Reflecting on my school days a student in school, sitting in music appreciation class learning about harmony and tempo and rhythm, I’ve thought how the elements of construction are like writing and performing music. They both bring together different components to a central point, harmonizing them in order, setting their tempo, following the rhythm through to the crescendo, and, voila! It’s a building.

 

Each individual and organization has their own reasons for choosing to build self storage. Whatever the reason, it is their personal song. What there is to spend, what investment return is required, and the time frame available to work in, are all taken into consideration in creating the financial plan for their project. Once the final criteria have been defined, the idea is ready for development. The Developer finds the right conveyance to bring the owners idea to life.  They write the melody that pictures the goal, and describes the process to achieve it.

 

Preparations start by finding a location that has the potential to achieve the goal. As part of the investigative process engineers are hired to find out what restrictions and fees are associated with the land and its intended use. Governmental control (and cost) may be anything from simple building code compliance, to an almost unimaginable headache. Competition in the area is analyzed. It may dictate the level of service and curb appeal the new facility has to offer in order to be competitive, as well as what rental rates can reasonably be anticipated. Demographics of the population and their traffic patterns determine the number of square feet that are likely to be able to be rentable, and the unit mix is determined by the most likely needs of the subject population. This investigation reveals how the project should be designed. The developer then directs the general contractor and design team in creating the most marketable, cost effective, highest quality facility that meets the owners financial and time criteria. Design (the written music) and construction (the orchestral performance) are fashioned to support the developer’s melody.

 

Any number of working relationships may be negotiated between all of the parties involved in a construction project. The design team may work independently for the developer, or the general contractor may be responsible for the design as part of their services provided to the developer.  The components of design/build construction set forth below are a typical pattern of interaction between the parties.

 

The design team is comprised of (1) the architect, who has ultimate responsibility for the coordination and work of all parties, (2) a civil engineer, (3) a structural engineer and (4) one or more mechanical engineers. They also incorporate the work of surveyors, landscapers, environmentalists, etc. These services may be contracted for individually by the developer or general contractor, or they may work through the architect.

 

The design process starts with a survey of the land. The architect then creates a plot plan which indicates the location of buildings in relationship to the land.  In this initial design the architect takes into consideration all of the information that the civil engineer has provided about site restrictions and the availability of utilities. The next step is to design the walls and partitions for each floor or level. These are referred to as floor plans. Then the elevations, which are a drawing of what the building will look like can be done. Elevations include all of the exterior faces of the building and resemble a conceptual picture of the building rather than lined design. Cross sections and details are added toclearly indicate floor levels and details of footings, foundation, walls, floors, ceilings and roof construction. Details are large scale drawings used by construction personnel to have a close up view of a particular aspect of what they are working on.

 

Responsibility for everything with regard to the land and what lies beneath the surface, rests with the Civil Engineer. The civil engineer is usually hired locally since they are most familiar with local governing authorities and restrictions on land use. Their duties include location of utilities, building set backs, zoning, easements, ingress and egress, land elevations, watershed, etc. Civil Engineers drawings are commonly referred to as “Civils”.

 

The structural engineerassures that the materials used and the manner in which they are assembled, is strong enough to withstand their own weight, the weight of any use they may be put to, and all internal and external forces that may be applied to the building. These forces are called vertical loads and lateral stresses. A load is any force that is exerted upon a structure or one of its members. Snow load is the weight of snow as it rests on a building, wind load is the force imposed by wind blowing in any direction, and seismic loads are the potential forces exerted by earthquakes. Additional loads are the weight of the building itself, referred to as the dead load, and live loads, which are produced by people, furnishings, equipment and materials inside the building.  Stresses on the other hand, are the internal forces of a material constructed so as to resist external forces. Tension is the stress to pull something apart, compression is the stress to push something together, and shear is the stress that tends to keep two adjoining planes of material from sliding against each other under opposing parallel forces.

 

Mechanical, electrical and plumbing drawings are created by mechanical engineers and referred to as MEP’s. They are often drawn by one engineer. Mechanical drawings cover the complete design, layout and installation of heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems within buildings and on the premises. Their drawings show floor plan layouts, cross sections and details of products and materials. The electrical drawings cover the complete design of the electrical system for lighting, power, alarm and communication systems, and related equipment. They should show connections to existing power, and floor plans indicating the location of outlets, lighting fixtures, power panels, etc. Plumbing drawings depict the location of plumbing fixtures, distribution lines and water use connections

A landscaping design may also be required by the city or county. They specify ground coverage and plant materials. Tree ordinances often dictate the location and type of trees that must be retained or may be used. Environmentally sensitive locations may have many plant and animal life preservation restrictions. Requirements vary greatly from location to location.

