A University’s Role in Minimizing Disruption on Active Campus Construction Projects
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Construction projects – no matter the scale – almost always come with some degree of disruption to the surrounding area. This can be especially daunting on university campuses – which are 24/7 operations that serve multiple and diverse groups. Ensuring that campus activities can continue smoothly takes foresight, thoughtful planning, and a lot of coordination and communication between university stakeholders and the general contractor.
If your university is gearing up for a construction project – large or small – there are several elements to consider and prepare as part of a seamless disruption avoidance plan. Your general contractor will work with university stakeholders throughout construction to implement disruption avoidance measures. But working through the following steps well before construction begins can help ensure your contractor understands your expectations and can put a robust plan in place to keep your university and campus functioning as smoothly as possible.
Identify Critical Campus Events
In addition to day-to-day campus functions that need to continue during construction, it’s critical that your university also identify events that need special attention or accommodation. Compiling a detailed calendar of campus events and activities that might be impacted by construction as well as expectations for the event experience are critical to maintaining campus operations and staff, student, and fan experience. When establishing the disruption avoidance plan, construction managers can incorporate this information to create a phased program that accommodates events by either reducing or pausing activity if needed. If hosting an event or tour near an active construction site, alerting the construction manager in advance can ensure a presentable space, and even allow time for 4D modeling options and construction detour paths.
The University of Arizona McKale Center stands out among projects whose renovation was centered on maintaining uninterrupted operations. The McKale Center project included renovations for infrastructure improvements, accessibility, and to improve the fan experience all while completing the project on time, on budget, and ready for the basketball season opener. The University of Arizona placed a strong emphasis on staying operational and preserving the student, staff, and fan experience during the 2.5-year (2 basketball season) long renovation. Key plans and precautions the team implemented to successfully avoid disruptions and preserve the experience of students, staff, and fans were night work for loud or intrusive scopes, off-hour shutdowns, phased design and construction sequencing with swing spaces and widely communicated egress and ingress information. A tremendous component in making this project’s success was the University’s flexibility, "can do" attitude, and management of the facility users, all of which enabled the facility to remain fully occupied by 19 men’s and women’s sports programs and host numerous sporting events during the phased renovations.
Select a University Liaison
From the chancellor to facilities department to department heads and beyond, there are many stakeholders involved in a campus construction project. A campus liaison can ensure internal stakeholder alignment while advocating for campus audiences and concerns in a succinct manner. This role can also help support and oversee a communication plan and timely distribution of construction updates to students, staff, and faculty.
Coordination With Campus Security and Other Emergency Responders
Just as important as coordinating with campus personnel, keeping campus security and emergency responders up-to-date on the latest construction projects, accessible roadways and egress paths is critical to the safety and wellbeing of campus and community populations.
Coordinating All Construction Projects
Beyond managing stakeholders, providing visibility into simultaneous construction projects can help ensure activities from other projects don’t clash, create scheduling delays or present conflicting road closures. Ryan McCrary, project manager with Mortenson’s sports group, makes sure his customers and other stakeholders have the up-to-date information needed to continue operations. “Universities are a 24/7 operation. Collaboration with security, janitors, facilities, and other construction companies can increase communication, speed, trust, and relationship building which can help avoid operational disruption all around.”
Determine Adjacent Building Sensitivities
Noise and vibration can be a major disruption to students trying to learn, but it can also be detrimental to the operations of adjacent facilities like laboratories, hospitals, theaters, and events. Establishing a list of facilities and local commerce can help provide the full scope of potential disruption and can inform rules about construction noise, quiet hours, or a need for noise and vibration mitigation options.
Select Possible Swing Spaces
If a department needs to be relocated during construction, identifying flexible or vacant areas as comparable swing space can provide continuity of operations. At The University of Pennsylvania Lasch Football Facility, Mortenson constructed a temporary training room and gym swing space that by many accounts was better than the original facility!
Eliminate Unplanned Disruption
Providing relevant information during preconstruction can help lessen or eliminate many common disruptions and frustrations that come with managing a campus project. For more information on disruption avoidance planning, visit our article here.