Ingenuity Spring 2018

Pond Ingenuity Spring 2018 11 acquiring the contract capacity proved to be challenging given the schedule constraints. New York District’s technical managers were up for the challenge and successfully acquired the needed capacity, and negotiated and awarded the contract in time. KEYS TO SUCCESS An initial concern in the project was that effective communication between the three entities might be compromised, or lead to slow progress. Instead, weekly team meetings/teleconferences were held, and proved very productive where each discipline updated the team on its status and articulated key input or coordination needs. Following the conferences, meeting minutes were promptly distributed. And with global con f erence ca l l capab i l i t y now commonplace, team members from four remote office locations could participate. One limitation to communication recognized was the inability to walk down the hall and review drawings or discuss design details with team members. However, this was deemed a minor inconvenience. Another key factor that contributed to success was the presence of a New York District project manager who was a Fort Drum resident. The individual was able to expedite timely input and direction on from the base. He was instrumental in facilitating the field work for subcontracted geotechnical and surveying services, stormwater issues, and permitting. One limitation to communication recognized was the inability to walk down the hall and review drawings or discuss design details with team members. However, this was deemed a minor inconvenience. The NCOA design was developed in BIM using Autodesk Revit software. The BIM model was successfully utilized on the project, although sharing of it between the offices was a challenge. While Baltimore District engineers were able to connect to the New York District’s server for real-time access, the A-E had to download and upload it using Newforma software. Downloading extractions from the model to work in, then uploading them back each night, was a time- consuming effort. INDEPENDENT TECHNICAL REVIEW In a turnabout from typical design projects, where USACE provides review comments to the design team by way of DrChecks, on the NCOA project, the A-E performed the design review and posted its comments on ProjNet for USACE to address. This went smoothly. One USACE designer said that the project benefited from specialized expertise from the A-E, which they did not have in- house, and that one or more technical design oversights were caught and corrected that avoided potential delay and extra cost during construction. More than one agency designer stated that they felt they received fresh input and perspectives from the non-government reviewers, which helped improve their own in-house design capabilities. A common suggestion by team members concerned design review meetings. It is typically standard procedure to have an in-person review meeting at the project location to discuss the DrChecks comments and responses. Because of budget constraints, these in-person review meetings were replaced with teleconferences. While the objective was still accomplished, the opportunity and benefits of personal interaction and enhanced team cohesion were missed. COLLABORATIVE EFFORT The NCOA project was issued in December 2016 as a lowest price/ technically acceptable procurement. Proposals were received in February 2017 and the contract was successfully awarded in May 2017. The efforts of hybrid design team are bearing fruit. The project is under construction and with it, another entity of the hybrid design team is engaged in a lead role. The New York District project manager and Fort Drum resident is providing leadership as both the owner’s representative and from being a direct participant throughout the design phase. The hybrid team brought together several different professionals, each in a collaborative role, where they were used to leading the entire design effort. This team of teams proved to be greater than the sum of its parts, with each entity taking different lead roles at different times. The creative teaming was considered optimal, with each group sharing their experiences and strengths, and resulting in improved quality. Robert Gerrits | Chief, Engineering Management Branch, Engineering Division, USACE New York District Randall Bailey, P.E., PMP, LEED AP, M.SAME, F.ASCE | Senior Project Manager, Pond VALUE ENGINEERING A Value Engineering study was an interesting aspect of the new NCOA project at Fort Drum. The A-E provided a separate senior technical team, independent of the designers, to participate in the study and come up with suggestions of potential cost-saving measures. The Value Engineering consultant, which was contracted by USACE New York District, led the week-long effort and contributed to cost savings on the project. One of the team members also provided some valuable continuity to the project as he had participated in the design charrette the previous year. As a result, he provided first-hand commentary on the desires, intentions, and discussions that had taken place. As featured in The Military Engineer Magazine