 

In addition to these drawing which must be submitted to authorities for approval, individual contractors, such as the metal building contractor, electrician, plumber etc. have their own in-house shop or construction drawings that their personnel use during actual construction. These construction drawings go into great detail as to how the individual contractor is fulfilling the requirements set forth in the master plans.

Once the music has been written the general contractor is responsible for making sure that everyone is playing the same tune. They are responsible to the developer for construction of the project in accordance with the design. General contractors may provide labor and materials themselves, use sub-contractors and vendors, or a combination of the above. Subcontractors provide their own shop drawings and may be responsible for trade specific permits and inspections.  The three most important functions that general contractors provide are (1) quality control through inspection, (2) cost control through the bid process and elimination of mistakes, and (3) time control through scheduling and coordination of every aspect of construction.  It is the general contractor that weaves everyone’s efforts into the completed product.

 

Construction of a typical self storage project would include the following trade and services components.

 

Some of the more critical elements of work performed by these trades are considered below.

 

Utilities, excavation and grading may be the most costly components of a project.  Utility providers must work closely with officials and service providers to hook up to or extend existing water, sewer, and power lines. Often the progression of work at the job site is dependant on actions taken by those outside parties. Grading is extremely important in the control of water.  Retention and detention pond size is based on the local water cubic footage requirements. They can be costly and reduce the amount of land available for buildings.

 

Just as grading is critical to the flow of water, the concrete slab is critical to the flow of the building. Slabs that are not properly framed, poured or cured, must be corrected by the concrete contractor, or other trades that follow.  For instance, if a slab curves or is too narrow or wide at an end, or if it undulates, the metal framing that rests on the slab has to be adjusted to mitigate the defect, so that the roof ends up flat and the sides of the building are straight. Block or brick columns must be nearly exact as well. Only relatively small adjustments can be made by the metal building subcontractor. 

 

Door and hallway systems color, sheen, and style radiate the personality of the store. Doors and gates and elevators are the projects only moving parts. Great care should be taken in selection and installation of anything that is this noticeable.

 

Drives, particularly turning radiuses, have to be of sufficient quality to support the intended use. Soil and weather conditions affect material composition and the cost of drives. Often a combination of asphalt and concrete is used to achieve the most cost effective quality product.

 

On metal buildings some form of standing seam or screw down roof is usually used. It is not the type of roof chosen however that is most important. It is how it is installed. Leaks typically appear at some type of transition, either at a vent, hatch, around an elevator shaft, or at a step-down or parapet wall. At each of these transitions where a horizontal surface meets a vertical surface it’s metal meeting metal, a good design and proper use of sealants is imperative.

 

On the other hand, quality painting and concrete floor sealing are completely dependent on the products used. Floor sealants should be at least 22% solids. Paint, particularly over block or any permeable surface has to be applied full strength, over the appropriate sealant for the surface being covered, and should have at least two coats.

 

Different climates require different HVAC systems. Tonnage has to be appropriate for the space being conditioned. The distribution system, including types of vents and fans, has to be taken into consideration. The importance of humidity control should be a factor in air conditioning unit selection. Electricity is a significant operational cost. It is just as wrong to have too much HVAC as it is to have too little. Units must also be properly maintained and the subcontractor/general contractor should be sure that maintenance and warranty information are passed on the client.

 

Lighting is also an ongoing operational expense. Design and materials should be as cost effective as possible. Replacement parts, including bulbs and ballasts are specific to the system installed. Such information must be passed on the end consumer in order to keep the contractors system performing optimally over long periods of time.

 

Fire protection systems are usually dictated by the local fire authority. They may be seemingly excessive or absent, and may be costly. Fire control is usually a requirement for separation fire walls or a combination of fire walls and sprinkler systems.

 

Owner or general contractor preference is the determining factor in many of the remaining components of construction.  The number of options in insulation, exterior coatings and building accents has grown phenomenally. The key in incorporating these products on the project is to be certain that transitions from one type of material to another are done carefully and have no potential to leak. Attention to detail by everyone working on the job site is crucial.

In the construction performance the developer determines the melody, the design team writes the notes, and the general contractor assembles and conducts the orchestra. Each trades component’s instruments contribute to the production. Only through contribution, communication and cooperation is the owner’s goal achieved.

Donna May is the president of Cross Metal Buildings, a memeber of the Parham Group, which specializes in self-storage development, construction and education.  She is a real estate broker and has been a partner in 11 start-up self-storage facilities.  She is a contributing writer for the Parham Group website, sss.learnselfstorage.com.  For more information, visit www.crossmetalbuildings.com, or call 210.477.1260.

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