The Defense Information Systems Agency will consolidate its operations into a 1 million-square-foot location in Fort Meade, Md.

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While he has worked on numerous projects similar in size and scope to the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) headquarters in Fort Meade, Md., Stan Carlat, operations manager for Hensel Phelps, says he has never experienced a preconstruction phase as collaborative and cooperative as this one.

“Although we were awarded the project in part for our design and our competitive budget, some of the first steps we took on the project were to spend time with the end-user early in the preconstruction process and understand what their needs and desires were,” Carlat says. “We’re focusing on the programming aspect of the facility. We met repeatedly with DISA to better understand their program for how they will operate within the facility over the next several years.”

Hensel Phelps Construction Co. is the design/builder for DISA, which is a 1 million-square-foot office complex on a 95-acre campus that will consolidate DISA employees and contractors to one campus-style facility in Fort Meade through the Base Relocation and Closure program. The new DISA headquarters will cost more than $385 million to complete.

Hensel Phelps was awarded this contract in March of this year and broke ground in August. The expected completion date is February of 2011. It is estimated to require 400,000 cubic yards of earthwork, 30,000 cubic yards of concrete and 600 precast panels for the exterior finish.

Cooperative Team
As a national firm, Hensel Phelps has plenty of experience working with the military. The company is currently renovating the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and has earned contracts from the U.S. Navy and the Department of Defense.

However, the level of depth involved with the DISA preconstruction phase is something Carlat says has never experienced and enjoyed a great deal. “We held numerous meetings with various stakeholders to validate and confirm what they liked in the design and what they wanted to see changed,” he says.

“It was a great experience to get to un­derstand the client a little bit better and how that group functions and coexists.”

To avoid volatile steel material pricing, Hensel Phelps made a mill order to purchase most of the structural steel for the project prior to the completion on the structural design. The company partnered with Schuff Steel in Phoenix and had its steel order in by the end of May.

“Not only will this ensure that we will have steel on the job according to the schedule needs of the project, but it was also a hedge against escalation and vol­atility in the steel market,” Carlat says. “When you’re talking about the Army Corps of Engineers giving you a contract in March and you’ve ordered 90 percent of the structural steel by the end of May, that is something unusual.”

Building More Effectively
Hensel Phelps was founded in 1937 and says it grew from a small, local builder in Greeley, Colo., into a multibillion-dollar national contractor with a large portfolio of successfully completed projects.

“Despite its nationwide growth, the company has retained its Midwestern influences for ethical business practices and a genuine commitment to its people,” the company says. “In fact, more than anything else, the Hensel Phelps story is one about and for people.”

Along with headquarters in Greeley, Hensel Phelps has regional offices in San Jose and Irvine, Calif.; Phoenix; Austin, Texas; Orlando, Fla.; and Chantilly, Va. The company performs new construction and renovation work in sectors such as commercial, office, airport, distribution and industrial, correctional, public assembly, sports, health care, educational, institutional, mixed-use, retail, hospitality, mass transportation, entertainment, microelectronics, R&D and laboratory facilities.

Myriad Services
Hensel Phelps can deliver projects in a variety of methods. They are:

• Lump-sum bid from completed drawings
• Construction management
• Agency construction manager  
• Construction manager at risk
• Design/build
• Cost plus fixed fee for government projects
• Preconstruction services

The company also boasts strengths in almost every area of the construction process, ranging from preconstruction to development services.

Sustainable Practices
Hensel Phelps says it is committed to protecting the environment, so it incorporates sustainable principles and environmentally responsible practices into  administrative and construction operations throughout the company. “As a leader in the growth of sustainable de­sign and construction, Hensel Phelps has been an integral part of many of the first sustainable projects built in the United States, including LEED,” it says.