Confidential Client Data Center #1

Industry:

Mission Critical

Size:

1,576,403 sq. ft.

Location:

Midwest, USA

Year:

2019 — 2022

The 107-acre Parnassus Heights campus at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) was one of the first major building sites in the western portion of the City. The campuses’ buildings reached 50 years of age on average and are facing the need to adjust their physical looks to the University’s status of the driver in the world-renowned research innovation, education, and care delivery.

The UCSF leaders have developed a Comprehensive Parnassus Heights (CPH) Plan that will guide the campus’ revitalization up to 2030. Beside the construction of the New Research and Academic Building and the new hospital at the Helen Diller Medical Center, it also covers the upgrade of the users’ access across Parnassus Avenue, aiming to make it safe and convenient.

SERVICES PROVIDED

At the Parnassus Heights campus site, two multi-story parking garages provide the majority of the parking supply — the Medical Building 1 (former ACC) garage and the Milberry garage — with a total of nearly 2,000 spaces. At more than 50 years old, both garages will require seismic upgrades to remain viable during the CPH Plan duration.

The entrance and exit for the Ambulatory Care Center (ACC) garage at the intersection of Carl and Arguello streets creates visibility challenges. As a part of improving its functionality and addressing the campus’ evolving mobility needs, our client was in charge of the sewer repair part of the site upgrade. The VEC BIM & VDC team stepped in to enforce the UCSF project with our VDC onsite and coordination services. VEC’s core challenge within this project was aligning our scope of work with a bigger Parnassus Heights renovation picture.

Onsite BIM & VDC

Being at a Parnassus Heights Medical Building 1 jobsite, VEC performed the 3D Laser Scanning of the vast parking structure along with the mechanical and electrical rooms adjacent to the parking spaces. The scanned space conditions presented as 3D model of existing drawings form a visual data set, which will be used further for the design and layout of the new sewer line. We also provided 2D CAD linework drawing of the floor and ceiling structure, striping, walls, columns and utilities.

VDC Coordination Management

Our VDC Coordination Management team sealed the jobsite processes with structure and comprehensive construction sequencing. Our expert assistance with the contract language clearly distinguished whether the BIM standards had already been applied ensuring the project's overall efficiency. The VEC-examined and approved thorough contract invited a targeted construction coordination schedule, powered by a solid BIM Execution Plan (BEP). Our carefully set up coordination platform rendered the construction process predictable and conflicts-free.

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Wayne and Gladys Valley Center for Vision at Mission Bay houses more than 40,000 square feet of clinic space, 70 patient visit rooms, and is a home to the world’s leading research and clinical care on vision and eye health. Its adjacent 12-story tower includes administrative and conference space for UCSF faculty and staff previously dispersed across multiple sites.

VEC embarked on the UCSF campus revitalization project as our client had the contractual obligations to as-built scan and document post-tension (PT) cables for future building repurposing by UCSF and to prevent potential damaging of those cables. We were engaged to provide the base scope of High-Definition 3D laser scanning (HDS) services to document the PT cables after installation.

The VEC’s daring Onsite Quality Control team recognized an incredible opportunity to deliver value beyond what was required to the construction team. Even though the project schedule was tight and delays due to structural issues or rework needed to be avoided at all costs, we ventured to analyze and report the scan data and BIM model in an actionable format within 24-hours before concrete placement, thereby giving the construction team enough time to react and address problems.

After many initial meetings, consulting with the client’s onsite construction team, and training of project subcontractors, our expert team developed and implemented a unique workflow to provide an overnight comparison report prior to concrete pour the next day. The glaring challenge of this project was to set and manage the Contractor's expectations while keeping up with our own initiative to overdeliver.

HOW WE DID IT?

We established a real-time communication and file sharing system that would allow our onsite scanning teams, the office BIM specialists, and the remote model analysis teams to share information, give instructions, and refine the workflow to adapt to field conditions and schedule fluctuations.

Some of the tools VEC used to complete the project tasks were the 3D Laser Scanners Leica P40/P50 & RTC360, Autodesk Point Layout for Horizontal & Vertical Control Preparation, and Autodesk ReCap/Pro for Point Cloud Conversion.

Once our client received the comparison drawing by 6am on the morning of the concrete pour they would review the drawing, note any deviations beyond acceptable tolerance, then take the drawing into the field and inspect each of these items. Prior to modifying anything they would field verify the reported deviation by double checking the measurements reported in the comparison. Any deviation that was out of tolerance was corrected prior to concrete placement.

The new Adobe 100 Hooper campus is an addition to the company’s current historic facility located a few blocks away. The key project goal was to expand Adobe’s presence and operations in San Francisco’s Design District and promote an urban campus feel. The building’s design supports employees’ needs and reaches beyond the typical and boring desk set-up.

