JIM GARZON

Construction Management

Apartment Complex

Anytown, USA

 
Building Statistics (Part 1)

Building name: Apartment Complex

Building Occupant Name: ABC Company

Size (total square feet): 423,469 SF

Primary project team including owner, general contractor, CM, architects,
engineers, etc. with links to firm websites where available: The owner rather not disclose this information

Actual cost information:
Contract Amount: $ 50,047,750
General Conditions: $ 2,972,441
4.5% Fee

Project delivery method: Design-Bid-Built

Architecture

Architecture (design and functional components): Having 2 garage levels, retail on ground level and luxurious apartments on levels two, three, four and five, this Mixed-use project is intended to give something to the community. The building basically consists on three rectangles that form a C leaving an open space in the middle of the building where a street with restaurant and stores will be built. The east side has loft apartments and the west side has single apartments. The reason why the apartments are placed that way is so that every apartment has either a terrace or a balcony.

Major national model code/s:
Building code: 2003 ICC IBC & 1997 NFPA 101
Sprinkler code: 1996 NFPA 13
Mechanical code: 2003 ICC International Mechanical code
Electrical code: 2002 NFPA Electric code
Plumbing code: WSSC code
Energy code: 2003 ICC International Energy Conservation code
Accessibility code: COMAR & ADAAG

Zoning: No zoning problems

Historical requirements of building or zone where built: No historical requirements

Building envelope including description of roofing system and all the various
types of exterior wall systems used throughout the building: There are various types of walls. Most of the exterior walls are formed with metal studs. Some others are formed with wood studs. Most of the exterior wood studs walls are formed with many layers of plywood put together. Along the building there are also some EIFS type of wall. On the interior, walls are formed with wood studs and various layers of plywood in some cases for strength purposes.

The roofing system is a combination of ½” exterior grade ply wood / OSB sheathing attached to wood trusses. Sheathing is nailed to the roof trusses at 8” OC.

Building Statistics (Part 2)

Construction

The delivery method that is being used on this project is design-bid-build. As in any other traditional design-bid-build arrangement, the owner hired design professionals to prepare a complete set of contract document, which includes plans and specifications, for a set price. The owner paid the designers a fixed price to complete the project plans and specifications. Once the contract documents were done and given to the owner, then the owner hired a GC. Clark Construction was hired by the owner to manage the project. The owner negotiated with Clark the contract, and they agreed on a lump sum type of contract. However, Clark will have to manage all of the subcontractor’s contracts. The owner only has a contract with Clark.

Once Clark was awarded the project, they had to hire every subcontractor for every trade. Clark bided the project, and a different contractor was selected for every trade. As in most of the projects, the lowest bidder was selected. Clark then needed to negotiate the contract with every subcontractor. The contract type used for all the subcontractors was a lump sum contract. The cost of the work for every trade was set before any work begun. Moreover, every subcontractor needed insurance and bonds before starting any activity.

Usually, when a building is all steel or all concrete, it is much easier for the GC to manage the activities since it will always be the same crew. This apartment complex is a hybrid. Many different systems were used. Therefore it was a challenge for Clark Construction to manage every different crew for every system. Carpenters, concrete crew, steel erectors, wood and metal framing crew, finishing crew were just some of the key players that the Clark had to manage throughout the entire project.

Electrical
The main power enters the building at the basement electrical room and is stepped down differently for the different areas. The power in the building is divided by residential, restaurant, and retail. The power for the residential part is controlled by two 2000A, 3 phase, 4 wire system main breakers. Both breakers control the power that comes as 208V from the transformer. The power for the restaurant part is controlled by a 2500A, 3 phase, 4 wire system main breaker. The breaker controls the power that comes as 277/480V from the transformer. The power for the retail part is controlled a 2500, 3 phase, 4 wire system main breaker as well. The power for this breaker also comes as 277/480V from the transformer. The power is then fed to the different switchboards. Where is redistributed again to the different areas of the building.

Lighting
There is a wide variety of lighting fixtures used. The many different applications including apartments, restaurants, stores, and even a movie theatre, required different and unique types of fixtures. Fluorescent lamps, HID lamp, and incandescent lamps are typical throughout the building. There are preheat, instant start, and rapid start fluorescent lamps. All fluorescent, as well as compact fluorescent lamps have their respective ballast. Incandescent lamps are rated for operation at 120 volts.

Mechanical

The mechanical system consists on three rooftop units, and two air-handling units located on the first floor that serves the retail stores, restaurants, and the parking garage. The HVAC system for the residential part consists on individual HVAC units for each apartment. The mechanical system contains thirteen different types of pumps. It has two 400 ton chillers and two 1200 GPM 400 ton cooling towers. The air is distributed through galvanizes steel ducts that run all throughout the building. The building has a wet pipe sprinkler system. Smoke detectors as well as sprinklers are located all throughout the building.

Structural
The structural system used for the Apartment Complex is a combination of various systems. From the foundations up to the second floor slab level is all concrete. Beams, columns, foundations, and the perimeter wall are all cast in place concrete. The slab on grade is 4” thick while slabs over metal deck are poured with lightweight concrete on 2”x20 gage composite steel deck. From the second floor slab up to the roof, is mainly wood. Exterior framing is done with 20 and 18 gage metal studs. Interior framing is done with Spruce Pine Fir No1/No2 wood studs. Structural steel is only used on the fourth and fifth floor to provide support to the canopy that is above Festival Street. The roofing system is a combination of ½” exterior grade ply wood / OSB sheeting attached to wood trusses. Sheeting is nailed to the roof trusses at 8” OC.

Fire Protection
The building sprinkler system was designed and installed in accordance with NFPA 13 section 903.3.1.1. The apartment complex is fully sprinkled with an automatic wet pipe system. These sprinklers distribute water in case of a fire using a basic wet pipe system through all the floors in the building. The below grade parking garage is fully sprinklered as well with a dry system that is mechanically ventilated. Class 1 standpipes are also present in the stairwells of the building. Moreover, all of the main structural, as well as all interior framing members have various layers of spray-on fireproofing.

Transportation
There are four hydraulic elevators in the building. Elevator 1 is located in the northern portion of the building while the three other elevators are located in the middle of the building. Elevator one has a rated net capacity of 3500 lbs and it goes from garage 2 until the 5th floor. Elevator two has a rated net capacity of 3500 lbs and it goes from garage 2 until the 1st floor. Elevator three has a rated net capacity of 3500 lbs and it goes from garage 2 until the 5th floor. Elevator four has a rated net capacity of 2500 lbs and it goes from garage 2 until the 5th floor.

Telecommunications
All apartments, stores, and restaurants are equipped with combined telephone and data jacks. Data and telephone lines will be installed all throughout the building. The data lines consist of fiber optic and CAT 6 for data and UTP riser cable for voice