Construction, Engineering & Inspection (CEI)

A project is only as good as the work that gets built from the plans. TLM’s construction engineering and inspection team is on-site to confirm that what’s installed matches what was designed, meeting the approved plans, specifications, and the state and federal standards that govern publicly funded work.

Acting as the owner’s representative, our certified inspectors document every phase of construction, test materials in the field, verify quantities, and flag issues while they’re still inexpensive to fix. TLM has served the Tennessee Department of Transportation since the 1980s, with more than 80 TDOT projects completed or under construction, and we are prequalified by TDOT at the unlimited level. For the municipalities, agencies, and developers we serve across West and Middle Tennessee, that track record means fewer surprises, a defensible project record, and infrastructure that performs the way it was designed to.

When TLM serves as your CEI provider, we represent your interests on the project every day. We confirm the work conforms to the contract documents, keep the owner informed, and make sure field decisions are documented and hold up to later review.

Many of our clients bring us in to augment their own staff on a single project, or to provide consistent oversight where their internal capacity is stretched. Whether the assignment is a multi-phase roadway contract or a focused inspection role, we work to protect the owner’s investment and keep the project moving. As one measure of that discipline, TLM managed construction of the City of Lexington’s Phase II Multimodal project to completion at less than 1% over the bid amount.

Problems are cheapest to solve before a shovel hits the ground. We attend pre-construction meetings, review plans, specifications, and shop drawings and submittals for completeness and constructability, and establish clear lines of communication among the owner, contractor, and design team so everyone starts aligned on expectations, sequencing, and responsibilities.

During construction, our inspectors provide daily on-site observation, comparing the work in progress against the approved plans and specifications. We test and verify materials, measure and record construction quantities for contractor payment, conduct erosion-prevention and sediment-control (EPSC) inspections, perform traffic-control inspections, coordinate utilities, and maintain the daily logs and documentation that TDOT’s Local Programs process requires. We identify issues early and resolve them before they compound, keeping steady communication with the owner, contractor, and stakeholders to manage the schedule and budget.

A proactive project produces a clean closeout. As construction nears completion, we conduct walk-throughs, develop punch lists, and track them to resolution. We then assemble the final quantities, documentation, and TDOT reimbursable paperwork the owner needs to formally close out the project and support long-term operation and maintenance.

TLM’s inspectors hold the TDOT technician certifications that let them test and accept work in the field, including TDOT Roadway/Hot-Mix Asphalt, Soils & Aggregate, and Class I Concrete technician certifications, plus TDEC Level I EPSC and OSHA construction-safety credentials. Multiple team members have completed TDOT’s Local Programs CEI training. As a result, most quality verification happens with our own staff, on-site.

On every assignment, our work centers on a few non-negotiables:

• Conformance to plans and specifications. We confirm the constructed work matches the approved design and contract documents.
• Materials testing and acceptance. We field test subgrade, base, and asphalt density, perform concrete testing, and review submittals and certifications to confirm approved materials are used and installed correctly.
• Quantities and documentation. We verify and record construction quantities for contractor payment and maintain daily project diaries that protect the owner if questions arise later.
• Code and regulatory compliance. We monitor compliance with applicable codes and the federal, state, and local standards that govern the work, including ADA upgrades, Title VI, EPSC, and certified-payroll review.
• Safety and the traveling public. We conduct traffic-control inspections and uphold work-zone safety throughout construction.

TLM’s CEI experience spans the same work our civil team designs, so our inspectors understand what they’re looking at. With 53 Transportation Alternatives projects and 29 Multimodal projects to our name, our team knows TDOT’s Locally Managed Project process and the people who run it.

• Roadway widening and reconstruction. Dr. F.E. Wright Drive (Jackson), State Route 104 (Gibson County), State Route 20, Hwy 223 Access Road (Jackson), and Skyline Drive (Jackson).
• Intersections and signalization. The North Highland Avenue (Jonas Kisber Jr. Memorial) Roundabout in Jackson and the Volunteer Boulevard signal and intersection improvements in Paris.
• Multimodal, sidewalks, and downtown enhancements. The multi-phase Martin Downtown Enhancement program (now in Phase VII), Lexington’s Phase II Multimodal project, and University Street Lighting in Martin.
• Utilities. Waterline and sewer rehabilitation projects across West Tennessee, including pipe-bursting and collection-system work.