From a nationwide search, our firm was selected by the technology company as the general contractor to expand and renovate its disaster recovery data center. A key factor in the decision was our ability and commitment to meet the tight four month construction schedule. This 24,000sf expansion and renovation was the second phase of a comprehensive project to provide much needed space and power to the facility that stores and processes the company’s critical data as a back-up to its primary data center. We managed three projects through a single contract that included:
- 16,000sf expansion to the existing data center
- 6,000sf expansion to the electrical support building
- 2,000sf renovation of an existing space to expand the tape back-up room
Making it Happen on a Fast Track
During preconstruction, the project team identified that a critical milestone to keep all three projects on track would be getting the data center expansion dried-in, thereby eliminating weather as a factor in construction delays. To accomplish this, the schedule was expanded
to a seven-day work week with two shifts working a total of 16 hours in order to get the pre-cast concrete panels in place and the roof installed.
Once the shell was constructed and enclosed, the interior work was carefully scheduled so that the various subcontractors were not working over one another. This approach minimized the subcontractors’ mobilization effort, which kept the interior construction flowing smoothly. The technology company had prepurchased all of the long lead items—mechanical equipment, electrical gear, electrical panels and emergency generators—so the just-in-time delivery of this equipment to the project site facilitated the fast-track schedule.
Strong Team Collaboration
Vital to project delivery, during the first four months was the close collaboration with the technology company and the design team from preconstruction through construction. Participating in the early design phase, we provided input on the critical infrastructure components allowing for a smooth installation during the construction process.
