SJCC is a company with foresight. We see potential cost and delay impacts on the horizon and take decisive action with our clients to minimize these disruptions.
Our goal is to bring our projects in before the due date and within the alotted contingency. We do not ‘sugar coat’ our advice to Owners and we take action with the necessary parties to prosecute the work.
Currently our firm has approximately $700 million of projects under our management and in a federal consent decree condition. We continually focus on each of these projects’ well being.
We provide core services as typically seen in the construction management sector. Below is a little more detail on these services.
Control Management
Controls in the construction industry are critical to project success. We specialize in document controls on the jobsite and have expertise in executing and/or incorporating the following into your projects:
- Letters
- Submittals
- RFIs (requests for information)
- Transmittals
- PCO (potential change order) tracking
- PCO pricing and negotiation
- Change orders (from owner and to subcontractors/suppliers)
- Subcontracts and purchase orders
- Pay applications
We have the capability of providing whole-project management turnkey services, or are happy to serve you in a specialty professional service or staff augmentation role.
Constructability
Some drawings and specifications are incomplete or just poor. Most documents simply could benefit from a contractor’s review.
We provide a service to the engineer or owner which can lessen the number of RFIs, minimize schedule duration, reduce cost, and generally ease the execution of a project. SJCC reviews the drawings and specifications for omissions, ambiguities, or just ways to build the job better.
We have documented millions of dollars in cost savings to clients in basic cut/fill analysis, aggregate type, metals choice, precast/cast-in-place changes, and ground improvement modifications.
Value Engineering
Value engineering (VE) is the process by which a contractor makes a proposal to the owner which satisfies the intent of the design while providing a reduction in cost to the owner. This process starts after the contract has been awarded to the contractor. Usually there is a proportional sharing of cost savings to the owner (and the contractor) which may or may not be defined in the contract.
Some examples of successful VE proposals we have been involved in include:
- Change in material type of large diameter pipe fittings from stainless steel to concrete cylinder pipe (savings in material costs)
- Reduction in number of flanges in an overwater pipe installation (savings in material and labor costs)
- Change in marine deck substructure from precast piles to stick-built light gauge structural steel (savings in equipment costs – no more pile driving equipment, now just small hoisting equipment for steel erection)
- Change in manufacturer from another continent to this continent (reduced shipping costs)
We find that this can be of great value to the contractor and his client. It can provide a reduction in schedule and cost which benefits all of the project parties.
Assistance in Design/Build
Design/build construction is a project management delivery method where the owner hires a team composed of both a contractor and a designer. The project is handed to the winning team in concept only – there are few if any drawings and specifications.
From initial information from the owner, the contractor/designer team is tasked with designing the job and then constructing it.
The process is an iterative one. The contractor and designer work together to design and price and then design again and price again. The projects can be very high paced as schedules are often so tight that an engineer is posted on the site to help with immediate needs by the construction team.
SJCC has the technical background and construction experience to add significant value to this process. We have been involved in design/build projects for wastewater treatment, radioactive waste effluent piping, marine platform installation, and multi-span bridge work.
Invite us to your project to brainstorm ideas, work with your designer, or help with conceptual pricing.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does a construction manager actually do?
A construction manager oversees the cost, time, and document controls that keep a project on schedule and within budget. At SJCC this includes managing letters, submittals, RFIs, transmittals, potential change order tracking and pricing, change orders, subcontracts, purchase orders, and pay applications. We offer this as full turnkey project management or as a specialty service and staff augmentation role.
What is the difference between construction management and project management?
Construction management focuses specifically on the building phase, controlling field operations, documentation, cost, and schedule from groundbreaking through closeout, while project management often spans the entire project lifecycle including pre-design and procurement. SJCC's distinction is that we come from the contractor side, so we know firsthand what costs money and time and we manage accordingly under a "Project is Priority" approach.
What is constructability review and how does it save money?
A constructability review is a contractor's examination of drawings and specifications to catch omissions, ambiguities, and better ways to build the job before construction begins. Reviewing documents early reduces the number of RFIs, shortens schedule duration, and lowers cost. SJCC has documented millions of dollars in savings through cut and fill analysis, aggregate type selection, metals choices, precast versus cast-in-place changes, and ground improvement modifications.
What is value engineering in construction?
Value engineering is a process where the contractor proposes an alternative that satisfies the intent of the original design while reducing cost to the owner, typically after the contract has been awarded. The savings are often shared between owner and contractor according to the contract terms. Examples SJCC has delivered include changing large-diameter pipe fittings from stainless steel to concrete cylinder pipe, reducing flanges in overwater pipe installations, and switching marine deck substructure from precast piles to stick-built structural steel.
How does design/build delivery work?
Design/build is a delivery method where the owner hires a single team that includes both the contractor and the designer, often handing over the project in concept form with few or no drawings. The team designs and prices iteratively, refining the design and re-pricing until the job is buildable, frequently at a fast pace with an engineer on site to support immediate field needs. SJCC brings both the technical and construction background to add value here, with experience on wastewater treatment, radioactive waste effluent piping, marine platform installation, and multi-span bridge projects.