FISK Corporate Headquarters
Houston, Texas
Stephen Blanchard | CM Option
 
Thesis Proposal
Revised Proposal 2 (1/30/2013)
 
Revision 2
Revised Proposal (1/9/2013)
Construction Analyses:

Revision 1

The first Analysis seeks to lower the cost of construction to the owner by shortening the project schedule.  Because Fisk Electric carried the cost of general conditions on their project, any decrease to the construction schedule would result in a direct savings for the owner.  This analysis will attempt to shorten the schedule by re-sequencing some of the construction activities to allow for overlap and by eliminating unnecessary float.


Analysis 2 attempts to improve the perceived quality of the building by examining the feasibility of achieving a LEED rating through a change in some of the construction methods employed on the Fisk Corporate Headquarters project.  This analysis will also be supported by a lighting breadth that will try to increase the energy efficiency of the building through the installation of a daylighting controls system.  When combined with the improved lighting system, the goal in changing some of the construction methods is to achieve a LEED silver rating for the facility.


Analysis 3 is unique to this report due to the author’s Penn State Architectural Engineering coursework in electrical system design.  Because of this, Analysis 3 will be a redesign of the facility’s electrical system in an effort to lower the system’s cost.  This distinctive analysis will be supported by a full constructability, cost, and schedule review of the new system in an attempt to provide a business case for the system redesign. 


The final analysis is a research topic that will attempt to incorporate a critical industry issue and the integration of a master’s course together via the implementation of a BIM process on the Fisk project.  Due to an unusual curtain wall installation sequence, some of the trade contractors involved with the process ended up incurring added costs due to the difficulty of transferring information from one trade to another.  This analysis seeks to analyze whether or not attempting to solve this issue via BIM technology would have helped to minimize those losses. 

 
   
Breadth Topics and MAE Requirements
  

Breadth #1: Architectural, Contributes to Technical Analysis 2
The attempted LEED certification rating analysis described in Technical Analysis 2 provides an opportunity to look at the efficiencies of some of the various affected systems.  After consultation with the project’s MEP engineer, it was discerned that some minor energy tweaks could be made to push the building from a LEED certified rating to a LEED silver rating.  Currently, the building only is able to achieve 7 out of a possible 19 points in terms of energy efficiency.  However, if the building was able to gain 2 points, or a 4% increase in energy efficiency, it would become gain a LEED silver rating.  This breadth will do a study in an effort to report the potential energy efficiency savings Fisk Electric could have realized if they chose to install energy an architectural overhang above the facility’s windows.  Currently, no such shading components building’s exterior and it is anticipated that by installing architectural overhangs, the building will easily be able to increase its energy efficiency by the required 4% and achieve a LEED silver rating.  Three different types of architectural overhangs will be modeled and studied to discern the pros and cons involved with each type of architectural system. 


Effects of the new architectural overhangs in terms of construction costs and schedule will also be analyzed and included in the LEED rating construction analysis. 


Breadth #2: Electrical, Contributes to Technical Analysis 3
As previously stated, due to the author’s extensive study within the electrical systems design curriculum in the Penn State Architectural Engineering department, one of the depth topics covered by the author will seek to complete a partial electrical system redesign in an effort to reduce the overall cost of the system while maintaining the system’s integrity.  The author will attempt to complete this by both switching out system components and actually attempting to redesign the system distribution.  Once complete, both methods of improving the system will be analyzed to determine which method produced a more efficient, economical system.  An analysis of the new electrical system with regards to its constructability, cost, and schedule will be completed and compared to the original with the hopes of supporting the value of the altered system. 


Masters Coursework Integration: AE570 – Production Management in Construction
One point of emphasis in the AE570 course was the use of a pull system in which individuals or companies employ resources on an as-needed basis.  For the purpose of this thesis report, a study will be conducted to examine the feasibility of using the idea of a pull system for transferring the information detailed in Technical Analysis 3.  The main idea behind implementing this strategy is that it will minimize the time spent waiting for information between the various team members.  Once a study is completed regarding the feasibility of employing this method, another study will be conducted to analyze the effects this idea would have on the overall process’s cost and schedule. 

 
   
   
 

"Note: While great efforts have been take 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 Stephen Blanchard. 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"
 
Senior Thesis Main Page
|
Penn State
|

AE Home
|
AE Computer Labs
|
FISK Electric
This page was last updated on 1/30/2013, by Stephen Blanchard and is hosted by the AE Department ©2012/2013