IDIQ, RENOVATION - Warriors in Transition Barracks Renovation, Fort Bliss, Texas

The Warriors in Transition Battalion (WTB) program was created by the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act in 2007. This program allows the Department of Defense to better utilize its resources by providing quality care to servicemen and women returning from the Global War on Terror.

Beginning in September 2007, MCC was honored to provide a substantial barracks renovation at Fort Bliss to accommodate the needs of wounded soldiers. These renovated areas are intended to administer ongoing care to our nation's Warriors in Transition - injured soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

As part of a $100 million IDIQ contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the project included ADA and Life Safety upgrades to three existing barracks buildings. MCC constructed ADA-compliant bathrooms, installed new elevators, provided ADA-accessible ramps, installed new air conditioning, and performed electrical upgrades and interior finishes.

While LEED certification was not a part of this project, we used our Value Engineering skills to save the customer approximately $400,000 of up-front installation costs and also save tens of thousands of dollars in operating costs through decreased energy consumption.

A complex phasing approach was used to keep the three occupied buildings operational 24x7x365. Initially, the scope of work provided by the Department of Public Works (DPW) was complex and required renovations of one floor at a time in each of the three buildings. Because military personnel occupied the buildings during construction, progress depended on relocation of the personnel. Due to this logistical complication, the original schedule and scope provided by the DPW was not feasible.

MCC incorporated a three-phase approach into the project plans to be performed in each building. All three buildings were originally designed with an administrative area on the basement level and half of the first floor. The remaining half of the first floor and the second and third floors are dedicated to soldier housing. The first phase entailed work on the administrative areas. This work could be completed immediately while designs and bids were being reviewed by the DPW and USACE. The second phase included abatement and demolition to prepare for renovation work on each building. Renovation occurred during the third phase of work.

This large project totaled $7,897,659 when it was completed in January 2009.

Value Engineering
HVAC Recommendations - The three buildings were originally constructed in the 1950s and were not energy efficient by today's standards. Through value engineering, we were able to save the customer (DPW) approximately $400,000 in up-front installation costs and save tens of thousands of dollars on operating costs through decreased energy consumption.

MCC saved premium space by combining emergency exit stairs with the elevator shaft.

The original construction of the billeting areas contained glass curtain walls with operable windows to ventilate the rooms. The heating and cooling lost by the large area of un-insulated glass demanded large packaged terminal air conditioning (PTAC) units. MCC recommended reducing the glass area by covering up the interior with drywall and the exterior with EIFS, increasing the R-value and beneficially reducing the size of the required PTAC unit. In each larger room, the R-value upgrade reduced the number of PTAC units needed from two to one. This process was performed on 75 rooms throughout the three buildings, generating energy efficiency and a significant cost savings. USACE, DPW, and the user (WTB) were very pleased with the results.

MCC received commendation from the U.S. Army for its work at Fort Bliss for the Warriors in Transition Program.

Elevators and Stairwells - MCC recommended that the original concept for emergency exit stairs be changed, combining them with the elevator shaft. This allowed us to save three billeting rooms at each end of the building. Billeting space required by the WTB is at a premium, and the owners were extremely pleased when our changes created space for 18 extra beds. Although this change created no cost savings per se, it created significant owner benefit, and the WTB was extremely pleased with our value engineering.

The Warriors in Transition Battalion program was created by the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act (2007). MCC was awarded a sole-source contract to help the DoD better utilize its resources and provide quality care to soldiers returning from tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, known as Warriors in Transition. Covering much of the expansive glass curtain walls in the original building (left) resulted in greater energy efficiency and more effective cooling and heating. At the far end of the renovated building (right), stair and elevator areas were combined to preserve valuable living quarter space, while ADA-compliant upgrades, such as the walkway ramp, eased accessibility.

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