Being constructed from a cold shell, the new Adobe office building now covers:

Two lobbies and four floors of workspace

A dining area

A roof deck

Fitness center with meditation rooms and showers

“Media rooms” for those who are into music, games, and virtual reality

A library zone

A kitchen and a café

Multiple meeting rooms of different sizes located throughout the open floor plan

In terms of general BIM coordination, our biggest challenge was to establish the best possible processes unique for the Adobe 100 Hooper project.

Los Angeles International Airport is undoubtedly the engine of the regional economy, being the second busiest airport in the United States. In 2021, the construction of LAX Metro Connector began, aiming to elevate passengers’ experience and reduce the structure’s operational and embodied carbon emission. It’s a multi-phase aviation construction project involving the building of three at-grade light rail transit platforms that will be added to the Metro K Line at Aviation Bl/96th St.

Kilroy Oyster Point Phase I covers almost 660,000 sq. ft. of leasable research and development (R&D) facilities with associated parking spaces and the project's parcel of about 10 acres. Phase I construction consists of three towers offering lab and office areas over four levels of structured parking to the target tenants, which are companies' offices and life sciences focusing on biotech laboratories. The MEP infrastructure is designed for a "flexible" building to feature a 70:30 lab-to-office ratio.

With the LEED platinum certification, Kilroy Oyster Point is a popular destination for technological progress and discovery. The local history, landform, and the sea have impacted the facility's cutting-edge design, promoting energizing environment, wellness, sustainable efforts, and productivity. When working on this compelling commercial real estate project, VEC's most critical challenge was providing accurate budgeting and cost estimation and guaranteeing construction with the least possible clashes.

VEC experts participated in the Kilroy Oyster Point Phase I from 2019 to 2021 providing our reliable electrical BIM & VDC services, including 3D modeling of power, lighting, and fire alarm (FA) systems. During the project, we collaborated closely with Prime Electric as an electrical contractor and Hathaway Dinwiddie as a General Contractor, who also played the BIM facilitator role and managed the entire BIM process.

We collaborated with the design team and other trades during the pre-construction and construction stages. Thanks to such coordination and BIM software, VEC compared 3D models of various building systems and identified field conflicts seamlessly before installation. Our team assisted in reviewing and confirming that models were clean, accurate, and created according to the design. As a trusted BIM and VDC partner, VEC facilitated the exchange of 3D models by promoting collaborative document sharing.

The confidential client representing the social media business first announced the construction of its up-to-date data center in 2014. Since then, the project has passed some phases focused mainly on expanding the existing campus. Today, all client’s operations within the facility are supported by 100% renewable energy, which allows it to produce no carbon footprint.

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Besides having energy-efficient server designs and a robust outdoor-air cooling system, this data center has gone further. It features evolutionary improvements regarding building design, networking architecture, etc. and has achieved LEED Gold Standards. That makes this mission-critical facility one of the most advanced and sustainable worldwide. The goal of VEC involvement was to assist in constructing new buildings and other infrastructure required for the client’s operations. Due to the project’s complexity and scalability, it was pretty challenging.

The scalable five-part undertaking involved constructing and placing several mission-critical facilities, site infrastructure, medium voltage/site communication underground pathways, utility-grade medium voltage distribution switchgear, and 3000kVA transformers. Meanwhile, the interior portion utilized pre-manufactured electric room skids, heavy underground distribution, multiple remote power panels, an overhead data center rack busway, and a unique penthouse air delivery system consisting of several electrical connections.

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VEC tech specialists took part in that significant data center construction project in 2019-22. Our team provided high-quality electrical BIM & VDC services and modeled many systems, including power, lighting, fire alarm (FA), telecom, emergency responder radio communications systems (ERRCS), and security.

After an initial consultation period to assess their facility management (FM) operations, VEC provided campus-wide as-built and existing conditions mapping and modeling. Once this phase was complete, VEC was engaged to produce a visioning video demonstrating how a common-data structure could be implemented with existing FM systems and databases to build a Virtual Data Center FM program.

Services

Our client’s primary objective was to cater to numerous enterprise partners and customers. When working on this exceptional project, the most significant challenge for VEC experts was to develop robust 3D models of electrical systems along with providing high-level VDC coordination and onsite quality control services to assist the client in improving its business performance and offering digital transformation initiatives for businesses.

With VEC, you are free to choose the services your project requires in any order or package. Over the course of this versatile collocation data centers work, we contributed with:

Electrical BIM & VDC

VEC's professionals played a crucial role in the data center project in 2018—2021 by providing world-class electrical BIM & VDC services, mainly focusing on power, lighting, fire alarm (FA), and telecom system modeling.

We created accurate and detailed as-built native Revit models which were free from unnecessary clutter or extraneous files and included drawing sheets and linked reference documents. These models encompassed final approved and validated field changes, specific construction details, and unique client-defined parameters.

VDC Coordination Management

One of the stages of the data centers expansion project involved VEC’s BIM Coordination and Management services for the two-story structure with a steel frame and precast concrete elements, supported by six emergency generators and mechanical and electrical rooms. The abundant sunshine of Silicon Valley fuels the building’s solar collection panels mounted on the roof.

