodent guards may be used at the Contractor’s discretion. The Engineer shall approve the type of rodent guard . If used, rodent guards shall be removed prior to acceptance of the project . 656.0 9 ESTABLISHMEN T AND MAINTENANCE . The Contractor shall actively maintain the plants after planting. All mulched areas shall be kept weeded, neat, and maintained to the original layout lines. Saucers shall be maintained in accordance with the Contract until acceptance. If the Contractor feels that spraying of the plant material s and mulched areas is necessary to prevent damage from insects or plant diseases, the material , application rate, number of applications, and any other data pertinent to the spraying shall be submitted to the Engineer for approval. The submittal shall also include a letter from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture , Food , and Markets approving th e spraying. Approximately four to six months following planting, the Engineer and Contractor shall inspect the plantings . Any dead, dying, or damaged plantings shall be replaced by the Contractor . Any replacement plantings shall be completed no more than 30 calendar day s after inspection or as directed by the Engineer. This cycle shall continue until a 90% survival rate has been achieved to the satisfaction of the Engineer. For live stakes and tubelings, following the initial inspection period, if the survival rate is less than 50%, the Contractor shall replace dead, dying, or damaged plantings in sufficient quantities to achieve 50% overall survival at the time of completion and acceptance of the project. 6-233 656.1 0 TRANSPLANTING . Transplanting shall be done in accordance with the requirements of Subsection 656.08 or as ordered by the Engineer. Transplanted plant material s shall be maintained during establishment in accordance with the requirements of Subsection 656.09 , except that on project s where o nly transplanting of existing plant material s is performed, the establishment period shall end on the Contract acceptance date. 656.1 1 TREE PROTECTION . The purpose of this item is to prevent damage to branches, stems, and root systems of existing individual trees to remain, and to ensure their survival . Provisions under this item include steps to minimize soil and root disturbance and to construct prote ction measures for trees close to construction area s. Prior to any earth disturbance, t he Contractor shall install barrier fence to the drip line of existing trees or shrubs marked either “ save” or “ protect” or shown with a tree protection zone (TPZ) on th e Plans . For trees with small, suppressed, or asymmetric crowns; or leaning trunks; or those with irregular rooting areas, the tree protection zone may be calculated from the trunk diameter in accordance with ANSI A300 standards, or as directed by the Engi neer. Barrier fence shall not be removed until the final project inspection. There shall be no activity within the TPZ or the drip line of the tree except watering or installation of erosion prevention or sediment control measures where required . Only hand digging will be allowed within the TPZ when necessary. Manually spread w ood chip mulch with a depth of 6 inch es to 12 inc hes shall be used in accordance with ANSI A300 standards for temporary tree protection when work must occur within the TPZ during construction. The Contractor shall a void making root cuts during hot, dry weather . All tree protection shall be performed in accordance with the VTrans Technical Landscape Manual . The Engineer shall approve proposed tree protection methods and the schedule of work . The following protection procedure shall apply when excavation is to be performed near trees or shrubs labeled “ save” or “ protect” or shown with a TPZ on the Plan s:
a.Care shall be taken to avoid breaking tree limbs and branches with construction equipment . Prior to construction, tree limbs of trees identified for protection and any other trees identified by the Engineer shall be pruned in accordance with the req uirements of Subsection 656.08(b) .
b.Roots encountered during excavation work near a TPZ area shall be cleanly cut with no tearing of roots . Exposed tree roots shall be protected by a double layer of dampened burlap at all times until they can be covered with soil, at which time the dampened burlap shall be removed.
