|
|
|
A recent view of the $35.5 million College of Engineering project at North Carolina State University.
(Photo courtesy of Clancy & Theys Construction Co.)
|
A new piece of technology played a key role in the construction of a $35.5 million, 210,000-sq.-ft. College of Engineering building that Clancy & Theys Construction Co. of Raleigh, N.C., is completing on the Centennial Campus of North Carolina State University in Raleigh.
The College of Engineering is in the process of being moved to the Centennial Campus, which is adjacent to NCSU's main campus and also features private research facilities, private sector companies, condominiums and a middle school.
The new building, part of which opened in August, has a modern look with a brick, metal and glass exterior with classical detailing in limestone. It houses classrooms, offices and computer and research labs for the departments of Computer Science and also Electrical and Computer Engineering.
The construction was funded by a statewide bond referendum approved by voters in 2000.
New Technology Field2Base is a tablet PC-based mobile communications tool that enables users to take photos onsite, annotate them with handwritten notes and edit CAD drawings and other documents. The information can be sent wirelessly via e-mail to everyone on the design and construction team.
"The system saved us time and money," said project superintendent Don Street. "It made things work better and brought more professionalism into the field."
In March, Clancy & Theys took the top prize in the Associated General Contractors of America's Best Information Technology Solution contest, which honors technology-driven business applications for contractors. Field2Base was developed by a company based in nearby Research Triangle Park.
The Project Ground was broken on the building in January 2004, and the project was fast-tracked from the beginning so one level would be ready for fall semester classes this year. The other levels will be ready for occupancy by year's end.
The Field2Base system, which was used for the first time on this project, helped the construction team meet the deadline. Glenn Ervin, NCSU's project manager for the building and a facilities construction engineer, said the system helped push the job along. "Field operations don't always go as planned, and to keep the job going, we needed answers as soon as possible from the engineers and architect," he added.
Street used the technology to take photos of onsite construction issues, make notes and then ask the team for solutions. The architect and structural engineer could respond, sometimes immediately, in real time.
The architect was Perkins + Will, and the structural engineer KingGuinn & Associates, both with offices in Charlotte.
"It was a great graphic and communication tool," Street said. "They (the designers) could immediately see the problem at hand and know what we were talking about. All the documents were loaded into the system, and they could be called up and changed.
"We would make the change, they would look at it right away and approve it. It saved them making trips and helped us stay on track."
One twist came in the preconstruction stage when the decision was made to go from a cast-in-place concrete frame to a steel structure.
Scott Cutler, vice president of marketing for Clancy & Theys, said: "There was a lot of institutional construction going on in the area, and we were concerned about shortages of supplies, contractors and labor. So we decided to go with a steel structure."
Although the structure's redesign was completed prior to construction, Cutler added, "There were coordination issues and details of the structure, such as the location of conduits, mechanical and plumbing components, which had to catch up. Field2Base helped us solve those challenges as we went along."
All communications sent and received via Field2Base were saved to keep a document trail and create an archival record. The tablet PC doesn't have a mouse or keyboard, and messages and commands are made with a stylus.
"That's the beauty of it - they created a nice program that is very simple to use," Street said. "There's no question I want to use it again - they're not going to pry it away from me."
The Clancy & Theys management agrees, and Cutler said the firm is now using six Field2Base hand units on $100 million worth of projects, and one is being used for the firm's safety program.
|
print this page
e-mail this page
