Teamwork, Real-Time Access Leads to Success on Fast-Track Project

Site constraints and tight schedule overcome through collaboration

By Eric Snelling

JE Dunn serves as the general contractor for the $297-million Collaborative Life Sciences Building and Skourtes Tower project that is bringing together portions of Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon State University and Portland State University under one roof. It is a unique, multi-use facility housing 12 stories of advanced biomedical research, as well as undergraduate science education and medical and dental professional programs, which will serve more than 1,600 students annually. The project also includes two levels of underground parking. Total square footage for both buildings is 652,510 square feet.

Because the buildings were designed as a fast-track project, the schedule required that construction work start five months after the start of design. Construction began six months prior to when the designs were complete. With a condensed timetable, interaction with the design team was required as often as possible to troubleshoot, as well as address costs and timing.

“To get the best collaboration possible, our teams and SERA Architects decided to co-locate on site,” said Butch Fiedler, senior superintendent for JE Dunn. “We could talk about the plans as they were being drawn.”

Because plans for the building evolved on a daily basis, the team used proprietary collaborative software, the Dunn Dashboard, a paperless management system, which allowed everyone involved on the project instant access to the most up-to-date digital drawings. Subcontractors used mobile kiosks onsite as a way to access the latest logistics and to be sure they were working on the most current drawings and plans.

By using digital plans, the project realized more than $10 million in cost savings. Not just in printing costs, but labor as well. This paperless system allowed more than 50 subcontractors to have the latest versions of the drawings instantly and eliminated the need for a full-time body to constantly be updating a board.

Access to the project also was a challenge. Located at Portland’s South Waterfront, constraints were on all sides: to the east was water, to the west was a main access street with a trolley car line and to the north and south were other construction sites.

“As we began excavation, we knew the logistics of getting materials in and out of the site would be a challenge,” said Fiedler. “We ended up working closely with the other construction companies to move materials in and out. It was interesting.”

Moreover, the build site was a former ship dismantling yard. Several times during construction, work was halted, as the team uncovered objects like dummy rocket propelled grenades from the 1950s or massive pylons from old buildings.

To make sure the team complied with environmental standards during excavation, the team coordinated daily with a geo-technical group who assisted with soil testing and determined whether the soil would go to a landfill or hazardous waste site. The team used quick turnaround testing for overnight results.

In addition, the team sought the most efficient processes to maintain the rolling baseline schedule during stages beyond excavation. The lack of room at the site for laydown storage forced the team to rely on just-in-time delivery. Another solution was to work closely with design to pre-fabricate thousands of linear feet of MEP elements offsite.

Managing delivery schedules with plans for working on a floor-by-floor basis required extensive planning. Daily standup meetings were implemented to walk through what deliveries were happening and who would be working where.

“It’s been a huge effort on everyone’s part, and without the collaborative efforts put forth by the entire team, we would have never been able to make it a success,” said Fiedler.

JE Dunn’s portion of the project is nearing completion. Interior work will continue and the building will be open in spring of 2014. The project is expected to achieve LEED Platinum certification.

Eric Snelling is director of field operations for JE Dunn.