Archive for July 2014
View Point: Young Workplace Professionals
Here are some thoughts from the next generation of construction managers.
- Mark
.jpg)
Tag :
General Info
HVAC Fundamentals
If the budget and working conditions will allow, try and
follow these basic principles:
 |
| Washington County Jail |
- The building’s exterior boundary is the area that encloses the
conditioned space. Unheated areas such as exterior walls, storage areas,
and garages lie outside the conditioned space. HVAC equipment and ductwork
should not be located outside the conditioned space.
- Normally you do not want ductwork in the soil under floor slabs
due to the possibility of condensation or flooding.
- It is really important to get enough insulation around ductwork
that is operating in unconditioned spaces. This risks the invasion of
water vapor into the ductwork. This affects the efficiency of the HVAC
system and can cause other challenges in maintenance.
- Care must be taken to get all HVAC systems in a leak-free design
no matter where they are located. This can improve your HVAC efficiency by
over 20%.
- HVAC works best when air returns are 100% ducted. Chases must be
designed in the building with adequate room for the HVAC contractors’ use.
- Locating your HVAC equipment and ductwork in adequate chases allows
maintenance easier access for service work and for future upgrading as
technology changes.
Your experienced General
Contractor or Construction Manager can add quality assurance to this process by
expediting the testing firm to:
- Test the building exterior and ductwork for leakage.
- Test the air pressures.
- Test the ventilation of all combustible equipment that relates
to the building.
We've Got Your Back
We focus much of our energy on basic jobsite safety. Here's an interesting article about injuries that can occur over a long period of time.
- Mark
- Mark
Tag :
General Info
Sharing Our Checklist
The team assembled to deliver a building project has numerous members
being led by the Owner, Architect and Construction Manager.
Owner’s (Client’s) Checklist: very basic items required might include:
- Program goals, objective constraints and special systems
- Overall budget
- Schedule goals
- Identification of their most-favored consultants and vendors.
- As-Built drawings of existing facility showing changes that occurred during construction
- Copies of historical test reports
- Identification of work scope the owner wishes to self-perform or perform with firms outside the normal teams
- …and so forth
Contractor’s (or CM’s) Checklist: very basic items might include:
- Reviewing and evaluating all the owner supplied documents listed previously.
- Constructability reviews
- Availability of materials and labor
- Phasing
- Quality control procedures
- Alternative materials
- Evaluation of budget and schedule
- Cost saving recommendations
- Long lead time items
- Coordination work, administration meeting procedures
- Shop drawings, data, samples
- Budget monitoring & payment procedures
- Information flow
- Protection of finished items
- Permits, utility companies, temporary facilities
- Punch list
- Substantial completion strategies
- Final testing, start up, training, closeout, warranties, as build drawings
- … and so forth
Architect’s Checklist: very basic items might include:
- Reviewing and evaluating the owner’s supplied needs listed previously
- Coordination with all design consultants including civil, structural, interiors, equipment, conveying, mechanical and electrical whether they be in-house or not
- Geotechnical review
- Real estate reviews such as deed restrictions, utility coordination, surveys, zoning, etc.
- Reconcile design program with owner’s budget.
- Verify building functions, spaces, equipment, etc.
- Future growth availability.
- Public agency checklists
- Building permit requirements and all approvals to build
- Coordination with all consultants including the construction manager
- Periodic review with owner and project team members
- Quality control, budget and schedule reviews and verification
- Owner’s written authorization to proceed.
- … and so forth.
As project team members, let’s share our checklists. Let’s help each other and look for gaps and
overlaps. Let’s brainstorm, add to the lists and help one another make this the
best project ever! It’s all about communication.
 |
| For the OCD |
Building Systems and the People Priority
A
building is a system. Within that system are people, the highest priority in
all decisions surrounding the design and construction of that building. The 3
legs of the system are:
1)
people
2)
environment
3)
building
Again, the needs of the people (building
occupants and visitors) and the natural environment must take precedence over
the exterior environment and precedence over the building aesthetics. To
satisfy the “people” priorities, we must consider clean water, fire safety,
structural strength, air quality, HVAC comfort, lighting, and humidity control.
Additionally,
the designer and contractors must provide a building that the people can afford
to operate, maintain and pay for.
Protecting
the people’s interest requires a building that retards the deterioration of the
building’s materials and operating systems. The building must be adaptable so
it can be renewed, renovated or repurposed in future years.
People’s
interests are also served when the building project is designed to reduce soil
erosion and proper handling of occupant water and sewage. Building contractors
with decades of experience and an understanding of these priorities have the
best chance of satisfying the owner’s goals.
Washington County Jail Addition Nearing Completion
 |
| New Cell Block - Washington County Jail |
Our jail addition construction project in Salem, Indiana is nearing completion.
The $9.3M addition and renovation added 204 beds to the existing jail. Washington County was under court order to expand the jail because of overcrowding.
Shireman is performing construction management for Washington County. The project is currently under budget and ahead of schedule.
Next month the jail staff will begin to get trained on all the new equipment, which features state-of-art electronic monitoring, a new kitchen and laundry. The old jail portion may eventually be converted into work-release and community corrections space.
Check out our Facebook photo album for more pictures.
Tag :
Project Update
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.
