Diagnostic Imaging Center for Repeat Client, RAS, Gives DPR Another Opportunity to Shine

Six years ago, Radiological Associates of Sacramento Medical Group, Inc. (RAS) selected DPR to build its corporate headquarters in Sacramento, CA. It was a project with a tight schedule, so behind by the time DPR got on board that even an on-time completion would be “too late” for the customer. Not willing to be satisfied with a disappointed client, the DPR team reevaluated the schedule and found ways to shave off one day a week. The result was a project completed 12 days early, on budget and with Zero Defects. A DPR Raving Fan was born.

Fast forward to 2003. When RAS needed to build a new radiology facility, it teamed with developer Separovich/Domich Real Estate and made sure DPR was considered for the job. DPR had never worked with Separovich/Domich Real Estate before and was determined to earn another Raving Fan. When presented with the three potential architectural designs, DPR came back with its all—offering value engineering and estimating and strategic approaches for the different scenarios—and was thrilled to be awarded the 78,140-sq.-ft., four-story Capital Imaging Center.

“One of the really unique things about this second RAS project was the design,” explained Project Manager Pete Morrison. “Because of structural and other requirements when working with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment, the main facility is in the basement, with half of the first floor dedicated to a breast-imaging facility. The balance of the first floor, as well as the second floor and roof comprise a parking structure.”

In fact, this seemingly reverse design was integral to the very nature of the facility DPR was constructing. Imaging facilities utilize enormous pieces of equipment, some weighing as much as 8,000 pounds. Even situated on the lower levels, this type of machinery requires significant structural accommodations—in some cases as much as two-and-a-half feet of concrete with non-metallic rebar underneath them. If located on the first or second floor, the extra concrete and structural steel needed would substantially increase the price of the facility. With this subterranean goal in mind, the structure’s design incorporated a courtyard with double doors, used when lowering current equipment down by crane and servicing or upgrading future equipment needs. DPR and RAS worked together to coordinate the delivery, installation and commissioning of different pieces of equipment from various vendors.

When the team got on site, it was given one clear directive: RAS’s new facility needed to be opened before the end of 2004. “This wasn’t a deadline we could miss,” said DPR Superintendent John Ronnow.

Yet, as the project progressed, meeting the scheduled completion date proved trickier than anyone could have ever predicted. On an average Sunday afternoon in mid-September of last year, a late-summer storm delivered record-setting rainfall over portions of Sacramento. With nearly two inches of rain falling in over just an hour, downtown’s drainage and sewer systems were overwhelmed, resulting in flooding and flood-related damage throughout the city. Situated downtown, the new Capital Imaging Center was one of many structures to fall victim to the rain.

Ronnow, off for the day, knew the storm could spell trouble for the project. Though rain precautions, such as laying plastic sheeting and checking for leaks, had been taken, he instinctively raced back to the site, calling every available team member to join him. When they arrived, there was two inches of water collected in the basement, which was wicking up into the bottom of the drywall, and they quickly knew their diligence would pay off. Not only had the team already hung and painted the drywall, but the casework was expected the very next day, and one room of the facility had already been completed—the MRI machine was in place and on permanent power when the storm hit.

“When dealing with water damage, you have a short window of time before microbiotic growth becomes an issue,” explained Ronnow. To mitigate this risk, the team sprung into action, working to remove the trapped water with vacuums and pumps until the late evening. The next day, a dehumidification contractor was called to assess the severity of the damage. After cutting away portions of the drywall, the crew determined that microbiotic growth would not be an issue as long as the space was dried out quickly and thoroughly. This quick action resulted in 95 percent of the hung drywall being preserved. Subsequent inspections by an environmental hygienist also concluded that the project was safe from any long-term effects of water damage. By working weekends and overtime, the team managed to finish the project within two weeks of the original completion date, allowing the facility to be opened for patients before the end of the year, as desired by the client.

This level of teamwork played out throughout the project, and, in the end, is what Ronnow credits for the project’s success. “The real magic was the strength of the entire project team—Separovich/Domich, RAS, Boulder Associates, all of the subcontractors and DPR. Between the storm and the tight work space created by building just a few feet from an occupied apartment structure, we faced many challenges, but the people assigned to this project made it happen. There was a point after the storm that we knew we wouldn’t make the scheduled city inspection if one crew member didn’t work on a Saturday, and everyone gave it their all. Each person on this project made the difference.”