Challenge: Peak was challenged with long lead times on materials and utilities during the immediate post-pandemic economy and their subsequent after-effects. Moreover, the project included turn lane widening and easement issues, both of which encountered additional utility challenges.
Solution: To mitigate the long lead time materials and rising costs, Peak reconfigured the project schedule. This included accepting materials on site as they became available which necessitated creating enclosures on site for weather protection; and constructing the building out-of-sequence by installing the steel and site utilities before the overly delayed precast was delivered. Global demand, the pandemic and the Portland cement shortage induced ebbs and flows for SOG pouring, which were sporadic and sometimes only one per week. This pushed another schedule reconfiguration to continue progress while the team maintained constant communication with suppliers and subcontractors. Overall power and the transformer were also significantly delayed. To receive the TCO and keep the building from freezing, a diesel generator was acquired in the interim of receiving the transformer. All of the delays resulted in the pad being exposed to weather longer than expected, causing flooding and perimeter pad erosion. The erosion affected the precast install, forcing Peak to implement alternative bracing solutions. Both the easement and turn lane work encountered additional challenges. The easement, where the team needed to relocate utility poles, contained multiple different entities, each requiring follow-up to get approvals. The turn lane widening uncovered an unforeseen gas main forcing work to stop while the project team provided solutions to expedite approvals; allowing resolution in two weeks vs. a typical three months. Consistent communication and coordination with all parties allowed Peak to be proactive and steps ahead to face the project challenges and provide out-of-the-box solutions.
