VOL. 2, #2, FEBRUARY 1998

Crunch Time! Into each project a few unexpected monkey wrenches must fall...

A big construction job is like a long trip. When you start, you have “maneuvering room” to make up time lost when you bump into the inevitable, unanticipated detours. But when you get close to the finish line, that wiggle room shrinks and you really have to scramble to get to your planned destination on time.

Holding the Line

Although we're still holding to our completion dates, the Rutledge Tower project has run into plenty of unanticipated bumps that have cost us time and manpower, compressing our schedules for every aspect of construction. Here's a sample:

• Medical Gas System— Our initial inspection indicated the system that delivers oxygen, medical air and vacuum pressure throughout the building looked okay. But down the road, we found wear and tear, plus lots of other hidden weaknesses. What's more, we were facing NFPA 99, a set of code regulations that are far tougher than those in place when the original system was installed. So we scrapped and replaced the whole system, costing some crew weeks of unanticipated catch-up time.
• Cooling Tower—Again, the system looked serviceable when we started, but as the project continued, it's health went downhill fast. We could have limped along to completion and kept it running for a while, but the smart move was to replace it now before everyone finds themselves sweltering in their offices waiting for yet another patch-up repair. Time cost—more weeks for some crews.
• New Elevator—After everyone agreed which clinics and offices were going where, we called in an elevator consultant (yes there are such people). It took him a few months to analyze the business plans, predict patient traffic, evaluate service needs and compare his findings with existing elevator capacity. The verdict, “You need another elevator.” Suddenly we had to rearrange the schedule so we could tear half the building apart to install a new, 12-story shaft. Time cost—many hundreds of man-hours.
• Emergency Call System—A ruling by regulators said that even though this building isn't set up for inpatients, the emergency call system has to comply with the same regulations as our hospital's system. That means scrap the old one, put in a new one. Time cost—hundreds of man-hours.

More bumps in the night

1) Space designated for our operating rooms had ceilings that wouldn't accommodate today's massive overhead OR equipment (we didn't have a solution initially, but we kept the project going while we searched for one).

2) Installation specifications for a lot of equipment took longer to arrive than planned, setting a lot of schedules back.

3) The roof of the building looked okay initially, but later we found problems that called for replacement.

The Weeks Ahead...

It doesn't get any easier! Wouldn't you think that as we approach the end of the project, things would get simpler? After all, a lot has already been completed. But in reality, the exact opposite is true in big construction projects. Progress gets tougher!

Another remarkable aspect of a project like Rutledge Tower is that it gets more complicated the closer you get to the end. These “Crunch Time” construction variables include everything from tenant requests to the uncertainty of climate-changing Pacific Ocean currents:

• There are several potential issues regarding building codes that we are continually working to resolve.
• Lots of little requests and new ideas pop up when tenants actually see the completed form of space they could only imagine when they signed the plans.
• Lots of other groups have to sign off on the final product—inspectors for everything from the plumbing to phones. And everyone seems to want a few little changes.
• There's lots of move-in interest from groups that want to shift things quickly to minimize disruptions to their office and clinic schedules.
• While the push is on to finish and equip the building for clinical operations, other crews will be paving parking areas, planting trees, building walls and trying to make the entire project look finished. Conflicts are bound to occur.
• El niño—Since the ‘little boy’ turned South Carolina into a rain forest, who knows what he has in store for us next?

The bottom line

The gist of all this? We're still on schedule for summer occupancy, but we're compressed to the max. We can't take too many more surprises, and we're entering the most complicated phase of the project.

Fortunately, we've got some very creative people.

And we're due for a few good breaks.

Q: Who will be allowed to park at the MUSC Rutledge Tower garage?

A: First and second floors will be assigned to employees who work in Rutledge tower. The other three floors are for patients (with access to the connector on the third floor). Employee eligibility for parking spaces is work-sited based (i.e., only employees working at Rutledge Tower will be eligible). If all Rutledge Tower employees cannot be assigned spaces initially, assignments will be made on the basis of seniority. Seniority will drive the waiting list too. The seniority process applies only to the initial group of employees moving into Rutledge Tower. Once they have been assigned parking spaces, or they've been placed on the waiting list, the standard university waiting list policy will be in effect: new employees, transfers and employees who initially turned down parking (but later change their minds) will be wait-listed in chronological order.

Medical Center and ambulatory care departments are giving Parking Management lists of all employees who will work at Rutledge Tower—these lists include hiring dates. The actual number of employee parking assignments has yet to be determined, and other details of the assignment process are being worked out. Additional information will be provided incoming weeks.

Q: Will there be access from the connector to St. Francis Annex?

A: Yes. Employees will be able to get into the Annex through a doorway at the north end of the second floor's main corridor. This door will not be open to the public.

MUSC Rutledge Tower

Who's going where, when?