Potential Cost and Schedule Impact of Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission's Proposed Rule Restricting the Use of Construction Equipment (0-4190-3)

This report summarizes findings on the cost and schedule impacts anticipated from a proposed rule on construction equipment operating restrictions as a revision to the State Implementation Plan (SIP) by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC). These restrictions have been proposed for the Houston-Galveston (HG) and Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) ozone non-attainment areas. The proposed rule establishes a restriction on the use of heavy-duty diesel construction equipment morning hours (6:00 AM to 10:00 Am for the DFW area and 6:00 Am to noon for the HG area) starting in April 2005. Heavy-duty diesel construction equipment includes off-road equipment rated above 50 horsepower.|The research team surveyed contractors and Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) personnel to determine potential cost and schedule impacts on TxDOT sponsored construction projects in the ozone non-attanment areas. Results from the survey indicate, that on average, the overall cost impact could be 16 percent and the schedule impact could be 14 percent during the imposed restriction period.