|
|
News Releases & Articles |
UTILIZING A CONSTRUCTION MANAGER FOR PRE-CONSTRUCTION
SERVICES IS A PROACTIVE AND PROGRESSIVE APPROACH
TO ANY CONSTRUCTION PROJECT
BY: GARY COOPERSMITH, VICE PRESIDENT
SWEETWATER CONSTRUCTION CORP.
The construction manager’s role is changing. Clients and architects are using pre-construction services more than ever before. If brought in at the right point of the design, the construction manager, in concert with the design team, can dramatically affect the eventual cost and schedule of a project.
Traditionally, the design-bid-build approach involves hiring an architect and engineer who design a space before bidding it. It typically results in the client accepting the lowest bid in order to build the project. Unfortunately, this is not always the most effective approach because, while virtually all owners have strong cost and schedule priorities, cost and schedule considerations are not addressed in an organized fashion during the design phase.
In the preconstruction phase, a construction manager, as part of the design team from the very beginning, is proactively able to survey the facility and review the basis of design provided by the architect and engineer. With this information, the CM provides a preliminary budget based on their expertise regarding similar projects and on project assumptions agreed upon by the team. Included in this preliminary budget are any unusual circumstances that would impact cost, such as unexpected structural or site-work repairs, viability of the re-use of existing electrical or HVAC systems and, if necessary, remediation of this equipment. This is helpful because the client can determine early on, before the design progresses too far, if the conceptual design can be built with the available funds.
If the preliminary budget indicates that the project will cost more than the client wants to spend, the CM will work with the designers to reduce the anticipated project cost through value-engineering (VE). Value engineering is when the construction manager and design team agree on recommendations to help reduce the lifecycle or first costs of a project without changing the design intent, in order to get the same business experience from the space.
Value engineering-affected costs are typically reduced behind the scenes in areas that don’t materially affect the usability of the space. One option is to choose less expensive equipment and materials that may have a higher maintenance cost later in order to save on the initial construction cost. There are several areas that can be explored for value engineering, including: equipment manufacturers, utility distribution systems, structural and building envelope systems, and generic versus brand name equipment. Optional finishes are also offered to the client that may modify the ultimate user experience of the space in exchange for cost savings. The bottom line is that it is these types of VE trade-offs that are made in the pre-construction process that can help make the project a reality.
An often underappreciated benefit of the budgeting-value engineering process is the potential for the analysis to indicate that the project will cost less than the client’s approved funds. In this case, the original concept may have already incorporated frugality that is not ideal. The client can choose to maintain the savings or take the opportunity to incorporate more “wants” into the design, such as upgraded finishes, more utilities, higher end infrastructure equipment, and etc.
As the project progresses through design, the CM will update the budget at defined intervals, such as the completion of design development and during defined progressions of detailed design. These updates will become more and more accurate as the amount of design information increases. Importantly, these updates help the team keep the project cost on track by making design adjustments as necessary.
Site evaluation and constructability is yet another service a construction manager can provide during the preconstruction process. While the architect and designer are looking at the space in order to design it, the construction manager is looking for pitfalls that will affect cost and schedule during the construction phase.
Schedule optimization is a significant benefit of the pre-construction phase. The Construction Manager develops a master schedule that incorporates all of the project activities including design, permitting, bidding, construction, move-in, and closeout. This analysis helps the team determine how to handle critical path activities so as to optimize the schedule. Identification of long lead items early on helps the design team focus on completing the packages by the target date in the master schedule. For example, steel is often a long lead item for new buildings. The structural engineer can release an early steel design package for ordering so that the steel can be delivered within the required date on the schedule. Another example is site-work, which can often commence upon Planning Board approval and before building permit approval. The CM can start a lengthy site-work construction process while the detailed building design is being completed and submitted to the township for approval.
Preconstruction services are helpful to everyone involved in a project because there is almost always a payback associated with a construction project. The client is usually relying on the project being built in a particular timeframe in order to generate revenue and maintain their business. If there is a delay on a project, it almost always equates to the client losing out on work, revenue and/or the betterment of their enterprise. Additionally, the construction manager is usually welcomed to the team by the design professionals because they can proceed more confidently in designing the space, knowing that their design has a higher likelihood of being constructed successfully.
|
|
|
|
7-1-08
RONALD WITT, SR. RESUMES ROLE AS PRESIDENT FOR SWEETWATER CONSTRUCTION CORP.
Click here to view press release.
6-18-08
Gary Coopersmith, Vice President of Marketing at Sweetwater, was published in Real Estate Weekly with his article on how “Construction Managers Can Add a Proactive Approach”.
Read more
6-15-08
SWEETWATER CONSTRUCTION CORP. ADDS THREE NEW SURGICAL CENTERS TO ITS PORTFOLIO.
Click here to view press release.
6-1-08
Sweetwater’s Environmental Health & Safety program was highlighted again in the New Jersey & Company article called “Up-To-Date Safety”, in June 2008.
Read more
5-17-08
Sweetwater Construction Corp. received a 2008 New Jersey Historic Preservation Award for the American Standard/American Metro Center office complex in Hamilton, NJ, for its role as Construction Manager.
Read more
Read Archive
|
|
|
