Ft. Dix Marine Corps Reserve Center
Ft. Dix, NJ
It was a great honor for everyone on the Harkins team to work on this project, knowing that they were building a state-of-the-art facility for the Marines that they are proud to occupy. The project was part of the BRAC base closure program, which combined the Marine Wing Support Squadron from Willow Grove Naval Air Station and Battery G artillery from West Trenton, NJ into a single Reserve Center. This 17-acre campus of three buildings includes a main training and headquarters building, a vehicle maintenance facility, and a storage building.
Harkins and our design team worked hard to make sure the end-users’ needs were met. There were some late changes that needed to be incorporated into the final design, even though the structural frame was already erected. High ground water was also an obstacle throughout construction. The final conversion of the stormwater basins from sediment traps to infiltration basins was complicated, because the site experienced higher than anticipated ground water. This was primarily a result of excessive rainfall during construction. Significant pumping operations were required to dry the ponds in preparation for conversion.
Even with challenges, the project was completed on time and within budget. The Structured Plan Review® provided the basis for detailed scope writing and helped to minimize conflicts and cost in the field. The review of the structural drawings was especially important, as we had two different types of steel frames being erected. Two of the buildings were entirely constructed using ‘pre-fabricated’ building systems that have their own type of structural steel frames. On the third building (the largest), half of the building used a ‘pre-fabricated’ structural frame, and the other half used a traditional structural steel frame. In places, both buildings shared footing systems. In these locations, great care was required to coordinate the location of piers for each. The Structured Plan Review really helped the team to work out the inherent coordination issues.
How Harkins Made a Difference
- This project was built with an extraordinary 74% MBE participation, 36% over our goal.
Harkins earned an outstanding rating by providing a first-class facility, within budget, and on schedule. They provided their “A” team for the project and the results reflect the effort of their team.
Awards & Certifications
USGBC
LEED for NC – Silver (Certified)