Showing posts with label General Contracting. Show all posts
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General Contracting
New Energy Innovation Center
"Turning an existing 1960 supermarket building into a LEED platinum building is no easy task. But that's exactly what San Diego-based ARCHITECTS hannah gabriel wells did with the new Energy Innovation Center in San Diego that was completed in January 2012."
Big Push to Staff Shale-Gas Projects
"Project boom drives solutions to shortfalls in craft, tech and management jobs."
Despite Challenges, Region Poised For Growth
"Renewed global demand for U.S. products should help rev the engines in the manufacturing-rich Midwest."
Year after federal lawsuit, Vigo County Jail overcrowding problem persists
"The census reports look good, but we need to find out about the overcrowded units and recreation time for the inmates," Falk
Click HERE to read the full article
Click HERE to read the full article
Fire Preparedness
This article reminds me of when I was in school. It's an interesting perspective on a big picture issue.
-Mark
-Mark
Preconstruction Budget Risks for Local Government Projects (3 of 3)
Part Three: Human Error and the Unknown
On any local government construction project, human beings
design and build every aspect and every human is fallible. Anyone who says they can build a perfect job
on a school or jail or courthouse is lying.
After decades in the business, Shireman Construction has
built up a list of “lessons learned” that we use as a checklist to eliminate
errors. We catch numerous design errors and poor choices and save
the owner money on every job we work as a construction manager.
In fact, most of the cost savings are wrung out of the job
in the design stages –see the graph above. That’s why it’s critical to get a CM
on board as early as possible to team closely with the Architect and bring a
fresh set of eyes to a project.
But try as we might, there is no way to eliminate all
unforeseen costs on a construction projects. The “unknown” is a big risk, and on new construction you might uncover rock, sinkholes, or
old buried fuel tanks that the geotechnical report couldn’t catch.
On renovations you might uncover previously unknown
asbestos, pests, structural problems, lead paint, poor foundations, etc. that
were undiscovered despite thorough investigations by the design team.
Then there’s human error. The architects and engineers make tens of thousands of
decisions and product choices, and all of them won’t be perfect. A team of low-bid contractors will go out and dig a hole in
the ground and build a multi-million dollar facility from scratch.
So knowing that we’re all human and some mistakes and
unforeseen challenges will emerge, Shireman uses a unique “built-in contingency”
system to plan ahead.
Within each low bid contract will be contingency funds to be
used when unforeseen difficulties emerge, with the approval of Shireman, the
architect and owner.
What make this so great? Because we have planned ahead
together, and the funds can be expended and issues promptly fixed in the field.
For government officials, this also means that instead of
going over numerous “change orders” and annoying the general public in open
meetings, these issues can be planned for and adjusted immediately in the
field. Imagine monthly public meetings where instead of approving
every tweak and minor change order request while the project is held up, you
can truthfully report to the satisfied taxpaying public that the project
remains under budget.
By planning ahead for the unknown and human errors on local
government construction the project budget will be saved and the public will be
happy.
Thanks for reading our
three-part series on preconstruction budget risks.
Let us help you avoid
budget pitfalls.
For more tips and tricks on local government construction and
real life examples – s
Concrete Repair: Taking the First Steps
Concrete repair is much more than "Let's jump in and do a patch." Interesting article here:
-Mark
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-Mark
Preconstruction Budget Risks for Local Government Projects (2 of 3)
Part Two: Single Source Specifications
The second way Shireman Construction sometimes serves as the
“bad guy” in the preconstruction design meetings on local government projects to
save your project budget is fighting single-source specifications. Your
architect will put together (with our help and advice) a list of every product
in the building, usually the size of two to three large phone books. This is
called the “Spec Book” and is part of the bidding documents.
ART: Single Source Specifications
– Pictures of Shireman spec books
Usually the architect will specify materials with multiple
manufacturers and suppliers. But occasionally the design team or the local
government staff in love with a certain product will list a product with only
one supplier.
Unfortunately, the supplier can also read that they are the
only source allowed for that product and will sometimes take advantage and double
or triple their price. On large components, like detention equipment for jails,
major heating and cooling system components, generators, controls, etc., this
could blow up your entire budget.
So we read every word in those books with our team of
specialty subcontractors before they go out to public bid. We work to find ways
to list multiple suppliers and alternative products to keep everyone honest.
Also, if there is a product later that the Owner’s team or
architect must have, we can use alternates to keep all the pricing honest. By
fighting single-source specifications with alternates we can get it substituted
at a lot lower price level later than just listing it alone.
Let us help you avoid
scope creep and other budget pitfalls. For more tips and tricks on local
government construction and real life examples – see our website at
Check back next week (August 26) for part three of this series.
Insulation: Going Green
Many gurus believe that building efficiency can be boiled down to proper use of efficient insulation. This article talks more about proper energy-efficient insulation.
- Mark
Preconstruction Budget Risks for Local Government Projects (1 of 3)
Part One: Scope
Creep
There are a few common problems we often encounter and
battle during the preconstruction process performing construction management in
the Louisville, KY and the Southern Indiana region.
Let’s talk about a major problem that has busted probably the most budgets across the country for school boards, county governments and all local leadership. The biggest challenge of keeping any construction project on budget is managing “Scope Creep.” Scope creep occurs when well-meaning architects and designers and the local government staff get carried away in the “visionary” stages and design process. Quickly the building begins to increase in square footage and cost as everyone’s wish list is fulfilled after years of working in what was oftentimes an older, small, inadequate space.
Let’s talk about a major problem that has busted probably the most budgets across the country for school boards, county governments and all local leadership. The biggest challenge of keeping any construction project on budget is managing “Scope Creep.” Scope creep occurs when well-meaning architects and designers and the local government staff get carried away in the “visionary” stages and design process. Quickly the building begins to increase in square footage and cost as everyone’s wish list is fulfilled after years of working in what was oftentimes an older, small, inadequate space.
But local government projects like schools, jails and
courthouses have a budget for a reason – usually it is all the community can
afford or all the tax revenue stream available.
It’s pretty understandable as architects have been taught
and trained to give the client exactly what they want from about the first day
in architecture school. Unfortunately in the architecture profession often the designer
that came up with the preliminary budget is different than the designer drawing
the plans. Often times Shireman will have to be the “bad guy” in
meetings with the architect or even save the local government staffers with big
dreams - from themselves.
Shireman will help control scope creep by being the
government’s voice in all design meetings, reminding the design team about cost
issues and using our latest in house real construction costs to keep the budget
on track. Value engineering of the design is also critical. We
constantly review and update the project budget and propose alternative ways to
achieve everyone’s goals. Managing scope creep keeps everyone on the right track and
leads a project to a financial success.
For more tips and tricks
on local government construction and real life examples – see our website at
ShiremanConstruction.com
Check back next Tuesday (August 19th) for part two of the series.
Landscape Design Can Save You Money
Therefore, if your site and initial budget allow the introduction of the these concepts, incorporate into your design – you’ll be a step closer to better building efficiency.
- The best daylighting and passive solar gain is achieved when
your building faces southeast, southwest, or south.
- Bodies of water and special landscaping can help moderate air
temperatures.
- The shade of deciduous trees can help cool your building in
summer.
- Well drained sites can help protect your building’s materials
- Specially designed wind breaks can protect your building during
cold winter winds.
