Adam Lasher's e-Portfolio

SENIOR THESIS e-STUDIO

User Note: While great efforts have been taken to provide accurate and complete information on the pages of CPEP, please be aware that the information contained herewith is considered a work-in-progress for this thesis project. Modifications and changes related to the original building designs and construction methodologies for this senior thesis project are solely the interpretation of Adam Lasher. Changes and discrepancies in no way imply that the original design contained errors or was flawed. Differing assumptions, code references, requirements, and methodologies have been incorporated into this thesis project; therefore, investigation results may vary from the original design.

Overview- 1st Submition Dec 10, 2010

Senior Thesis Proposal is intended to identify the three analyses that will be performed for the final thesis report. These proposals are geared mainly at schedule reduction and reducing the operational costs for the building once complete. Additionally, these proposals will be centered around reducing the overall cost of the project.

Revision #1 January 14, 2011

ANALYSIS #1 SHIFT FROM MOBILE CRANES TO TOWER CRANE

This project utilized two different types of mobile cranes to erect the structural steel and the precast panels. These cranes produced much inefficiency that lead to a lack of production. Established early on in the project the watertight milestone was the biggest risk to the schedule and the entire project. For this analysis a tower crane will be utilized to determine if it is a more effective way of erecting the superstructure and thus hitting the watertight milestone. It is the main goal of this analysis to accelerate the schedule and turn the building over to the owner quicker than originally planned. Time willing, an additional comparison will be done involving the use of an extra mobile crane during the structural steel and precast phases of the building.

ANALYSIS #2: USE OF PRECONSTRUCTION FOR QUICKER COMMISSIONING

Analysis two will represent the majority of my Final Thesis Assignment. During the 2010 PACE Roundtable Conference, Professor Bechtel brought up the new trend of preconstruction within healthcare facilities. More specifically he brought up how Skanska prefabricated entire patient rooms to accelerate the schedule of the project. This analysis will look at the feasibility of using prefabricated rooms to accelerate the schedule and thus achieving the critical commissioning milestone.

ANALYSIS #3: VALUE ENGINEERING GREEN ROOFS TO A STANDARD ROOF WITH PV PANELS

As established in Technical Assignment 3, very little value engineering was done on this project. This poses a problem because Susquehanna Health is a non-profit organization that relies much of its funding through government agencies as well as public donations. As stated earlier this project incorporates Green Roofs in its design. However, Green roofs are expensive and do not offer much return for the upfront costs associated with them. Two of the major goals of this project are to meet LEED Certification for Hospitals and to reduce the large operational costs associated with hospitals. The Green Roofs satisfy the LEED goals but do little in the way of reducing the operational costs.

Structural/Architectural Breadth: Contributes to Technical Analysis 3

The value engineering of the roof systems in this analysis will lead to completely different loads carried by the steel beams and columns. The standard roof will be lighter than the original Green Roofs. However, with the addition of PV panels and supporting equipment the loads will increase in certain areas of the building. Beams, girders, and columns that once carried the old load will now have to be re-examined and possibly redesigned to ensure that they can carry the new load. After completing the value engineering analysis and selecting the replacement roof system, the new design parameters will first have to be determined. After new parameters have been established the new loads can then be calculated.

Because the appearance of the building is being altered a brief architectural breadth will also have to be performed to ensure that the function and overall aesthetics of the building are intact. In addition, Green Roofs critical to patient views will have to be considered.

Renewable Energy/Electrical Breadth: Contributes to Technical Analysis 3

To decrease the operational costs over the life-cycle of the building, PV panels will be implemented to harness the solar radiation to produce electricity and decrease the energy needs of the building. Electrical equipment in the original design will have to be altered to facilitate the new PV panels and their supporting equipment. Tie-in locations will have to be established and may have run back to the central Utility Plant.

After all data on the electrical requirements of the PV system have been calculated a constructabity review will have to be done to ensure that the systems are compatible. In the event that they are not compatible, a suitable system will be provided.

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