Confidential Local Utility Customer

Location: Vancouver, Washington

Cost: Not disclosed

Completion: May 2023

Owner/Developer: Confidential Local Utility Company

Architect: Opsis Architecture

Engineer: PAE

General Contractor: Mortenson

Submitting Company: Mortenson

Subcontractors: Alliant, Gillespie Prudhon & Associates, McDonald Excavating, OEG, Western Partitions

The Technical Lab and Office Building is a project for a confidential local utility customer, a federal power marketing administration that provides hydropower to eight states throughout the Pacific Northwest.

The customer initiated a 10-year phased complex renovation program using progressive design-build delivery, resulting in a contract with the Mortenson | Opsis | DGA teams. The redevelopment plans included modernization, reintegration of offsite leased offices and realignment of disparate workgroups within the 270-acre complex.

The 60,000-square-foot lab and office facility serves as a space for occupants to maintain, test and repair new and existing components, control and communication equipment. The team achieved a high performing envelope using prefabricated panels stacked two stories over one story that shaved two months off the project schedule and saved approximately $1 million in costs. The method also helped offset increasing materials costs and the craftworker labor shortage.

The prefabricated panels blend seamlessly with the adjacent historic precast building. The award-winning enclosure is now a model of progressive design-build delivery innovation and is an example of prefabrication solutions for many other building systems on complex projects.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) was used through all phases of the project, including design and visualization, clash detection, cost estimation and construction planning and scheduling. Existing underground utilities necessitated a clear picture of the existing infrastructure so that new infrastructure could be placed without interrupting ongoing operations. Virtual Design and Construction and BIM data was utilized for initial underground construction preparation. Along with careful excavation, it allowed the team to install new underground utilities without creating interruptions to existing utilities.

Using BIM for clash detection and coordination reduced rework, change orders and delays during construction, resulting in cost savings of about $1 million. BIM’s 4D scheduling and construction sequencing improved scheduling and time management, leading to an approximately 10 percent reduction in project duration.

The facility’s LEED Silver Certification was a testament to its eco-friendly design, boasting features such as stormwater management systems, energy-efficient insulation and native plantings. The Risk Category 3 structural resilience design allows the building to survive seismic events and may facilitate a quicker return to operations following a potential Cascadia Subduction Zone Event.

Copyright © 2024 BridgeTower Media. All Rights Reserved.