For Immediate Service
800-864-7717
For Immediate Service
800-864-7717Mar
01
2017
Science and history exhibits require well-ventilated, cool spaces to preserve each precious piece of a collection. At the Witte Museum, which houses more than 300,000 pieces, a rapid expansion is underway; the original building and administration spaces are being renovated while in April 2016, the Witte opened a brand new building, the Mays Family Center, to accommodate its ever increasing collections.The most critical building in the project is the historical museum space, originally constructed in 1926. The structure is more than 90-years-old, and its mechanical systems were due for an upgrade.
TDIndustries was brought in to provide mechanical and plumbing expertise to this one-of-a-kind renovation. TD has a well-known reputation for safety and the ability to handle design-assist projects in compressed timelines, but the stakes were higher at the Witte Museum. In historical buildings like these, as-built products aren’t readily available, and the structure’s past is as storied as the objects it contains. Ultimately, quality can make or break a project, and safety is paramount in these aging structures. (continued below)
The Witte Museum
Size: 2 main floors with a small penthouse and basement; 90,000 sf
Contract amount: $3,590,000 (on-budget)
TDIndustries Project Team: Justin Beard, Senior Project Manager; Dillon Arends, Assistant Project Manager; Louis Hernandez, Superintendent
The Witte Museum project team quickly determined that with the unknown comes opportunity.
The project presented several conditions making it a prime candidate for value engineering (VE) and design collaboration. Working with the Architect, Engineer of Record, and General Contractor (GC), TD not only expertly installed our scope of work, but we also provided input that would reduce costs while bolstering safety and the use of Lean processes.
(left to right: the museum's first floor before, during, and after construction)
The first VE opportunity was motivated by the existing structure. The attic floor was wooden and parts of it were treated with a stucco-like material — both materials were insufficient to handle the weight of the new air handling units (AHUs) and the crew that would be installing them. TD’s in-house engineering team suggested relocating the AHUs to the roof. The project team agreed, noting the safety factor and the ability to save on potentially expensive scaffolding and structural reengineering.
TDPartners on the job
The VE opportunities continued through the building, down to the crawlspace under the structure. Its pier and beam foundation, typical of buildings of that age, created a series of crawlspaces with “chambers” flanked by partially buried concrete beams. The heated hot water piping that would supply the HVAC equipment for all Witte Museum buildings was designed to be placed in the crawlspace separating it from the exhibit areas. Rather than saw cut or core drill through each concrete beam, TD engineers helped in moving the heating hot water piping to the outside of the structure and in designing an outdoor boiler plant for the new Mays Family Center. The result was a less impended route for the lines and major cost savings.
These two alterations, along with changes in some ductwork designs, amounted to nearly $250,000 in savings for the project. These smart, cost-cutting measures would pay particularly high dividends in the latter part of the renovation when other unforeseen issues were discovered in the building. The project team was prepared for one major issue that is common in most buildings constructed prior to the 1960s: the existence of asbestos. The hazardous material was commonly used as a fire retardant, and is found in insulation, piping, and drywall. The team held a Toolbox Talk with all trades to review asbestos safety. While much of it was abated early in the project, TDPartners remained vigilant in helping the GC manage areas to be treated.
The state of the underground sanitary waste piping can be difficult to gauge in a building of this age. A lack of original drawings and a constantly adaptive design process acted as complexities to the project as well. Because the sanitary waste and vent piping were not part of the renovation, the team worked around the existing conditions — defects and all – leaving behind a fully functional system.
Using BIM, traditional surveying, and their on-the-ground experience, TD worked to map the unknown. The question looming above it all: Would the brand new system tie into the existing systems seamlessly?
Nothing better illustrates the challenges of planning for the unknown than the installation of a 40-ft flue system that was first prefabricated in the TDManufacturing shop. The challenge: meet the boiler manufacturer’s recommendation for construction while fitting equipment into the existing chimney in the basement, a remnant of the 1920’s design. The task was tricky, but the use of prefabrication helped mitigate the obstacles. The 90% PVC flue, cap, and restraints were made in TD’s shop, a controlled environment that is primed for precise fabrication. Despite hesitation, TD’s gamble paid off, and the flues were lowered into the chimney as a single piece, capped, and affixed according to boiler specifications with seamless collaboration.
TDPartners install the flue system in the existing chimney
The massive ductwork on the roof was also prefabbed to decrease safety risks and increase installation quality. The ductwork was built in 15-ft sections and lifted by crane. Within minutes, they were secured to the rooftop platform. The task took three days to install in what would have normally taken 1-2 weeks of onsite labor.
The time and cost savings rolled back to the overall project, making complicated construction a little less so. Keeping the entire project team on task were Lean processes. TD met with the team daily to review the Constraint Log, a formal way of tracking obstacles onsite. All trades encountered unknown factors throughout the project, and the daily huddles kept everyone informed. As champions of Lean, TD was able to provide realistic, meaningful contributions to the One Week plans and Look-Ahead meetings. The project is on track for the final ribbon cutting ceremony in Spring 2017.
Between now and then, there might be more unknowns, but TD has proven time and again that we are equipped to meet those challenges head-on. The museum is poised to have another 90-years of excitement and education for its visitors.
No one is more excited to have the public to enjoy a particular exhibit other than Senior Project Manager, Justin Beard. During the project, he became enthralled with the Quetzalcoatlus, a massive flying reptile with an 18-ft wingspan! It is considered a pterosaur, a rare, winged reptile of its time that was capable of flight. The Witte Museum features the fossilized skeleton of a Quetzalcoatlus, among other dinosaurs including the well-known Tyrannosaurus Rex.
A clever camera angle puts Sr. PM Justin in a T. Rex's mouth
Like Justin, TD is intrigued by the Witte Museum’s collection, and it has been a pleasure to be a part of the project’s renovation and expansion.
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