The combination of labor shortages and cost increases for raw goods is having an impact on the construction industry, particularly commercial and industrial projects. Labor shortages inevitably result in higher wages and increases in administrative costs for contractors and subcontractors. Combine that with price increases for materials, equipment, and long lead times, and you have a recipe for project overruns or even contractors who cannot complete a bid award. Continue reading
Category Archives: Design-Build Construction
Greenland and SAW Contracting Complete Boiler Plant Replacement
The team of Greenland Enterprises and SAW Contracting recently completed a $6.8M boiler plant replacement for the Altoona, PA Veterans Administration Medical Center. The year-plus project included demolition of the existing structures and replacing the boiler, steam piping, boiler plant controls fuel oil and natural gas piping, feed water pumps and other auxiliary systems.
Temporary boilers and generators were installed to provide continuous steam delivery to the medical center during construction. “It’s always a good feeling to complete a complex project on time and on budget,” said Greenland Enterprises President Elton Roller. “Medical centers need uninterrupted systems and we pride ourselves on delivering solutions that have a minimal impact on operations.”
Balancing Interactive Project Management with Personal Communication
One of the more positive impacts of new technology in the construction industry is near real-time project updates for clients through web-based project management systems. Depending on the platform, building owners and stakeholders can receive project status updates, expenditures, milestones and even progress photographs. Continue reading
Greenland Enterprises forms Joint Venture with SAW Contracting for 15.5M Boiler Plant Project in Tacoma, WA
We’re pleased to share the following press release about our latest contract award, in a joint venture with SAW Contracting.
HAMPTON, VA – Two Virginia-based industrial contractors recently created a joint venture team to compete for a boiler plant decentralization project at Joint Base Louis-McChord in Tacoma, WA. The combination of each company’s perspective and expertise ultimately created the best offering – resulting in a $15.5M award by the Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District. Continue reading
Technology is Changing Mechanical System Design and Installation
It’s no secret that India is a rapidly growing technological powerhouse, and when Jaguar built a new regional headquarters in Manesar, sustainability and renewable energy were top considerations. The completed 12-acre campus uses solar energy, radiant cooling systems and re-utilizes all waste. Continue reading
Who Takes the Risk on Your Construction Project?
Any facilities director or CFO who has been involved in a construction project has concerns about cost overruns and budget pressures. When performed independently, the disconnect between design and construction can often lead to schedule delays and change-orders. Fortunately, we have seen an increasing trend of owners, facilities professionals and public agencies getting specialized expertise involved early in the scope and RFP (Request for Proposal) development process, which helps define the scope appropriately, and in doing so, reduce the potential for cost overruns. Continue reading
The Importance of Experience and Expertise
A recent article in the UK publication Modern Building Services magazine provides a clear illustration of why experience and expertise is important in utility plant design and construction. The article describes a project that replaced eight chillers on the roof of a BBC building, which would not be particularly noteworthy – except for the fact that the chillers failed prematurely due to being installed in an area that restricted critical airflow. Continue reading
Risk Management for Central Plant Systems During Construction
Central utility plant construction involves the installation or modification of mission-critical systems that must continue to perform during buildout. Boilers, chillers, cooling towers and similar infrastructure can occasionally go off-line for planned maintenance, but certainly not for the extended time periods required in new construction. Unfortunately, in many cases a new plant must occupy the existing footprint, adding to the planning required and increasing the potential for service interruptions or complications. Continue reading
Packaged Utility Plants: Are They Really Plug-And-Play?
Over the past few years, the central utility plant construction industry has experienced increased use of pre-manufactured, or “packaged”, central utility plant strategies. This factory-built approach to delivering central cooling, heating and power has the potential to positively impact project schedules, costs and quality.
However, there are some misconceptions. For example, owners and contractors may be tempted to think these packaged solutions are “plug-and-play” – where all the coordination happens before shipment, driven completely by the packaged plant manufacturer. In that case, on-site field work for assembly, start-up and commissioning is more of an afterthought. Continue reading
The Perils of Invitation For Bid
For many organizations contemplating a central utility plant, boiler upgrade or similar infrastructure project, an invitation to bid appears to be the best option to find the right price/value. Unfortunately, the invitation to bid process often leaves building owners with a poor construction experience. Continue reading
