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Baseline Consultants Office Building – Vestavia Hills, AL

The Baseline Consultants’ Office Building project is a significant project for Twin Commercial, LLC for many
reasons, as good as any being the fact that it was the emerging contractor’s first building completed in the greater Birmingham area, and only its second project completed in the history of the new company. The pride in this project stems from every aspect of its success, from the initial discussions with the owner regarding how Twin Commercial could add unique value to the project, to the methodical detail in completing the punchlist, allowing the owner to occupy the building well in advance of the scheduled completion time.

The owner, Baseline Investments, LLC needed a company that could complete the project quickly and under budget. Relying on Twin Commercial’s interest to prove itself as a new general contractor, its ability to scope and prepare the trade packages during preconstruction to ensure the best pricing, and its “open book” policy of reviewing the budget with the owner as a team, Baseline took a calculated risk and selected Twin Commercial from the list of general contractors they were considering. A unique emphasis was placed on the preconstruction phase to ensure all aspects of the project were planned so the trades could be bought out early, allowing more time during the project for quality control and detailed management. Several rounds of value analysis and cost savings proposals were completed, and the project broke ground on January 2, 2007 with a scheduled contract time of eight (8) months.

Almost immediately, challenges were encountered. Geotechnical reports confirmed that the building pad was on fill material, and the structural engineer would require deep foundations on one side of the building to ensure adequate bearing capacity of the soil, and additional proof-rolling to confirm compaction of under-slab fill. To further complicate matters, the under-slab waste piping was installed incorrectly by the plumbing subcontractor. Twin Commercial’s quality control review caught the incorrect plumbing the morning of the slab pour, and the plumbers worked with the concrete crew to correct the plumbing during the pour, averting a potential disaster. With some cooperation from the weather, and some innovative scheduling, the deep foundation and slab was completed within the bounds of the original schedule.

Some additional challenges were encountered during installation of the site utilities. Site domestic water service was not located on the property as shown on the site utility plan. This problem was identified early in the project by the superintendent’s attention to detail, and with some coordination with the authorities having jurisdiction, the domestic water was allowed to be extended from the main in the same trench as the planned fire water service extension to the property – a resourceful and economical solution for the owner. Prior to backfill of the fire vault, Twin Commercial noticed that the vault had been installed by the subcontractor out of level, and was also not oriented properly to receive site ductile iron piping. Again, quality control reviews caught the problem before it was magnified, saving the subcontractor from a costly and time consuming mistake, and saving significant time on the overall schedule. With the project being the first out of the ground in a commercial subdivision of nine (6) lots, Twin Commercial was required to take the lead on several items of coordination outside the contracted scope of responsibility, including distribution of power and water to the property.

On the interior, quality of the finishes was of the utmost importance. Twin Commercial reviewed the work of each trade during installation as if through the eyes of the owner and architect. The majority of deficient work items were addressed during the project instead of at the end, allowing for a very manageable punchlist after substantial completion. When the work of the concrete staining subcontractor was not acceptable after review of the initial installation, Twin Commercial, considering all options and deadlines, decided to strip the seal from the floor and self-perform the re-staining and re-sealing of the concrete to the satisfaction of the owner.

Twin Commercial worked very closely with the building inspectors, design team, and other authorities having jurisdiction over the project. When the building inspector, during the framing inspection, required that the structural engineer write a letter certifying the installation of the floor and roof trusses, the structural engineer’s schedule was coordinated so that he could be on the job the next day for an inspection. The resulting letter added special connections at certain trusses depending on their uplift load criteria. Immediately, Twin Commercial analyzed and color coded the truss shop drawings for the framing subcontractor in order to simplify their interpretation of the new connection locations. The total process took only three (3) days, minimizing the impact to the schedule.

Safety was a primary concern on this project. The superintendent, just prior to breaking ground, completed the forty (30) hour OSHA safety course presented by the ABC Alabama Chapter. Attendance to weekly toolbox meetings was documented and was required of all subcontractors. Several special safety meetings were held onsite, including scaffold safety for the masons and framers, and fall protection for the roofers.

The project was able to stay on schedule for many reasons, as important as any being that the general contractor and owner agreed to meet weekly throughout the project to review progress, make crucial decisions, and answer questions. The communication on the project was of paramount importance, flowing down from the owner and general contractor to the subcontractors and suppliers. The superintendent and project manager shared the same values relative to preparation, organization, and communications, making the project progress forward like a well-oiled machine. Twin Commercial field personnel rose to the challenge and accepted more responsibility as the project progressed. Job cost and labor was tracked and projected on a bi-weekly basis, ensuring that the project stayed under budget. Upcoming activities were reported to the owner in the weekly Owner/GC meetings in anticipation of, and in preparation for, potential changes that would be made. The result was a project that was completed in six (6) months; two (2) months earlier than originally anticipated, without compromising the expected quality.

The success described above was the result of several project management plans and programs implemented during the course of construction. Requests for information were forwarded to the owner and architect in writing, and tracked for response time. Owner/GC meeting agendas were published in advance of the meeting, allowing all parties to prepare and have answers at the meeting. After the meetings, the minutes were documented and distributed to all parties. Changes in the work were tracked as Contract Change Requests (CCRs), logged, and priced to the owner as soon as the change was realized by the general contractor. CCR logs were reviewed at every Owner/GC meeting. Change orders were submitted in a timely manner so that the budget stayed current. Deficient work of subcontractors was documented, logged, and forwarded to the subcontractors in writing. Outstanding deficient work was reviewed with each subcontractor prior to approval of payment applications. These proven but not always used methods facilitated efficiency, communication, and accountability and helped the project to flow smoothly.

Countless factors played roles in the success of the Baseline Consultants’ Office Building, but above all, the teamwork approach was bought into by everyone involved in the project, setting up the project and the team for success. For this reason, the project was considered a very special one, and deserves recognition and qualification for an ABC Excellence in Construction Award.