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Alongside the designer, hiring the general contractor (GC) is the most important decision an owner/developer can make for a large-scale construction project. There are few choices as impactful on one’s project as choosing the correct GC for your facility construction. While there is often the temptation to skimp and opt for a cheaper option, you will want to hire someone you can trust and — as importantly — someone with whom you can collaborate with through adversity.

Rapid-drying concrete’s benefits are two-fold: the mitigation of moisture damage risk and the immediate acceleration of construction. Owners, general contractors and designers are all, in the end, beneficiaries of the advantages rapid-drying concrete provides. Architects want the most effective materials for their project and the protection of their reputation. General contractors want to please the owner by constructing a facility on budget and on schedule. Owners, meanwhile, want to see their facility become operational as fast as possible so revenue streams can be quickly realized. These goals, however, are unobtainable without dependable, predictable building materials.

The standard design-build construction method, where a contractor and designer work in tandem, differs from the traditional design-bid-build construction method in which the owner/developer maintains separate contracts for both the designer and contractor. Generally speaking, the contractor leads the design-build method, and then hires an architect to design the facility.

Healthcare facility development remains one of the most complex endeavors in the construction industry. Design is dictated by many factors including, but certainly not limited to, physician-hospital relations, financing, capacity, care for the uninsured, patient safety, technological advances, patient satisfaction and perpetually changing government regulations. The number of parties involved (owner/developer, architect, program manager, general contractor, subcontractors, compliance firms), construction timelines, patient/staff experiences, budget concerns and facility longevity present daunting challenges for project owners. We cover four steps owners/developers should take before and during the construction process to mitigate challenges.

Over the past 25 years, moisture-related problems with floor coverings and coatings have been one of the most frequent, costly, and troublesome problems faced by owners, general contractors, project managers and flooring installers. The problems stem from the inability of conventional concrete mixtures to dry to the moisture level required by the manufacturers of the flooring materials within the time allowed by the project schedule.

As a general contractor or project manager you have much to think about at the start of a project. You must choose the right subcontractors and develop a schedule that allows you to coordinate the activity of multiple trades and complete your building on time and within or below budget. Still, unforeseen events can drastically impact your plans, your schedule and your budget. Read our guide on comparing moisture mitigation solutions to see which is right for your project.

The mitigation of moisture in concrete floor slabs began as a late-stage reactionary measure when it was found the moisture levels were above that allowed by the floor-covering manufacturer at the time the flooring was scheduled to be installed. 

As the need for mitigating slab moisture became commonplace around the country, design professionals, owners, project managers and general contractors began to utilize a proactive approach where moisture mitigation became an integral part of project specifications and budget. Given an increased demand for moisture mitigation, the number of moisture mitigation products and approaches introduced to the marketplace shot upwards.

The Tech Industry Doesn’t Sleep, Nor Does its Facility Development

Data centers, server farms, telecomm facilities, and laboratories, among other tech facilities, commonly fit within the definition of mission critical. The interruption or delay of operations within these hubs would result in disaster for business and severely compromise revenue streams. Both post-construction risk mitigation and speed to revenue are of vital importance to the owners and developers of these projects because of the timely significance of their functionality. 

The American healthcare industry is one of the greatest beneficiaries of “speed-to-market” construction due to society’s absolute need for affordable and quality healthcare. The infrastructure for the healthcare industry must keep pace with increasingly growing urban centers, advancing technologies, and the offering of a more diverse array of healthcare services. Upgraded construction efficiency helps quickly provide needed services and bring a facility to market much sooner. 

The decision of choosing building materials for speed-to-revenue construction projects, including concrete, will generally reside with the construction design team (to be eventually approved by the owner). As those within the construction industry can attest, some design teams are set in their ways and generally stray away from new adaptations to traditional construction methods or materials. That said, project owners should be aware of their available options in addition to suggestions made by their chosen designers.