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March 26, 2002
Building Innovations--The Benefits of Preconstruction Services
By Blair Banker, Director of Preconstruction Services
 In
recent years the demands placed upon the developers of construction
projects have become increasingly more complex. Lengthy permitting
processes, fast-track schedules, tight budgets, decreased market
capacity and advances in technology have added to the already complicated
process of bringing a project from the idea stage to the actual
start of construction. As a result, contractors are being valued
as a strategic partner in early planning efforts. It is for this
reason that Lee Kennedy Co., Inc. created a separate Preconstruction
Services Department wholly dedicated to establishing best value
before construction takes place. The Preconstruction Services Department
provides value added services in cost analysis, site logistics,
constructability, permitting, scheduling, life cycle cost analysis,
and green building viability. Clients can obtain early feasibility
budgets without the expense of detailed design and bidding, they
can compare alternate building and "siting" scenarios, and can ask
"what if" questions with speedy and well-grounded answers based
on experience and the latest in analytical tools.
At Lee Kennedy Co., the Preconstruction Services Department performs
feasibility analysis, conceptual and detailed estimating, Critical
Path Method (CPM) scheduling, and develops project budgets and proforma's
for works in progress. Value engineering alternatives are often
proposed to meet budget and schedule goals, system performance and
constructability. During the value engineering process initial cost
versus long-term payback is identified to give the overall financial
picture of the proposed items. These valuable tools are often otherwise
unavailable to owners or may be overlooked in the rush to develop
project funding and preliminary design.
The preconstruction process starts with a planning overview. As
contractors, we meet with the entire project team to review the
proposed program, discuss and outline known and anticipated scopes
of work, and assist parties in developing a schedule of priorities.
It is our responsibility to research and recommend the best solution
for the right cost and best value appropriate to design and usage.
We will develop a detailed project delivery schedule which includes
testing and discovery phases, design, pricing and construction milestones,
critical procurement dates, construction phasing dates, and user
relocation dates.
A procurement schedule is also developed to identify the durations
required to purchase, fabricate, and deliver all project construction
packages. This schedule becomes a key driver of the design group's
priorities.
Pricing the project begins in the conceptual design stages. As design
progresses, changes to project cost and schedule are shared with
owner and design teams. Project budgets are developed based upon
predetermined sort criteria allowing the project team to analyze
various cost components of the project. Subcontractor input for
key trades adds validity to the budget pricing and significant insight
to the the means and methods of constructability.
Because items such as mechanical systems, floor finishes and ceiling
fixtures will, over time, require repairs, maintenance and operating
expenditures, the initial cost of a building system doesn't reflect
its true final cost. Life cycle cost analysis becomes a useful tool
to owners and a common service provided by our Preconstruction Services
Department. Life cycle cost recommendations can aid owners in materials
selection and allow them to get the most out of their dollar.
To be most effective, it is essential to be retained as early in
the process as possible. Currently, Lee Kennedy Co. is completing
Phase I of Harvard's $45 million Widener Library Stacks Renovation
project. This project is a great example of how careful logistics
and constructability planning during the preconstruction phase can
lead to a successful construction project. The library stores 3.5
million books, each of which will need to be relocated at some stage
of the renovation project but remain accessible to the users. As
the result of our preconstruction services, we were able to coordinate
and phase the construction to best minimize disruption to the library's
operations and provide optimal protection of the books. The project
will be completed in April under budget and on schedule.
Simmons College partnered with Lee Kennedy Co. to build a new academic
building that contains three levels of underground parking. The
project required a deep excavation with an earth retention system
that provided a water cut-off because the parking levels are well
below the water table. The Preconstruction Team explored various
earth retention systems and selected the soil-mix system that was
most compatible for the site and surrounding properties. By value
engineering the earth retention and foundation system, Lee Kennedy
Co. was able to save the College significant cost and construction
time over the initial design intent.
The implementation of Lee Kennedy Co.'s preconstruction services
has resulted in better coordination on especially complex projects,
plus a faster method of construction delivery when design and construction
are managed concurrently. Moreover, our Preconstruction Services
Department provides added insight into current market conditions
that could affect a project's budget.
Architects and consultants benefit from our input during the early
design stage in that their "redesign" time is reduced. We respond
quickly to alternate design solutions on a conceptual level, and
provide pricing and constructability input prior to extensive design.
In some cases, our services have been retained before an architect
has even been hired. The value of design expenditure is maximized
with the input of the construction team. As our Preconstruction
Services Department assesses program and design priorities that
affect cost and schedule, the consultants focus on the design deliverables
required to meet construction and procurement schedule.
We see our role not only to be responsive to our client's requests,
but also to be proactive in all aspects of the decision-making process.
At Lee Kennedy Co. we are fortunate to have a wide variety of talented
people throughout the company that can be called upon to solve the
complex challenges of the industry. This depth of knowledge is a
great resource to the preconstruction department and a valuable
benefit we extend to clients.
Blair Banker is the Director of Preconstruction
Services at Lee Kennedy Co., Inc., a full service general contractor
specializing in the commercial, retail, and institutional markets.
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