The new south entry welcomes visitors

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Construction began on the 33,000sf structure on January 1, 2011 and had an original construction budget of $7,570,900.  Turner was able to lower the final cost by returning $183,449 of unused owner contingency and allowance funds to UT Dallas at the end of the project.

The building includes a bookstore, visitor center, coffee shop, computer retail store, copy store, and reception area.

This ground-up project features a custom-engineered steel shade structure supported by aluminum curtain wall, glazed structural steel rotunda at grand entrance, expansive curtain wall and storefront systems and polished concrete and wooden floors to create the desired look.

The building also features significant glass windows to “bring the campus in” to the building and MDF panels in the interior to match the green and orange school colors.  Fiber cement panels to match school colors were also used on the exterior.

Challenges Turner faced during this project included the short completion time of 6.5 months and to work without interruption to the activities in the adjacent Student Activities Building, which ties directly into the new structure.

Also encountered were a two-week shut down of the project in early February due to ice storms, unexpected underground utility conflicts and the 13-week lead times for structural steel cables and exterior wall panels from Switzerland.  The desired finish of the polished concrete floors also required 4+ months of diamond grinding and polishing.   

Turner implemented LEAN construction practices on this project to achieve its aggressive schedule and by working seven days per week and extended shifts for several months.    

Several of the time saving LEAN construction procedures used on this project were nothing hits the ground, a cord management system, material brought in on an as-needed basis, pull-planning scheduling and pre-assembled water closet plumbing.

One of the benefits of LEAN construction techniques is the sense of teamwork it builds between the owner, architect and subcontractors. This is because the LEAN construction approach requires regular and continuous input from all team members to schedule the work, identify potential clashes and delays and think creatively to overcome obstacles.

Turner worked closely with UT Dallas’ Office of Facilities, Planning and Construction to help find ways to expedite the schedule and ensure a smooth transition and opening in time for the start of school in August 2011.

This new facility is extremely important since it will serve as a landmark identifying the new south entry to the campus.  The building is connected to the existing activity center and incorporates many green and sustainable aspects. For example, maximum day lighting for energy cost savings has been incorporated into the building’s design and the building has been designed for flexibility to adapt to changes in technology, efficiency standards and usage needs.

This facility sets the standard for future projects.
 
Project management team for Turner:
Estimating:   Vincent Gallagher
Purchasing:   Ronnie Buckaloo
Senior Project Manager:

Christopher Lang
Senior Superintendent:

Christian Svenstrup
Superintendent: Ben Hentschel
Engineer: Matt Chen
Safety Manager: David Cannon
Architect: PageSoutherlandPage

Founded in 1902, Turner has 5,200 employees across 46 offices throughout the U.S. and internationally. Turner’s Texas regional offices include Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.  The company specializes in general construction, construction management, design-build, green building and Building Information Modeling (BIM)  –bd

©2011 Construction News, Ltd.