Proposal Summary

Phasing Rearrangement Construction Depth

In determining construction depth opportunities, attempts were made to address the issues with project scheduling. Phasing rearrangement was considered and will be a major focus on improving the construction schedule. With phasing rearrangement (switching the order of the scope of work for phases one and two) the goal will be to allow for greater flexibility in creating a schedule and having more space in the school for students while construction is ongoing. This flexibility is something the construction team and the owner have not been able to experience to this point. Additional attempts at creating a more feasible schedule will include scheduling accelerating analyses by the method of short interval production scheduling (SIPS).

Piping Value Engineering Construction Depth

Throughout the course of the project to this point, the construction manager has evaluated many different ways to implement value engineering to reduce project costs. Due to the issues with project funding, the owner has been mostly willing to perform the value engineering tactics recommended by the construction manager. An opportunity for value engineering presents itself within the building plumbing system. The existing plumbing systems for both phase one and phase two of the project include copper piping for the condensate and domestic water piping. Using PVC piping is could be a much cheaper option. This depth topic would focus on evaluating the cost benefits of switching from copper piping to PVC piping for the condensate and domestic water piping in the building.

SIPS Utilization for Similar Classrooms Construction Depth

Due to the large scope of work compared to the strict project schedule, the project team had a difficult time meeting the project deadline without working extended hours. Due to the repetitive nature of the elementary school design, there is an opportunity to use short interval production scheduling (SIPS) to speed up the project schedule. This depth option will analyze the benefits that SIPS utilization cold bring to the project and will compare a SIPS driven schedule to the existing project schedule.

Critical Research Topic: BIM Execution Planning on Small Projects

The final construction depth option focuses on both project savings and scheduling reductions. This depth will be a research focused analysis on BIM implementation for smaller projects, such as an elementary school. The research will not only focus on the benefits that a smaller BIM execution plan could bring to the Stanton Elementary School project, but also the benefits that utilization of this type of BIM plan can have for Penn State students who are taking classes that require them to implement BIM strategies.

Structural Breadth: Foundation Redesign

The Stanton Elementary School community is clearly expanding, which is why the school is seeing such a large building addition at this time. If further building expansion is required, this must occur vertically due to limitations on the school’s site. Planning for a vertical expansion in the future would occur by installing stronger foundations. This opportunity will increase initial costs, but could provide cost savings in the future should the owner decide to add another addition to the building. This breadth topic will focus on the redesign of the existing building foundation system of the pre-kindergarten wing and its ability to support potential vertical expansion of the building in the future.

Acoustical Breadth: Classroom Acoustical Design Study

The owner indicated that the main objective for renovating and expanding the school was to enhance the learning experience of the Stanton Elementary School students. To ensure that the students are able to gain the most out of their learning experience, it will be important for the building to be acoustically sound. An acoustical analysis and redesign is proposed to attempt to provide the students with the best possible learning experience at Stanton Elementary School.