Project Overview:

Beginning in the winter of 2018 through the summer of 2019, JP Cullen worked in Iowa to help a food processing company expand on schedule. The JP Cullen team was tasked with building additions, meat storage, electrical rooms, and processing areas. Due to delays in schedule, it was thought that the project could not be completed on time. Through much cooperation and accommodation, the project team came together to deliver their promised timeline.

The Challenges

Following a record-breaking winter in terms of frigid and icy conditions along with what became a much more wet spring then what was expected, the project acquired almost 30 weather days. While weather days are often factored into the timeline, this amount was much higher than normal.

With fewer days on the job due to weather, the next challenge of delivery delays accredited to the same weather problem became much more of an issue. Another problem that the team encountered but easily navigated was building utilities into a ceiling in which all areas were not visible.

The Solutions

The project team showed much resilience in the face of adversity. Through the use of prefabrication and BIM technology, the team was able to access potential problems before they arose and anticipate problems before they arose. The team and all of its counterparts came together in their willingness to maintain the schedule. Through strong communication, they were able to resequence the project and put in the long hours that were required of them to get the desired outcome and deliver a product that they were proud of to the client.

The Results

During the many meetings and planning required to maintain schedule through many delays, the JP Cullen team was, in fact, able to keep each of the projects on time. Employees put in the work necessary to remain on time and work through the continuously pressured construction timeline by working weekends. The completion of the project resulted in almost 54,000 square feet of work through the building of two additions, electrical rooms, processing areas, and meat storage.