Approach
The Kopf Consulting Group’s team approach ensures close coordination with clients during the preliminary bid and pricing stage, resulting in more accurate cost and schedule information. While past job cost information – the typical source for pricing information—is useful for preliminary budget numbers, this data does not accurately depict job-specific details and complex design-related issues. Instead, The Kopf Consulting Group’s approach involves analyzing value engineering alternatives in the preliminary design stage, not after the project is complete, allowing for the entire structure to be evaluated as a sum of components to ensure the most economical yet efficient building system.
Streamlining the Schedule
While the design-build approach naturally compresses the construction cycle, the effective application of The Kopf Consulting Group’s unique estimating process and their tilt-up detailing software offers even greater efficiency for project timelines. Further, performing structural design and construction detailing concurrently has proven to result in even greater compressed schedule delivery. The process begins with an analysis of the structure utilizing a proprietary panel design software program which takes into account job specific design information such as dead and live loads, wind loads, concrete strength, height of panel, eccentricity of the vertical load, as well as pricing information for the concrete and steel reinforcing material. The data results in thousands of possible scenarios with a final recommendation for the most cost-efficient design based on all factors, not merely the history of past projects.
Industry and Construction Expertise
A key component of success is a thorough understanding of construction methods and products. Through industry involvement in the Tilt-Up Concrete Association as well as a role on American Concrete Institute’s (ACI) 551 Tilt-Up (ACI 551), Construction of Concrete Floors (ACI 302) and Design of Slabs on Grade (ACI 360) Committees, The Kopf Consulting Group has gained valuable knowledge with regards to industry standards as well as contractor practice and preference. This understanding allows our team to take advantage of value engineering early in the design process. Building on this expertise and the preliminary pricing process, The Kopf Consulting Group creates a pricing document that can be easily translated into a complete working set of construction documents. This process results in a compressed timeframe from project award to actual construction, as well as ensures the capture of job specific construction costs that are often neglected or overlooked.
Excellence Defined and Delivered
Detailed construction documents tied to realistic budgets and material preferences of the construction team provide end-users with the most efficient structure possible. The Kopf Consulting Group’s unique approach minimizes the variance between the structural designer’s intent and the field personnel’s interpretation of the construction documents. The benefits of this approach are significant to both the building owner as well as the design and construction team.