New England Real Estate Journal
The Largest Business Publication of its Kind in the Nation

By Jay Dacey, Integrated Builders

Building for Today's Advanced Technology:
Each Project is Unique, but All are Similar

Advanced technology or high tech construction can be associated with various industries including software and hardware labs, telecommunications facilities, semiconductor plants, electronic manufacturing, medical manufacturing, biotech, pharmaceutical research, and clean rooms. While each project encompasses features specific to its field, many of the same construction considerations are pertinent to them all.

The Issue of Utilities

For a new building, an owner needs to identify if their site offers the necessary utilities to service the project. If the utilities are not there, the owner needs to determine if the utilities can be brought to the building, and then, who will ultimately do the work. Often enough, the local gas and electric company will bring the service closer to the property. Yet, with ideal sites being a rarity, proper sewer utilities can be a big problem. Gas, phone and electric utilities do not require any pitch, but sewer does. Today many sites are required to have their own sewerage treatment plants. For existing buildings, many of the utility issues still apply, in addition to the building's "structural" ability with respect to dead and live loads. All of the renovation projects Integrated Builders has completed recently have required structurally increasing the load capacity of the building due to the occupants' equipment and mechanical improvements. Column reinforcement, column additions, mechanical mezzanines, bar joist reinforcement, and roof replacement achieves this task efficiently if the existing roof is a stone ballast type. Once the condition of the site or existing building is evaluated, the construction team can approach local building officials about their proposed plans. Town officials, including the building inspector, fire chief, and the board of health, are always more cooperative when an owner discloses the types of chemicals and gases that will be used in production. Be prepared - the plumbing inspector always wants to know what types of wastewater treatment are being used. If the building is new, many of these issues will be presented to the planning and zoning boards for approvals.

A Clear Vision

The client that clearly communicates its needs to its architect and engineer will, in the end, get solid bid documents and the best value for their dollar. The types of mechanical, specialty piping, if any, and electrical systems are usually the most expensive component in a renovation, and can be as much or more than the shell and core in a new building.

Building for Today's Advanced Technology

When choosing large mechanical systems, consideration should always be given to the life cost of the equipment, which includes operating costs. Many HVAC systems have a low construction cost but can be costly to run from an electrical and maintenance standpoint. A good general contractor, working with the mechanical engineer, can help you understand the total life cycle costs of different systems. The general contractor should provide the systems analysis during the preconstruction period for construction management contracts. For stipulated sum contracts, this information would come from the engineers who generally know what the costs are for different types of systems. However, the trend over the past four years has relied on the construction management component to get the team together early, and to get the project value engineered from the start. As more time seems to be available now, the approach is to again start with stipulated sum contracts.

Knowing the Details

As mentioned before, good preliminary plans that clearly define the scope of work enable the general contractor to accurately estimate the project. It not only helps to better identify costs, but also results in an accurate schedule, by identifying long lead-time equipment and materials. The time needed to complete the project can also impact the cost of the job. Deadlines imposed by our clients from their customers often dictate what the schedule needs to be. Knowing these parameters early on is critical to a solid schedule and budget.

Jay Dacey is the president of Integrated Builders in Braintree, Mass.

Reprinted from the New England Real Estate Journal, P.O. Box 55, Accord, MA 02018
781-878-4540