Collin Gozick | Construction
Advisor: Ray Sowers
The National Museum of the US Army
Fort Belvoir, VA
proposal
Revised Proposal
Analysis I: Geothermal Well System vs Heat Pump system
The exhibit hall of the museum uses a heat pump system with in-slab PEX tubing to condition the space. In an original design of the mechanical system for the space, a geothermal well system was to be constructed. This analysis will investigate the components of each system to develop cost estimates and schedules for this work. After evaluating these criteria, it will be determined which mechanical system is more beneficial to construction.
Analysis II: Alternate Façade System
The museum utilizes a stainless-steel metal panel system for the exterior façade. Issues with logistics have hindered the schedule of this work. This analysis will investigate alternate façade materials and if they will be more beneficial to utilize. The cost of each of these systems, the installation durations, and the lifecycle costs will be researched to determine if an alternate material should be used for the exterior façade of the building.
Analysis III: Coordination Efforts between GC and Additional Contractors
On the National Museum of the US Army project, the general contractor and the exhibit contractor have no contractual ties to each other but must coordinate work to allow for each contractor’s scope of work to be completed according to schedule. There have been issue coordinating turnover of exhibit spaces in the past. This analysis will investigate the means of coordinating between the contractors and develop a plan of more effective coordination for the future through a series of interviews and surveys.
Analysis IV: Team Dynamics and Interactions
In the industry research analysis, the interactions between members of a project team will be investigated. Different job titles with different responsibilities are in charge of coordinating their work while also communicating effectively with others to provide a successful project. Through a series of interviews and surveys with project team members, a plan to assimilate project team members with one another will be developed to provide a well-rounded team atmosphere on construction projects.
Mechanical Breadth:
This breadth analysis will compare the original mechanical system design to the re-design in the exhibit hall of the National Museum of the US Army. The original design utilized a geothermal well system as a source of energy to condition the museum exhibit spaces. However, the re-design of the mechanical system now uses a pump system located in the basement of the museum and feeds an in-slab PEX tubing system found in the slab-on-grade of the exhibit hall. This breadth will size each of these mechanical systems for the exhibit hall space and determine the cost of each of these sized systems. This mechanical breadth will be performed by investigating the specifications of each system to be considered to determine which system best conditions the exhibit hall space.
Structural Breadth:
This breadth analysis will compare the re-design of the exterior façade system from a structural standpoint. The building utilizes a stainless-steel metal panel system, but with a re-design to an alternate exterior façade, the effect that this system will have on the structure will be investigated. The make up of two different façade systems may be entirely different and may apply different loads on the structure of the museum. A plan to more effectively communicate and coordinate each other’s work can be created from this. This structural breadth will be completed through a series of steps that includes performing load calculations for various types of metal panels and calculating the result on the museum structure.