Our skilled BIM & VDC team provided advanced VDC coordination management services, including contract language assistance, creating a well-detailed BIM Execution Plan (BEP) and coordination schedules, along with the coordination platform setup. VEC directed all the efforts at creating one seamless collaborative space for all the contractors involved.

Onsite Quality Control

The project implies the construction of the data center buildings with a total of about 411,000 square feet in size on an approximately 18-acre site. The latter will also be enforced by the electrical substation as an additional power source. The building network of this complexity and level of significance demands for the advanced accuracy in evaluating the jobsite to spot and avoid deviations at the earliest possible.

The VEC team powered the construction crew with our exceptional Onsite Quality Control services. Utilizing drone technology and 3D laser scanning allowed for capturing site conditions in all available dimensions rather than only from a ground level observation. Photo and Video documentation of the gathered data in 360° drove the precision in decision making throughout the project overall.

The T3W project aims to augment revenue opportunities by extendingthe unique passenger experience in Boarding Area E and Terminal 3 East. All the mentioned improvements to Terminal 3 West will align with the latest building fire safety code, which entails reconfiguring the security checkpoints. For VEC, as an experienced contractor having already delivered successful outcomes for SFO, the biggest challenge was ensuring the proper performance of all electrical systems, mainlysecurity ones.

VEC’s specialists started working on this state-of-the-art aviation building project in 2020. Since then, our professional team has provided outstanding electrical BIM & VDC services that cover 3D modeling of power, lighting, telecom, fire alarm (FA), and security systems.

Our services involved developing a BIM Execution Plan (BEP) that was shared with other project contractors. The relevant approach proved efficient as it facilitated effective management of BIM deliverables, swift detection of clashes, and overall improvement in the coordination process. By utilizing Revit, VEC’s experts generated robust 3D models providing seamless construction coordination among all trades.

Our scope of work at LAX encompassed the design and 3D modeling of the underground utilities across the airport’s 530,000-square-foot terrain. A task of such scale requires immense responsibility in terms of the structure’s safety and long-term functionality.The skilled civil team at VEC gravitates towards ambitious projects as they enable innovation to flourish. With our communities in mind we took on the challenge to “lay grounds” for other construction teams contributing to LAX infrastructure expansion.

KEY OUTPUT

Our general BIM coordination specialists helped all the involved project parties stay focused on creating a constructible model.

VEC brought clear shop drawings and layouts to the general contractor and client.

We cut down the number of RFIs and reduced carbon emissions.

Thanks to detailed, real-time cost data, like schedules, pricing, and quantities, our team estimated and predicted the potential project ROI.

With exceptional general BIM coordination services, VEC contributed to building a modern Adobe 100 Hooper Campus that achieved two key sustainability certifications — LEED-CI v4 and Fitwel, supporting green building best practices and delivering to employees’ health.

ONSITE AT LAX

At the LAX job site, we stick to our detailed shop drawings to ensure the flawless installation of prefabricated materials. With VEC, LAX will get its infrastructure expanded with the best design and the accessibility of critical construction information.

The client’s expectations are VEC’s guiding light towards the project's successful completion. During the LAX expansion, we aimed at exceeding the results on set goals, as involving BIM and VDC technology in a project this demanding in terms of scale and safety standards was a venture for our client.

Acknowledging our client's trust and confidence in us, the VEC team was dedicated to providing clear and precise 3D models for the airport’s civil underground utilities. Using Revit, VEC BIM & VDC experts created 3D coordination models for each project phase.

3D models are digitally correct spatial and dimensional representations of the future object. Due to its shared ownership, the coordination model facilitates the overall project management and ensures the discovery of conflicts prior to issuing final construction drawings. Being able to walk the job site provided the VEC crue with invaluable insight into the other project trades bringing our virtual models to life in the field.

KEY OUTPUT

Having the responsibility to lay the foundation for the whole structure’s operation, VEC needed to be able to detect clashes and conflicts at the early stages of the project to then solve them within a reasonable timeframe. There is no greater assistant with such a goal as BIM & VDC technology that allowed us to:

Design a complex system of underground utilities for LAX Metro Connector, maintaining a high accuracy of pricing throughout the project;

Exceed our client’s expectations, creating the project’s coordination ecosystem that invited for entrusting us with more scopes of work;

Reduce the number and magnitude of issues that distract from project’s momentum;

Provide seamless functionality of the Metro Connector’s critical systems ensuring enjoyable airport’s passengers’ and staff experience.

Alongside being highly operational and aimed at facilitating passengers’ trip, Los Angeles International Airport Metro Connector is also a fascinating travel maze including Automated People Mover, bus plaza, bicycle and Metro Hub. The VEC team is proud to have contributed to the design of the core underground utilities of the central aviation construction project.

