When a client has inter-dependent projects, designed by multiple consultants, it can often be difficult to coordinate all work, change orders, and testing in a manner that prevents delays due to duplicated work or undefined work between the projects. Utilizing one of the design firms to coordinate the work can be problematic, and placing one of the clients' project managers in charge of all projects at once is often not possible due to workload or the variety of skills necessary. In these cases, the best solution can often be to engage a third party construction manager or program manager to coordinate and oversee the work of the various contractors or consultants as an advocate of the client. This was the approach chosen by Sarasota County (the County) in 2016 as they commenced four major projects, all of which were necessary to decommission a wastewater treatment facility on Siesta Key.
By 2008, Sarasota County's Siesta Key AWWTF was under a consent decree due to difficulty in meeting THM permit limits. After a formal study into options for the facility, it was determined that the best long-term approach would be to construct a new master pump station at the treatment facility site, construct approximately 18,000 LF of 20" force main from the new master pump station to a major force main on the mainland, and pump all wastewater generated on Siesta Key to the County's Central County AWWTF. For a variety of reasons, the design major work for this program was split into four separate projects and contracts for the design were executed with two consulting firms.
When the designs were completed and advertised for construction, construction administration of the projects got slightly more complicated due to the local staffing levels and skills of the design firms. Design firm "A" was chosen to provide EOR and construction administration services on two of the projects they had designed, and to provide construction administration only on the project completed by design firm "B". Design firm "B" was selected to provide EOR services only on the project they had designed. A third firm, firm "C" was selected to provide EOR and construction administration services on one of the projects designed by design firm "A". Based on the urgency to complete the work, the inter-dependency of the individual projects, and the somewhat unusual construction administration and EOR arrangement, the County decided to engage a program manager to help ensure the success of the program.
Based on his experience in design, construction, and operations, the County selected GWES' Matt Taylor, PE to work as program manager. Over the course of two years his work included attendance at construction progress meetings, review of RFIs and change orders for technical and cost implications for the related projects, site visits and construction observation, and assistance in testing, commissioning and start-up of the individual projects – and ultimately taking the Siesta Key AWWTF permanently off-line.