Student Life Center

Northampton Community College, Monroe Campus

Tannersville, Pa

Abstract

          The Student Life Building is part of a three building campus for Northampton Community College. The design for the building began years ago when NCC purchased the large plot of land and hired D’Huy Engineering Inc. to help with operations. The project was then bid and construction began in spring 2012. The campus will be completed in 2014 and students will be able to enjoy the classrooms, library and enrollment center, and the student life building. The Student Life Building will house the campus’ gymnasium, fitness center, cafeteria, bookstore and meeting rooms. It also houses the central utilities plant for the campus.

As on any construction project there have been some constructability issues at the Student Life Building. As a spring thesis, I will focus on four of these issues, and research and analyze them. The issues that I have chosen to study cover a broad range of problems that could happen on any site. The fire suppression system is an area that I would like to redesign as a mechanical breadth topic. I think that there could be savings in an the choice of system dealing with both raw material costs and scheduling and labor costs. The structure of the building is another area I would like to study. The use of braced walls was initially a way to save money on steel while providing the same amount of support, however I feel it has compromised the aesthetics of the building. Another material that was chosen because of its economic reputation is the roofing material. The single ply roof membrane that is being used may be too thin for the harsh winters in Northeastern Pa, especially considering the roof pitch and the likelihood of ice collection.

          Finally, I would like to study the foundation wall located along the break between the basement and the first floor slab. The constructability issues that have arisen because of this wall could be eased if it is designed as a retaining wall, however the problem is not that simple. I think that the issue truly stems from the delivery method- design-bid-build and the use of multiple prime contracts. As a research topic, I would like to study the effects of the delivery method on projects and project teams, and determine if there is a way to move the industry toward a delivery method involving early communication.