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Services Provided

The three-story data center building is guaranteed to run 24/7 uninterrupted thanks to flexible data hall density, high-efficiency N+1 indirect evaporative cooling, and renewable energy solutions. VEC’s client was dedicated to ensure flawless power supply to the added data halls. Aiming to exceed our client’s expectations, we joined the project with our electrical BIM & VDC. VEC’s expert team faced the challenge of modeling the electrical systems, identifying and eliminating clashes on time, keeping in mind that the installation and further operation would occur in a heavily equipment-packed environment.

The new Silicon Valley data center benefits from the PG&E Direct Access program, that allows a limited number of eligible consumers to choose their power supply providers. VEC’s efforts in the project centered around creating clash-free 3D models of electrical systems over the 180,000 square feet of data center space, including conduits, cable trays, feeders, and busways. Our team recognized the importance of the impeccable installation drawings issued after 3D modeling as the onsite crew worked in conditions of limited tolerance, and any conflicts identified during installation would have been highly disruptive.

CUSTOMER VALUE

The renowned data center provider is proud of its customized build-to-suit wholesale turnkey or powered shell data centers. VEC ensured to deliver our electrical BIM & VDC services for our client to reinforce the provider’s exceptional level of service and increase its presence in Silicon Valley.

Our dedicated team thoroughly examined the existing site conditions and project requirements to develop a detailed, data-rich virtual model of the facility.

We created robust 3D models of the electrical supply systems for this leading-edge data center construction project, reducing the number of RFIs and costly rework.

Keeping constant and informative communication with our client, we established a seamless collaborative workflow that allowed for respecting the project timeframe and milestones.

Services Provided

VEC enforced this particular two-story mission–critical project with our BIM and VDC Coordination services, which centered aroundthe fit-out 3D model coordination for 300 MW Data Center. Our most significant challenge on the project remains unchanged across the data center construction realm — deliver the highest end results within the shortest timeframe possible.

Our confidential client has long and rewarding business relations with the data center provider, and it was vital for us to help nourish it with the first-class BIM and VDC services. VEC’s experienced team secured the nearly 900,000 square-foot field work with accurate, refined, and neat installation drawings that rendered the construction process streamlined and well-organized.

KEY OUTPUT:

BIM Coordination is an innovative and effective method to plan future construction activities and anticipate and resolve foreseeable conflicts. The VEC team feels deeply fulfilled to have fruitfully applied it in the construction of the soon-to-be world’s largest multi-tenant data center campus.

We developed a tailored coordination schedule adapted to the project’s tight timeline, usual for the mission–critical construction market sector.

VEC BIM specialists managed to identify clashes in the model well on time, which secured the whole project crew with a stress-free work environment.

Our project-specific coordination platform fostered healthy cross-team communication, accountability, and progress transparency.

Services Provided

The Solana 101 Project is classified as net zero energy building. It is aimed at the reduction of the electricity consumption, making the building reliant upon the solar energy through the solar roofing. The structure was also built to have the low demand for water with the low water use plumbing fixtures installed there. The attempt to cut the construction’s carbon footprint undoubtedly leads to BIM. VEC’s client turned to us for our BIM & VDC Onsite Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) services. We were to also fulfill the request of checking the virtual models of the building's systems for clashes and conflicts to ensure seamless fieldwork.

The VEC crew’s central challenge was to bring together the work of the project's multiple trades, providing the all-encompassing, highly detailed and comprehensive QA/QC analysis report. We conducted the pre-pour analysis of the site conditions for electrical and plumbing stub up verification. Our team checked the building’s 3D model for systems’ overlap, structural elements potential shadowing each other, and correct conduits and pipes routing.

Key Output:

As a result of VEC’s involvement in the Solana 101 Project, we facilitated the construction of the new commercial real estate complex with our Onsite BIM & VDC services, leaving our mark in the enhancement of the Solana Beach community.

Our terrain 3D laser scanning tools provided the accurate site capture ensuring the high level of detail for the QA/QC analysis report.

The VEC team complex’ 3D model verification left no clashes, conflicts, or system overlap unnoticed or unmitigated.

A fully coordinated virtual model with an orderly network of its core systems allowed for issuing of clear and comprehensive installation drawings drastically improving the field collaboration.

The ZSFG’s Building 5 seismic retrofit will eventually affect 200 locations on all seven floors of the facility fulfilling the long-term vision to convert Building 5 into the new Outpatient Care Center. VEC’s client was leading this large-scale structure strengthening project and needed an unrivaled confidence in data presented on the project’s shop drawings and layouts. Nothing suits better for such a task than VEC’s BIM & VDC Coordination services, so our accomplished crew joined the mission.

Our biggest challenge on the project was to meticulously process the construction documents (CDs), existing site conditions, required schedules and budgets to identify and hit the project-specific milestones. On the path to fulfilling this task, VEC provided contract language assistance to identify what BIM standards had already been considered and followed by developing a construction-focused, well-structured, and transparent BIM Execution Plan (BEP). We also set up the coordination platform to ensure that constant communication, data transparency and accountability are ever present across all project teams. Our work resulted in a coherent system of concrete shop drawings foundations across all 7 floors of the ZSFG Hospital’s Building 5.