c.Following excavation and during the construction season , water shall be provided to impacted trees at a minimum of 2 -1/2 gallons per week per 1 inch caliper or as directed by the Engineer . The Contractor shall provide a log to document watering and natural rainfall to the Engineer. 6-234 If a tree is damaged due to the Contractor’s negligence and the damage is determined to be non -repairable by the Engineer, the Contractor shall replace it at no additional cost to the Agency with a tree of equal value, or submit an alternative mitigation plan for review and acceptance by the Engineer. The value of the tree shall be determined by an arborist who has been certified by the International Society of Arboriculture. Replacement plantings shall be installed as specified herein. 656.1 2 METHO D OF MEASUREMENT . The quantity of Live Fascines to be measured for payment will be the number of linear feet used in the complete and accepted work. The quantity of Live Stakes; Tubelings; Evergreen Trees, Small; Evergreen Trees, Medium; Evergreen Trees, Large; Evergreen Shrubs; Deciduous Trees, Small; Deciduous Trees, Medium; Deciduous Trees, Large; Deciduous Shrubs; Ground Covers and Vines; Perennials; Transplanting Trees; and Transplanting Shrubs, to be measured for payment will be the number of each of the specified types and sizes furnished and planted or transplanted in the complete and accepted work. Only living plants in healthy condition at the completion of the establishment and maintenance period, as defined in Subsection 656.09 , will be accepted. The quantity of Transplanting Ground Cover to be measured for payment will be the number of square yards of the specified types and sizes transplanted in the complete and accepted work. Only living plants in healthy condition at the completion of establishment and maintenance period, as defined in Subsection
656.09 , will be accepted.
The quantity of Landscape Watering to be measured for payment will be the number of thousand gallons (MGAL) of water used in the complete and accepted work . The Contractor shall provide a written log meeting the approv al of the Engineer for measuring the quantity of water applied. The quantity of Landscape Backfill, Truck Measurement to be measured for payment will be the number of cubic yards used in the complete and accepted work , as determined by vehicle loads using three - dimensional measurement. All loads designated shall be leveled at the point of delivery when directed by the Engineer. A load ticket shall be furnished to the Engineer with each load delivered to the job site. The quantity of Tree Protection to be me asured for payment will be on a lump sum basis for the complete and accepted work . 656.1 3 BASIS OF PAYMENT . The accepted quantity of Live Fascines will be paid for at the Contract unit price per linear foot. The accepted quantity of Live Stakes; Tubelings; Evergreen Trees, Small; Evergreen Trees, Medium; Evergreen Trees, Large; Evergreen Shrubs; Deciduous Trees, Small; Deciduous Trees, Medium; Deciduous Trees, Large; Deciduous Shrubs; Ground Covers and Vines; Perennials; Transplanting Trees; and Transplanting Shrubs will be paid for at the Contract unit price for each for the specified types, sizes, and kinds. 6-235 The accepted quantity of Transplanting Ground Cover will be paid for at the Contract unit price per square yard. All seedlings, trees, shrubs, ground covers and vines, and perennials that have died, failed to grow, or otherwise have proven unsatisfactory to the Engineer during the establishment period shall be replaced with healthy stock of the same type or approved substitute at the Contractor’s expense. Payment for these items will be full compensation for testing, furnishing, transporting, handling, and placing plants, fertilizer, mycorrhizal fungi, mulch, wire rodent guards, and all incidental materia ls; for excavation, pruning, guying , staking, mulching, water basin formation, cleanup, restoration, and plant maintenance establishment work and care, including replacement ; and for furnishing all labor, tools, equipment, and incidentals necessary to comp lete the work. Weed separator fabric, water bags, or any other item necessary to complete the work will be considered incidental to the appropriate Contract items. Partial p ayment s for these items will be made as follows:
a.The initial 80% of the Contra ct unit price will be paid after the initial planting.
