Innovative Programs Relating to Quality Control

Quality in construction begins with complete and fully coordinated design documents. At Redwood Crystal Lake, McShane’s Director of Quality Control conducted design document reviews to confirm coordination between all design disciplines and to evaluate constructability.

The McShane Quality Assurance Manual was an integral component of construction. Daily and weekly reports on construction site conditions and events were recorded in CMiC, an integrated construction management software. Independent third-party material testing was conducted on a set schedule in accordance with building codes.

To further enhance field oversight, Field Observation Reports were prepared for trades, providing actionable insights for both field and office-based staff. McShane also leveraged SALUS, a QA/QC construction software, to facilitate detailed checklists that ensured all work put in place met McShane’s rigorous safety and quality standards. SALUS also serves as a valuable training tool for junior staff, guiding them on trade-specific items to monitor.

As the project neared completion, McShane worked through its closeout procedure by pre-punching the building with subcontractors in advance of walking with the owner and architect to minimize the overall list as much as possible.

Innovative Programs Relating to Scheduling

McShane understands that the schedule is the backbone of the project. Field and project management staff are extensively trained in scheduling and collaborating with subcontractors and clients to drive the critical path.

The firm has a long-standing track record of meeting tight project schedules for clients and has never been assessed liquidated damages on a project. At Redwood Crystal Lake, McShane created weekly internal schedules. This ensured that all parties involved were aware of the schedule and understood what needed to be accomplished to stay on track.Innovative Programs: Scheduling

Due to the fast-tracked nature of the project, ECI implemented a dynamic scheduling system to keep the project on track. A key example of this was the delivery of 1,200 truckloads of dirt for site elevation. This phase required precision coordination to avoid disrupting other construction activities.

Value Analysis/Engineering Processes

On their past developments, the client sourced subcontractors themselves. However, these subcontractors did not necessarily have the best pricing and offerings. McShane brought in many of their trusted subcontractors who were able to complete the work at a lower cost without sacrificing quality, resulting in measurable savings and improved project outcomes.

Special Obstacles Overcome

Redwood Crystal Lake presented unique challenges, as McShane was the first outside general contractor the client had ever engaged. The client also supplied much of the material directly, diverging from McShane’s standard procurement model of purchasing materials through subcontractors.

Many subcontractors were long-time partners of the client but unfamiliar with McShane’s processes, particularly when it came to meeting McShane’s high standards for quality and safety. The field and safety teams played a critical role in aligning these subcontractors with McShane’s expectations, ensuring that the project was delivered safely and met the firm’s benchmarks for excellence.

Difficulties and Extenuating Circumstances Encountered

McShane’s accelerated construction pace created manpower challenges for some of the client’s subcontractors, who were accustomed to slower timelines. This meant that McShane needed multiple crews, which some subcontractors could not provide. To ensure that this would not cause schedule delays, the McShane team met with subcontractors to work out solutions that were feasible for all parties.

Innovative Programs Relating to Productivity

McShane has spent the last several years upgrading their technology platforms, thereby increasing efficiency and productivity on their projects. At Redwood Crystal Lake, the firm implemented CMiC, an integrated platform that links the accounting and project management elements for all projects, allowing the project team, owner, subcontractors, and design team to access documents at any time. McShane also implemented SALUS to automate QA/QC inspection. Additionally, PlanGrid was used during the punch list process. This enabled McShane to assign tasks directly to subcontractors during the finishing stages and made it easy for the owner and architect to access punch lists. Together, these platforms enhanced mobility of office personnel, increased productivity of field personnel, cut down on communication time, and improved clarity.