CUSTOMER VALUE

Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital houses unique research programs of the University of California at San Francisco which cater to patients improving surgical techniques and developing injury prevention routines. Reinforcing the Building 5 seismic upgrade project with our BIM & VDC Coordination services, VEC:

Ensured all project stakeholders were aligned and focused on delivering a constructible model.

Minimized the number of RFIs securing the project from the sign-off time increase and cost overruns.

Facilitated VDC coordination using a user-friendly platform, enabling stakeholders to access accurate project information and stay updated on the progress.

ZSFG is the county's sole Level I trauma center and the largest facility for acute inpatient and rehabilitation care for psychiatric patients. Being a part of its seismic reinforcement embodies VEC’s vocation
in the AECO industry — helping the best build (and care) better.

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KEY OUTPUT

The VEC team contributed to this bayfront area project with our first-class electrical modeling services, covering a state-of-the-art life science campus with commercial office spaces and a pleasant marine environment. We achieved all project goals and addressed crucial emerging concerns.

VEC specialists created-first class 3D models of multiple systems, which allowed for correctly installing them on-site later and ensuring their proper performance.

The client obtained new data center spaces thanks to our electrical VDC services. That would help maintain its global impact and add extra value to the customers’ contributions to the local economy and community.

As an integral project part, responsible for BIM modeling and management, our skilled team played a crucial role in constructing one of the most energy-efficient facilities of this type worldwide.

Key output

With our top-notch BIM & VDC services, VEC contributed to constructing modern data center facilities, helping our confidential client target LEED Silver certification by creating energy-efficient systems.

Our exceptional 3D modeling services granted the customer to have achieved schedule and cost certainty, improving project delivery and outcomes.

VEC developed fully clash-detected models to minimize Requests for Information (RFIs) regarding object locations, mitigating the deviations effectively.

Closely collaborating with our client, the VEC team created model shop drawings within the relevant timeframes, and met all the project’s requirements.

VEC’s contribution to the Silicon Valley data center expansion project enabled seamless campus cross-connectivity to other facilities, making it a perfect location for those seeking interconnection with prominent network and cloud service providers.

Services Provided

VEC's experienced tech team was engaged in the data center project in 2021-22, providing high-end VDC coordination management services. They covered assisting with contract language, creating a BIM Execution Plan (BEP) and coordination schedules, along with setting up a coordination platform. When creating detailed and transparent project documentation, VEC acknowledged the client’s need for enhanced processes, and adopted a construction-centered approach.

VEC 3-Step Pathway to the Successful VDC Coordination:

We deeply analyzed the contractual language to get a complex understanding of the already implemented BIM standards. Based on the project's characteristics, VEC presented the recommendations to increase efficiency.

A proper BEP and schedules were crucial in promoting a strong project initiation, providing clear guidance to each project trade.

VEC’s skilled VDC coordination team set up a robust coordination platform to facilitate communication, responsibility, and transparency over the course of the data center project.

Key Results

With VEC’s excellent VDC coordination management services, our confidential client constructed a cutting-edge data center to effectively support the online business operations of numerous network service providers.

We developed a construction-oriented and project-specific BEP for all parties involved, leveraging the extensive technical knowledge of our BIM & VDC specialists.

VEC played a crucial role in keeping each project contractor focused on common objectives and collaborating to develop a model that could be feasibly constructed.

Our team constantly communicated with the client to guarantee the completion of model shop drawings within the required timeframes.

SERVICES PROVIDED

The VEC team joined the Las Positas construction project to enforce it with our high-end wet civil underground BIM & VDC services. Our client was looking for ways to eliminate conflicts in the field and optimize the construction process overall, reducing its cost and time while complying with the safety requirements. VEC’s challenge in the construction of this modern educational facility was to reach an advanced level of civil underground work, overcoming the industry’s resistance to rely on the virtual design and construction more than on "traditional" approaches.

Our experienced civil underground crew developed a detailed workflow within the VEC scope of work, leveraging the most prominent planning practices in BIM. Seamless pre-construction stage secured the project with the meticulous 3D models of the storm drainage, sewage, and water systems. Our cutting-edge clash detection software allowed for spotting major conflicts in a federated model prior to the systems’ installation on site. The use of the LOD 350 Modeling increased the site productivity and reduced the number of time-consuming RFIs.

ENHANCED VISUALIZATION

CUSTOMER VALUE

The Chabot-Las Positas Community College is an educational hub where the community’s commitment to the supportive learning environment is being fulfilled. Contributing to the construction of its Academic Support and Office Building, VEC’s exceptional performance is backed with:

Enhanced design and construction processes through increased transparency, information access, and exchange among the design team and trade partners.

Decreased construction waste by utilizing a virtual building process to simulate design and construction activities followed by seamless collaboration on site.

Cost and schedule certainty thanks to more accurate budgeting and cost estimating and fully clash detected models.

