Building for the Transportation Sector

By Ken Thomson

Transportation sector building projects tend to be large and complex enough to require high-level construction management. Even though some project owners are private firms, such as rental car companies, transportation work is often contracted by a government agency, requiring the contractor to meet an extra layer of regulatory specifications. Keeping all the details straight is often a challenge.

Hence, building for transportation often faces similar construction management challenges to those found in public work projects. In fact, an entire category of public works comprises of transport infrastructures (e.g., railroads, canals, roads, and airports). Whether the owner and financer of a transportation construction project is public or private, it can demand all the skills a contractor can muster not to fall short of demand and not to go over budget.

Handling the variety one finds in the transportation sector is another challenge. In one instance the building is a truck or bus maintenance facility. In another instance it is a solar panel canopy parking lot. In other cases the contractor is building a station or terminal associated with trains, boats, and other vehicles. Some facilities are made out of steel and some are constructed from concrete. Some are affected by environmental impact studies and some are designed to be green certified.

Solar-panel-parking-lot.jpg

As in many aviation construction projects, building some transportation facilities entails the stringent requirement to manage safety and security properly. Thus, contractors in this arena must demonstrate their expertise at conforming to the codes and regulations governing such practices.

Because of the variety of building types and purposes in transportation, contractors also have to show their expertise at keeping up with modern construction practices and materials. It is important that they be equipped to provide accurate consultation to architects and owners regarding the constructability of certain design ideas and to propose alternatives if necessary when circumstances so warrant.

Successfully putting this all together comes back to expertise in construction management. A design and build approach allows for fast-track schedules and cost-contained budgets. Pre-construction services catch conceptual and design flaws before they materialize, and they foster discovery or revealing of important issues possibly hidden behind bureaucratic red tape.

Facility Builders & Erectors (FB&E) is well known in the transportation sector as a reliable construction manager. We have earned many of the contracts in Southern California for building Natural Gas Filling Stations. This involves excavation for the tank and meeting all the covenants and regulations that govern the public's access to this exciting alternative fuel. We have also earned much of the business for outfitting EV Charging Stations. Because of the number of variables involved in terms of access, infrastructure and convenience, our flexibility and adaptability have held us in good stead.

Maintence-bay.jpgOur experience in transportation projects extends to other areas as well. Our buildings have included rental car offices and maintenance facilities for vehicle fleets. We have proved our expertise in erecting steel buildings and tilt-up concrete structures alike. FB&E remains current with trends in materials and are well positioned to construct green buildings and to pass LEED certification.

FB&E's specialty is in construction management. We do extensive site visits and communicate at length with our clients to grasp all the issues before construction begins. We have honed the design-build method to perfection, taking care to pick the right design team for the job. Our thorough management of safety and risk enables us to deliver projects in a timely and efficient manner. Please contact FB&E today for your transportation facility needs.