Ingenuity Magazine Summer 2020

Pond Ingenuity Summer 2020 13 smaller zones. These smaller zoning divisions made it easier for the client to distinguish between buildings that required demolition. As Pond compiled information for the report, they navigated the existing challenges of the location. The Air Force bases did not own the land, but rather rented it from native Japanese families. Any renovation that would necessitate the removal of surrounding trees would first require approval from landowners. The potential negotiation would have to be anticipated in the report. After the completion of the assessment, the team would have to also consider who to recommend for the work. The cost assessment would address who would do the work and how to navigate smaller spaces and higher costs. Also affecting project estimating costs accurately is the ex t reme l y arduous bidding climate in Japan. In the past two to three years, construction costs have remarkably increased across public and private industries. The reason for this increase stems from a variety of areas. The pool of prime and subcontractors is very limited with those contractors not being skilled in English or specifications. It gets even worse for contractors as the labor force is aging with not as many young workers replacing the retiring ones. Another factor in inaccurate estimates and increasing construction cost is travel time to the base and delivery of replacement materials. It is taking contractors upwards from 1 to 2 hours to get onto base and then awaiting material replacements to be shipped to the base. Unlike Amazon Prime, replacement materials do not arrive within two days of an order being placed, but rather a 2 to 3-month lead time is needed, which in turn increases the duration of the project. All of this leads to an increase in wages and mark-ups to try to match contractor bids. Invaluable Opportunity Unique opportunities also arose from this endeavor. One of the bases, Yokota, was already under construction and needed similar renovation. Exposing the potential problems and solutions of the repair allowed the team to thoroughly evaluate how to tackle them in the future project. While working on-site in Japan for over two weeks, the team was warmly welcomed into the community by locals and families on base. In addition to hosting the group, residents also helped facilitate interactions in restaurants and public spaces to overcome language barriers. Outside of work hours, the team immersed themselves in the rich Japanese culture and visited several historical landmarks. The invaluable one-on-one client time fostered a rapport and trust that enabled a successful and comprehensive study. Once the assessment was completed, the team determined Pond was capable of remedying 90 percent of the issues at the base. Our team was proud to have the chance to serve our nation by working and helping improve the base overseas. Crafting and planning the updated space will allow service members to find comfort in their home away from home.  Chris Jenkins, PE, LEED AP BD+C Principal