THE TYSONS TOWER
FAIRFAX, VA
FINAL REPORT
The Tysons Tower is an office building under construction in Fairfax, VA. This 31 story office building climbs to new heights in the DC area, becoming the second tallest structure in the area, next to the Washington Monument. The building is 1,700,00 SF and includes the following spaces: three stories of below grade parking; an eight story podium which includes additional parking, lobby space, conference rooms, a fitness center, a full size basketball court, and a servery; a twenty-three story tower which includes office space.
This report identifies areas where opportunities may be taken to improve the constructability, productivity, schedule, and/or cost of the project. Below are summaries of the four analyses that will be pursued. Analysis I, Analysis II, and Analysis III are construction depths that relate to the construction of the Tysons Tower, while Analysis IV investigates a critical industry issue.
Analysis I: Alternate Deep Foundations:
The building’s foundation system is comprised of both deep and shallow foundations. The current deep foundation system is CFA (Continuous Flight Auger) piles. The installation process for CFA piles has proven to be labor intensive and cause site congestion. This analysis will propose to use steel H-piles in place of the CFA piles in hopes of improving constructability, site logistics, and schedule.
Analysis II: Alternate Vertical Logistics
The project currently utilizes one internal construction hoist for manpower movement during the day-shift and for trash removal and material stocking during the night-shift. Additional material is stocked through the curtain wall leave-outs using a tower crane and spreader bar. The current plan does not lend itself to the most efficient movement of manpower or trash and material. This analysis will investigate the impacts of using multiple self-climbing construction elevators to improve the project’s site efficiency and worker productivity.
Analysis III: Central Plant Relocation
The building’s Central Plant, which contains essential mechanical and electrical equipment, is located in the penthouse. The Central Plant’s operation was dependent on the structural topping out; therefore, a temporary heating and cooling plan was implemented to allow interior work to begin early. This analysis will propose to relocate the Central Plant to a location lower in the building in order to utilize the permanent Central Plant equipment in the temporary heating and cooling plan, reducing temporary equipment costs.
Analysis IV: Facility Management Integration
This analysis will delve into a critical industry topic. Although the design phase, construction phase, and the turnover process greatly impact a facility’s operation, there have been few efforts to integrate facility managers in the design and construction phases. The goal of this research is to identify the industry’s current level of facility management integration in design and construction. Additional factors that contribute to a successful facility turnover and operation will be investigated.
