Building on the “Hyper-Track”

DPR’s Data/Com Facility Group has jumped on the telecommunications track with project teams fast at work building data centers for two of the nation’s largest telecommunications companies, MCI WorldCom and AT&T.

“Data is quickly becoming a lifeline force as people are relying on it more and more each day for their daily operations, and it’s our job to not only build these facilities quickly and efficiently but also ensure that they are constructed and maintained to remain in operation around the clock,” said DPR’s Dave Buckel, who heads up the specialized group.

With data center projects under construction across the nation, DPR’s latest awards include three new California facilities for MCI WorldCom, a 78,000-sq.-ft. technical facility in Milpitas, a 28,000-sq.-ft. facility in Oakland and an 85,000-sq.-ft. facility in Menlo Park. In the initial design stages, these three new projects will be built on the same “hyper-track” schedule as two other MCI WorldCom projects currently under construction in Irving, Texas and San Francisco.

Being handled by DPR’s Austin office, the Irving project includes the ground-up construction of a 120,000-sq.-ft. telecommunications switching center. DPR is working closely with the architects, Gensler and engineers, Carter-Burgess to meet the anticipated August 1 completion date of this tilt-up concrete project. The project also includes the installation of innovative sound-reducing enclosures for back-up generators to reduce noise traffic in nearby neighborhoods.

Noise is also a consideration for the 122,000-sq.-ft. San Francisco Telecom Center project located in the heart of the city’s South of Market district. According to Scott Reay, DPR’s San Francisco office is providing complete program management and construction services, including working closely with Gensler and Glumac International to develop a “visually stimulating,” 16-ft.-high concealing acoustic barrier to surround the cooling equipment on the building’s rooftop to keep noise levels to a minimum. The building envelope on the ground floor, where the generators are located, is being designed and acoustically treated to minimize noise impacts to the adjacent residential neighborhood. The five-floor renovation, which is expected to be completed in June, also includes a complete seismic building upgrade.

“Everyone is racing to be the first to market,” said Reay. “And, the one thing that all of these types of mission-critical facility projects have in common is the super accelerated construction schedule.”

IKEA wall raising in San Diego

As DPR crews in Northern California wrap up construction on a 275,000-sq.-ft. corporate and retail facility for IKEA in Emeryville (set to open in Spring 2000), DPR - San Diego is raising the walls of a new 185,000-sq.-ft. IKEA, located next to Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego’s Mission Valley. According to DPR Project Manager Greg Finch, the original design for the concrete tilt-up called for six panels that were too heavy for a crane to lift. As a result, DPR tested and poured a 6,000 psi lightweight concrete mix that reduced the weight of the slabs, allowing the project to progress on schedule. With anticipated completion set for July 2000, DPR is also working closely with the developer’s site contractor to ensure that the project moves forward on schedule despite infrastructure construction and the installation of underground utilities.

Small Projects for a Big Company

IBM sets a fast business pace, and DPR’s Colorado office has been keeping up step for step. Working on numerous $10,000 to $60,000 projects at IBM’s vast Boulder facility, DPR has been doing everything from installing catwalks on water cooling towers to complete office renovations. “We start a new project on almost a weekly basis,” said DPR’s Frank Melara. The 24x7 plant accommodates approximately 10,000 workers and provides facilities for a wide range of services, including satellite tracking, worldwide ATM monitoring, technical support and manufacturing. DPR’s relationship with the IBM facility began in December of 1999. “We have just begun working and have already completed more than $160,000 worth of small projects,” said DPR project manager Dan McIntosh.