DEPTH SUMMARIES

 

Analysis 1: Temporary Storage

One of the biggest concerns with the Homewood Suites project was the lack of space on site for material laydown and storage. The project was granted a small lane closure on New York Avenue for temporary laydown area. Each subcontractor must coordinate all deliveries with the general contractor and delivered materials are to be put in place within 48 hours. Subcontractors generally didn’t abide by this rule, and would find places within the site to store items, whether in the parking garage or the upper floors. This lack of structure created not only safety concerns but also theft liability. The analysis will explore alternative methods of storage for the project, on and off site.

 

Analysis 2: Schedule Acceleration Through SIPS

Another project concern was the schedule lagging behind due to many unforeseen circumstances, the first of which happened at the beginning of the project. Sheeting and shoring methods had to be changed due to pile driving methods affecting the surrounding buildings foundations. Additionally, several weather days were lost due to the severe winter. The below analysis will further explain the intended analysis for schedule acceleration scenarios through SIPS on the buildings exterior enclosure and interior rough ins and finishes.

 

Analysis 3: Prefabricated Building Systems

A potential for improvement on the project is present in the buildings façade system through prefabrication. The traditional method for laying bricks is time consuming, labor intensive, and requires many resources. The analysis below further describes the intent to explore alternative, prefab methods, in an attempt to drive down costs, reduce the schedule, and free up space on site.

 

Analysis 4: Material Tracking and Management Systems

The fourth analysis will explore a topic brought up at the annual PACE event as an industry topic. Material tracking systems are used to keep track of the materials coming on to and off the site and where they are to be placed, and pose many other benefits to projects. Congested projects such as the Homewood Suites can benefit in many ways from implementing these systems. The below description will further explain the details of the research.

 

 

BREADTH SUMMARIES

 

Mechanical:

 

A mechanical breadth will be performed on the new prefabricated building façade. The project has thermal and mechanical requirements based on standards and building codes which must be met by the new prefabricated façade. The exterior envelope will be analyzed for thermal gradient to compare the R Value of each system type as well as heat loss. Ideally, the prefabricated system will not only save time and money but will also improve upon the existing system.

 

Acoustical:

 

An acoustical breadth will be performed on the prefabricated building façade to analyze the potential difference in noise transmission into and between the hotel rooms. The analysis will look into the difference in sound transmission between the traditional, brick on metal stud façade and a prefabricated façade system. The hotel is located on a busy road in D.C. and is near an entrance/exit to the highway. The overall goal is to determine if the prefabricated system will meet or exceed the given acoustical requirements. An acoustical analysis will be done on one or more of the rooms adjacent to New York Avenue.