A cramped workplace. Short timelines. Solutions to address them. A Clark Pacific implementation of innovative prefabricated construction techniques on a tight project schedule proved the value of BIM.
in September 2020, Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, USA, opened its newest and largest on-campus residence hall to date. named Escondido Village, the new residence hall provides housing for more than 2,400 graduate students. the complex consists of four residence halls totaling six to 10 stories in height, increasing on-campus graduate student housing from 55% to 75% of the student body.
Overcoming unique construction project challenges
Particular challenges for this project included managing a construction site in the middle of a university campus, the need to engineer for an earthquake-prone region, and respecting Stanford University's unique architectural heritage.
To meet these challenges and successfully complete the project, an offsite construction approach was identified as the optimal solution. clark Pacific, headquartered in West Sacramento, California, with decades of experience in the design, manufacture, and construction of prefabricated concrete structures, was selected as the design-builder for the structural frame of this critical project.
Clark Pacific has been named a winner in the precast category of the Tekla North American BIM Awards. The Clark Pacific design, which was recognized for its excellent use of BIM, included precast concrete panels with pre-installed glazing, which allowed the structural framing to be built faster and the building envelope to be finished sooner. This saved valuable time and reduced risk for all project parties.
Workflow alignment is key to construction
When asked how BIM has improved project flow, Grant Guerrieri, Senior Project Manager at Clark Pacific, said**: "One of the biggest challenges in prefabrication is logistics, starting with managing sub-components, sub-assemblies, and individual cast units. we sometimes take for granted how complex material logistics can get, but Tekla Structures and other Trimble solutions help us streamline these workflows so we can focus on more value-added items for our customers."
Guerreri says model sharing has allowed Clark Pacific to expand its workforce globally. "Clark Pacific has strong partnerships with detailing, structural design, and project management firms in the United States, Canada, and India. By utilizing Tekla Model Sharing, Clark Pacific is able to manage its workforce more effectively during the ups and downs of the construction industry."
This coordination required the efforts of several teams, including structural engineers John A. Martin and Associates, architect Korth Sunseri Hagey, general contractor Vance Brown, and detailer Pinnacle Infotek. This essential cross-team collaboration was achieved using Tekla's BIM technology.
To minimize miscommunication between project members, changes were communicated between multiple software tools to meet the BIM requirements of the lead structural engineer. BIM data was also leveraged in downstream processes to drive a more accurate and timely resource planning process.
In construction, innovative tools are essential for success
Clark Pacific's offsite fabrication process was made more efficient by using BIM information to bring rebar production directly into the rebar fabrication solution for mass production.
The Clark Pacific team also actively piloted new technologies enabled by Trimble Connect, such as sharing IFCs for individual elements via tablets rather than paper. This allowed them to share and render more detailed 3D drawings than traditional paper drawings, which was especially important given the information-dense requirements of this project.
"While any project can benefit from utilizing BIM, large, complex projects like Escondido Village can benefit the most. we believe that combining the right team with the right tools will result in lower final project costs and better outcomes."
Grant Guerrieri, Senior Project Manager, Clark Pacific
When considering the benefits of the prefabrication methods used on this project, Guerreri explains that "real benefits to the students include reduced noise during construction, speed of construction, and reduced site impact.
The unique solutions put in place to successfully complete the Escondido Village project required multiple project teams to work closely together to implement groundbreaking prefabricated construction techniques, making the use of BIM technology even more critical.
For the exterior panels, the project's aesthetics and seismic requirements meant that while they were an integral part of the structure, they also had to act as decoration with their complex shapes and exposures. To achieve this, Clark Pacific and the architects needed complete synchronization throughout the project, and BIM technology played a key role in ensuring this synchronization.