CUSTOMER VALUE

The development of these new, modern, and luxurious living spaces has breathed new life into Cedar Rapids' downtown area, creating a vibrant and thriving community that is attracting new residents and businesses. VEC cherishes the opportunity to do what we know and love while contributing to the positive changes in our nationwide community’s standard of living!

VEC enforced the 151 Lofts construction project with our exceptional electrical BIM/VDC services, ensuring the undisrupted everyday comfort of future residents.

Elements prefabrication usage successfully promoted this technology for the construction field crews, fostering waste-free sites that are non-dependent on weather conditions.

VEC’s shop/installation drawings, produced from a clash-free, coordinated 3D model, secured the trades with calm and orderly collaboration, assuring their confidence in the agreed-upon budgets and timelines.

CUSTOMER VALUE

The Parnassus Heights campus site is located near the geographic center of San Francisco, having breathtaking views of the coastline, park, and a Golden Gate Bridge. The UCSF revitalization, including the Parnassus Avenue, will promote the site’s intuitive wayfinding, easy navigation between buildings, and effortless orientation for the first time visitors and patients.

VEC successfully facilitated and advanced the efficiency of our client’s task in the building of the new sewer line at Medical Building 1 UCSF site with the first-class Onsite BIM & VDC.

Our BIM & VDC Coordination Management services established construction workflows that allowed for the cost-effective resources consumption and labor distribution.

VEC enhanced the UCSF innovative spirit, complementing the Parnassus Heights campus renovation with the leading-edge BIM & VDC technology.

CUSTOMER VALUE

One of the biggest complaints we routinely hear on projects is that contractors and engineers did not recognize much value from the laser scanning effort. This is usually not due to inadequate data collected, but rather inadequately delivering the data in a usable format by the client.

Turning over a few hundred gigabytes of point cloud scans is unusable to many clients and can be overwhelming for them to even know where to start. Our goal with the overnight data comparison for the UCSF Wayne and Gladys Valley Center for Vision project was to deliver a simple 2D PDF drawing so that anyone on the construction team could open and review it, and then take immediate action.

The lessons learned over the course of the VEC’s Onsite QC team involvement and workflow prescribed can be applied to nearly all concrete embedded elements as long as they are included in the BIM model and are able to be captured during the laser scanning operation.

VEC is grateful to the project’s stakeholders and trades for the expressed trust in our challenging the status quo when it comes to the as-built scan of the facility of such importance. The collective effort of the VEC’s AECO and BIM & VDC professionals enhanced the UCSF urban presence and promoted its mission in eye health care, research, teaching, and clinical innovation.

Sutter Health, one of Northern California's largest healthcare providers, is set to enhance the well-being of Santa Clara communities, bringing to life its campus expansion plan. This grand construction project features two Sutter Health campuses that will span one million square feet, making it one of the largest healthcare centres in the area. Sutter West and Sutter East Santa Clara campuses will focus on general medical care for individuals and families, women’s health, cancer treatment, advanced imaging and laboratory facilities, and outpatient procedures.

Services Provided

The electrical subcontractor on Sutter Health’s Milpitas facility partnered with VEC, seeking next-level accuracy in their onsite installation operations. Our expert team came aboard with VEC’s Onsite BIM/VDC services. We joined in on the purposeful task of improving the building’s interior tenant on the first floor to change the use from a bank to a medical primary care clinic.

While being a part of this healthcare construction project, VEC maximized its efforts in providing our Trimble Layout services as part of our Onsite BIM/VDC solutions. We faced the intricate challenge of meticulously laying out points for the building’s overhead conduit supports. Although traditional methods remain effective, our customized Trimble layout tool offers a more accurate and precise way to correctly lay out points in the field.

CUSTOMER VALUE

With its construction initiatives, Sutter Health aims to provide seamless access to comprehensive and high-quality healthcare for multiple categories of patients. VEC is always there to support the improvement of our communities’ quality of life with our state-of-the-art BIM/VDC solutions.

The Sutter Health Milpitas project space was divided into two areas of work, and VEC completed all the requested layout points in less than half a day.

Our professional Trimble Layout services equipped the project with unprecedented accuracy in the onsite installation operations, creating abundant cost-saving opportunities for our client.

VEC helped enforce the future primary care clinic with durable electrical systems ready to serve patients to the fullest capacity.

Founded in 1979, Concentra treats more than 50,000 patients per day throughout 41 states from 540 medical centers. Its center in Walnut Creek, CA, features the company’s exceptional service that creates a warm and trusting atmosphere. The center has numerous patient exam rooms, a spacious physical therapy area, and a patient-focused design for a more positive health care experience.

Services Provided

VEC’s client, who specializes in the installation of every type of mechanical and process system, was looking for a BIM/VDC provider to help him secure the construction site with the quality of installation sequencing and precision of execution. We joined the Concentra Urgent Care construction project with our Onsite Quality Control BIM/VDC services, facing the challenge of identifying and successfully mitigating all the potential issues or risks for the medical center that would soon serve patients in need of urgent treatment.