b.The remaining 20% of the Contract unit price will be paid upon completion of the establishment and maintenance period, as defined in Subsection 656.09 . The accepted quantity of Landscape Watering will be paid for at the Contract unit price per thousand gallons (MGAL) . When the Landscape Watering item is not specified as a separate pay item in the Contract, water applied during the plant establishment peri od will not be paid for directly but will be considered incidental to the other Section 656 items in the Contract . Water bags, when specified in the Contract, will not be paid for directly but will be considered incidental to Landscape Watering. The accept ed quantity of Landscape Backfill, Truck Measurement will be paid for at the Contract unit price per cubic yard. Payment will be full compensation for furnishing, mixing, testing, transporting, and placing the material specified and for furnishing all labo r, tools, equipment , and incidentals necessary to complete the work . The accepted quantity of Tree Protection will be paid for at the Contract lump sum price. Payment will be full compensation for all tree protection measures including barrier fence, branc h and root pruning, watering, and all incidentals necessary to complete the work . The project will not be accepted until all dead, dying, or poorly -growing plants have been replaced to the satisfaction of the Engineer. 6-236 Payment will be made under: Pay Item Pay Unit 656.1000 Live Fascines ................................ ................................ ................................ ... Linear Foot 656.1100 Live Stakes ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... Each 656.1200 Tubelings ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... Each
656.20 01 Evergreen Trees , Small ................................ ................................ ............. Each
656.2002 Evergreen Trees, Medium ................................ ................................ ......... Each 656.2003 Evergreen Trees, Large ................................ ................................ ............. Each
656.25 00 Evergreen Shrubs ................................ ................................ ...................... Each
656.30 01 Deciduous Trees , Small ................................ ................................ ............ Each
656.3002 Deciduous Trees, Medium ................................ ................................ ........ Each 656.3003 Deciduous Trees, Large ................................ ................................ ............ Each
656.35 00 Deciduous Shrubs ................................ ................................ ..................... Each
656.40 00 Ground Covers and Vines ................................ ................................ ......... Each
656.41 00 Perennials ................................ ................................ ................................ ..Each
656.45 00 Transplanting Trees ................................ ................................ .................. Each
656.50 00 Transplanting Shrubs ................................ ................................ ................ Each
656.55 00 Transplanting Ground Cover ................................ ................................ ....Square Yard
656.65 00 Landscape Watering ................................ ................................ .................. MGAL
656.80 00 Landscape Backfill, Truck Measurement ................................ ................. Cubic Yard
656.85 00 Tree Protection ................................ ................................ .......................... Lump Sum
6-237 SECTION 662 – RAILROAD TRACK CONSTRUCTION
662.01 DESCRIPTION . This work shall consist of constructing new ballasted track with jointed or
continuous welded rail (CWR); removing and replacing rail; removing and resetting track; removing and replacing ties; raising, aligning, and surfacing track; removing track; instal ling other track material ( OTM ) such as tie plates, anchors, and spikes as required; and de -stressing rail as required in accordance with the CWR program of the Operating Railroad.
662.02 MATERIALS . Materials shall meet the requirements of the following s ubsections:
Aggregate for Railroad Ballast ................................ ................................ .................. 704.03 Railroad Ties ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 709.04 Rail ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................. 715.0 6 Other Track Material (OTM) ................................ ................................ ..................... 715.0 8
662.03 Submittals .
a.Pre-Construction Submittals . The following information shall be prepared and submitted for review and approval by the Engineer . Submittals shall meet the requirements of Subsection 105.0 6.
1.Schedule of Materials . A complete schedule of the materials proposed for installation and the source of the material. Information to be provided on rail shall include the rail weight, rail section, rail wear, drilling pattern, typical rail length, date rolled, and the name of the mill where the rail was rolled.
2.Ballast . Source for ballast and gradation analysis of a sample from the ballast source.
3.Relay Rail Source . The source and classification of relay rail per AREMA Chapter 4, Section 3.12 .
4.Relay Rail Tests . Test results for relay rail as specified in Subsection 715.0 6(b)(3) .
5.Ties. Name and address of the facility proposed for disposal of wood ties.
6.Tie Plug Material . Type of tie plug material.
7.Certificate of Compliance . A manufacturer’s certificate of compliance for all materials that are incorporated into the work.
8.Rail Expansion Plan . Plan for rail expansion work inducing the proposed method of rail vibration and the type of mechanical vibratory equipment to be used.
Source: Vermont Standard Specifications for Construction, 2024 Edition. Pages 1003–1010 of 1,380.