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Technical Report #1 | Construction Project Management

The PSU Abington Student Apartment project, 138,000 Square Feet and totaling over $50 Million, is a critical project for the commonwealth campus of Penn State Abington. A project requiring approval from the Penn State Board of Trustees, this project fits into Penn State’s master plan in taking the University into the future by providing a comfortable and exciting living option for the students of Penn State Abington.


In this report, more background information is given on the project and project owner, Penn State. Turner Construction Company is the General Contractor for the project and this report goes into more detail in how the project is being delivered by the different parties involved. Cost evaluations have been conducted and analyzed in addition to studying the project schedule. 


The report concludes with a summary of the different systems of the project and how they play a role in achieving the goals of the project. An appendix section has also been added for this report that is referenced periodically throughout the report.

Technical Report #2 | Production Analysis

Technical Report 2: Cost & Schedule Analysis features a detailed study of the PSU Abington Student Apartment structural system’s means and methods, cost, schedule, and site logistics. It is then followed up by a critical analysis and also features a phone interview with the project’s Lead Superintendent from Turner Construction Company.


The structural system for the project features a masonry block and precast concrete plank assembly system. The means and methods by which the system was erected included splitting the building into two wings and consequently conducting work simultaneously. In other words, once masonry walls were being erected, planks would be placed on the next level while the other wing would simultaneously erect masonry walls.


The actual cost for this system was $3,073,963.07. Conducting a detailed cost estimate using the software Timberline resulted in a very similar cost at $3,293,166.00. This was more consistent with the actual cost then Technical Report 1’s square foot estimate. This was a direct result of the Timberline software database including items for takeoff more relevant to the actual structural system than that of the RS Means database used to conduct the square foot estimate.


As mentioned above, the means and methods used to complete the structural system lead to a very streamlined, steady, and efficient project schedule that lead to Turner completing the structural system ahead of time.


The site logistics plans for the project were based upon the current activities on site and items such as utilizing a mobile crane for erection and placing site fences on both ends of the site facilitated improved site logistics and construction efficiency.


In analysis, the production and logistics for this project were executed well by Turner and its subcontractors. Some recommendations include adding more site gates to the project and increasing the amount of areas for contractor staging and material placement.


The phone call carried out with Turner’s project lead superintendent was very informative and helpful in understanding the means and methods in addition to the challenges of completing the structural system for this project. The biggest challenge as noted by the superintendent was meeting the specifications set forth by Penn State of having no exposed conduit in the building. This was a challenge in particular for this project because walls were masonry walls and required increased coordination with electricians another MEP subcontractors to carry out the specified work.

Technical Report #3 | Exploring Project Challenges & Opportunities

Technical Report 3, Exploring Project Challenges & Opportunities, includes a study on PSU Abington Student Apartments’ overall project management services, value engineering strategies, BIM usage, & sustainability implementation. To attain this information, a phone interview was conducted with the Project Manager. The purpose of this report is to also identify opportunities for research and recommendations to improve the overall aspects of the project.


In this report, general areas of constraint and concern identified included over involvement by the Penn State Board of Trustees and project financing issues, challenges in meeting the needs and design standards of Penn State, and the incorporation of value engineering to cut project costs.


This report also includes interviews with several students who attended the PACE Conference to identify current industry challenges and concerns and how they are related to this project. Several areas of concern related to this project from PACE conversations include the current average age of the construction workforce being older and different methods of construction that could have been implemented on the Penn State project to improve the project schedule – namely modular construction.
 

Finally, this report also analyzes the current BIM usage by the project team and the current sustainability implementation by the project. From study and analysis, BIM usage could have been increased by the project team. Sustainable implementation currently meets the needs of the client, but this area too can be improved upon as the project team is already working to improve. Some recommendations to improve sustainability in helping the project achieve LEED Gold is provided in this report.


Overall, at this moment in time, some areas of interest for future study and research include the following: 

 

  • Analyzing the design standards set forth by Penn State and determining their adequacy and effectiveness

  • The impact of the Board of Trustees on capital projects

  • Electrical system value engineering

  • Structural stud and plank system vs. structural masonry and plank system

  • Methods of financing the project

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