Our contribution to this healthcare construction project consisted of providing Specification and Design Review, Request for Information (RFIs) review & Development, and Field Communication. Our onsite BIM&VDC team performed high-end Quality Assurance & Quality Control (QA&QC) services. By establishing a streamlined process on the Concentra project, VEC’s specialists effectively assessed the existing site conditions, identified possible conflicts, and recommended project-specific solutions.

CUSTOMER VALUE

Concentra delivers occupational health services and consumer health services virtually through its telemedicine program and in its on-site clinics. The VEC team maximized its Onsite BIM/VDC technology efforts to ensure the urgent care clinic’s mechanical systems operate without disruptions, enhancing comfort for patients and employees.

VEC was dedicated to providing proper photo/video documentation of the Concentra site conditions, equipping the project crew with a detailed virtual walkthrough.

Onsite Quality Control, performed by our experienced team, guaranteed no overlap between different systems of the building.

Our customized Trimble layout tool ensured an accurate and precise layout of the points in the field, which improved the construction schedule and allowed for avoiding rework.

“We want our city jungle to be visually pleasing, highly functional, and climate-preservation-oriented.” The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) has invested over $3 billion in upgrading the aging Southeast Water Pollution Control Plant (SEP).

Serving the community since the 1950s, the facility’s long-required modernization covers the following objectives:

The relocation of the biosolids digesters farther away from residential areas — Biosolids Digesters Facilities Project (BDFP).

More efficient capturing and reduction of odors.

Visual enhancements in and around the plant and improved energy recovery system.

VEC benefited from the experience of renovating the SFPUC Biosolids Digesters Facilities Project (BDFP), which was another opportunity to improve our culturally diverse community’s well-being and move the AECO industry forward.

The BDFP project is located within a confined site facing high groundwater levels, poor soil conditions, an urban environment with high population density, and a significant influx of grit from the combined sewer system. The VEC BIM/VDC team joined efforts with the highly experienced confidential general contractors, as well as trade contractors, to align the wastewater treatment plant with sustainable construction practices.

We determined our most vivid challenge on the project was exceeding client expectations on our multiple BIM/VDC services while causing little to no impact on the ongoing operations, taking into account the operating Southeast Water Pollution Control Plant and two railroads.

Scalable BIM/VDC Solutions

Electrical BIM/VDC

The electrical networks are a huge contributor to any building’s advanced design and sustainable functionality. VEC’s electrical BIM/VDC services on the SFPUC Biosolids Digesters Facilities Project involved developing 3D models of temporary power, lighting, power distribution and electrical control, telecom, security, and grounding systems.

We fully-coordinated BDFP with underground, in-slab, overhead conduits and power cable tray, and underfloor conduits routing. Our team used Revit software to create and share all the required deliverables with other stakeholders. VEC’s BIM coordination model offers a comprehensive view of the plant's construction site and covers multiple data types crucial for understanding the project environment.

Mechanical Wet — Plumbing and Process Piping BIM/VDC

The Southeast Water Pollution Control Plant modernization project is remarkable for its scale, complexity, and deep integration with San Francisco County’s ecosystem. To fit into the strict completion timeframe, VEC provided mechanical, plumbing, and process piping BIM/VDC services that accelerated the construction process without compromising its quality and safety.

Our services included:

Plumbing and mechanical piping modeling and BIM coordination

Submittal and RFI review

Seismic and supports engineering and design

Expansion and thrust engineering

The VEC team created 3D models of a set of pipe galleries: digesters to biosolids dewatering, solids pretreatment to digestion, and digestion to energy recovery. Using meticulously gathered data from the existing site conditions, we provided the SFPUC water treatment plant with up-to-date systems for anaerobic digestion:

Biosolids dewatering

Iron chloride storage tanks

Digestion cooling towers

Solids odor control

Digester gas storage

Waste gas burners

VEC overcame the plant’s geotechnical challenges by leveraging BIM/VDC technology when working with structural concrete and metal framing at numerous construction areas of the 40-acre job site.

Mechanical Dry — HVAC BIM/VDC

One of the Biosolids Digester Facilities Project’s central modernization goals is the reduction of odor that negatively affects the neighborhood's everyday comfort. Given the plant’s challenging geodesic conditions, BIM technology is the go-to solution for the design and installation of HVAC systems, vital for odor control. VEC’s approach in HVAC design for the SFPUC plant allowed all trades to minimize productivity issues and focus on the field needs, which led to cost savings in prefabrication planning and material handling.

As-Built Laser Scanning For Efficient Site Logistics

Virtual design and construction practices are essential for the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of projects similar to or larger in scale than the SFPUC Southeast Water Pollution Control Plant (SEP). VEC leveraged its shared BIM/VDC expertise when applying as-built laser scanning tools to capture the site conditions with next-level precision. This allowed us to detect and eliminate clashes and deviations in systems’ 3D models well before taking things to the jobsite, ensuring orderly cross-team collaboration.

4D Simulation For Meticulous Construction Sequencing

Visual exploration of the construction sequence is commonly known as 4D scheduling/simulation. It represents a visual simulation of a construction process that links the project schedule to the equivalent 3D model objects. VEC used this technology to develop a work sequencing on site, focusing on minimizing Requests For Information (RFIs) and costly rework.

Structural Concrete BIM/VDC

The VEC structural concrete team performed BIM modeling and coordination for the Buildings 604 (digestion cooling towers) and 605 (thermal hydrolysis) of the Southeast Water Pollution Control Plant, contributing to the fundamental reinforcement of the grand facility. We specifically worked on slab-on-grade, slab depressions and sloped slabs, embeds, rebar modeling, reinforcing steel, along with the block outs coordination.

Key Output:

Wastewater treatment plants are imperative for cities’ infrastructure, and it is key for them to organically integrate with nearby neighborhoods in terms of aesthetics, the comfort of living, and climate impact. VEC applied its decades of knowledge of the AECO industry to participate in the renovation of the SFPUC Southeast Water Pollution Control Plant for BDFP with a wide range of our services.

Our 3D models of future biosolid digesters and other plant systems enabled the project teams to detect clashes in a timely manner and collaborate to effectively mitigate them.

The VEC BIM/VDC team carefully modeled and coordinated the electrical, process piping, plumbing, and HVAC systems, which ensured advanced odor control practices.

VEC’s structural concrete scope work ensured the plant’s long-term functionality in the trying climate conditions in service of our communities.

We believe the AECO industry must not simply align with the times in terms of design or construction practices trends but also cater to the public by improving its health and well-being. The SFPUC Southeast Water Pollution Control Plant renovation project is another step toward a carbon footprint-free environment, and VEC will continue on this path.

Client Testimonial

As I reflect on our recent collaboration with your team on our SFPUC – BDFP project, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to your team for the support on 4D simulation. This partnership has been characterized by professionalism, dedication, and a commitment to excellence. From the initial planning stages to the final execution, your team’s attention to detail and innovative approach have been commendable. The 4D Sequence simulation played a pivotal role in addressing constructability issues on the SFPUC-BDFP project.

Here are some key points to highlight:

We are extremely satisfied with our collaboration. Your team’s responsiveness, technical expertise, and collaborative spirit have exceeded our expectations. In particular [the VEC team] demonstrated exceptional ability to take on short deadlines and be innovative and stay spirited throughout the contract duration.

The 4D Sequence simulation provided invaluable insights. It allowed us to visualize the project timeline, identify potential clashes, and optimize construction sequences particularly. To name a few, the digester roof installation and equipment installations provided us with valuable insights that allowed us to develop mitigation plans in time. The overall site simulation was used in various client presentations to effectively record progress.

Our experience working with VEC has been transformative. Your commitment to excellence, proactive problem-solving, and seamless communication makes you an indispensable partner. In summary, I wholeheartedly recommend VEC for any future projects. Your expertise, professionalism, and dedication are admirable.

Warm Regards,
Vice President of Digital Delivery
MWH Constructors

CUSTOMER VALUE

For VEC, as a BIM & VDC partner, it was an honor to participate in such a great project, both in terms of scalability and time dedicated to delivering it. We could effectively assist our client in expanding its data center activities by building and placing some necessary facilities.

VEC specialists created-first class 3D models of multiple systems, which allowed for correctly installing them on-site later and ensuring their proper performance.

As an integral project part, responsible for BIM modeling and management, our skilled team played a crucial role in constructing one of the most energy-efficient facilities of this type worldwide.

As a responsible BIM & VDC partner, we keep all our project documentation construction-oriented, well-detailed, and transparent.

VEC thoroughly examined the existing contract language to gain understanding of the BIM standards already applied. Making improvement suggestions relevant to the project, our team enhanced the contract’s effectiveness. Followed by a well-defined BEP and phase specific schedules, Campus Building 22 project secured a solid start.

VEC’s contribution to constructing such a state-of-the-art campus helped our confidential client to maintain its strong connection with the Menlo Park community. With a glass facade structure showing attractive design features like specific staircase connections and a long skylight, the facility became a landmark in the neighborhood.

VEC, as a first-class BIM & VDC provider, became a crucial part of the construction of this modern commercial office building with an enormous parking garage.

By correctly modeling power and lighting systems, our team made it easier for installers to build them on-site, ensuring time and money savings.

Being involved in this campus building project, our specialists assisted the general contractor and other trades to construct an energy-efficient facility representing the client’s innovative practices and sustainability efforts.

VEC Team Reviews

Omar Hussien

"It's amazing how fast and how much the bluff has receded over the last year. To capture and analyze this data opens my eyes to what this technology can be used for."

Jesus Chavez

"It was a pleasure working alongside AECOM to analyze the corrosion of the bluff using Laser scanning Technology and Drone Photogrammetry. The data we captured is essential as it will provide insight into the stability and safety of the bluff."

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