Just like keeping a car running while you change the transmission, doing a commercial construction project without having to close the facility means you need to keep the customer getting to the counter, the employee working, and the truck unloading. Doing a good job on a commercial project means figuring out how to accommodate all of those things before the crew arrives. Here’s how that works:
Make Sure The Customer Gets To The Counter
In a retail space, the front door may be just as important to the customer as the actual project items. The site may be littered with construction equipment, temporary walls, and materials arriving, so it’s essential to figure out where the customer is coming in and walking through.
Preconstruction includes the entry/exit paths, including accessible and emergency routes. If that involves a secondary entrance, it will need lights and signage to be sure people know where they’re going. The delivery schedule may need to be adjusted to be before or after hours to avoid getting in the customer’s way.
Inside the building, you might also need some sort of wall to separate the customer from the workers. The goal isn’t just to have a path open, but to have one that looks safe, obvious, and decent.
Control The Noise And Dust
If a construction worker is drilling a hole in the ceiling in your office, they may not hear the phone ringing, and there is a good rundown at my.clevelandclinic.org/health, because of all the noise. Dust is also a problem, especially if there’s product, computer equipment, or food in the area, and especially if it gets into the air ducts.
Planning can address this, too. The noisiest work might be done at night or at other times that minimize the impact on the business. The quieter work might be done while the business is operating. There are several ways to handle this:
- Enclose the work area with sealed walls
- Lay down floor coverings where workers will walk
- Install dust collection systems on tools that need them
- Keep the common areas clean
- Keep construction traffic separate from staff traffic, if possible
These steps keep the construction from impacting the spaces that aren’t meant to be part of it.
Prepare For The Disruption Of Utilities
The water, electricity, internet, heat, and air conditioning may all be disrupted during an occupied renovation. Even a short disruption can prevent the sale from being made, the meeting from occurring, or the payment from being processed.
All utilities should be discussed between the contractor and the business owner before the work starts. How long will the interruption take? Will the work be done at night? In an office build-out, for instance, the electrical work might be done floor by floor. That way, the office isn’t left in the dark; instead, a few employees get relocated temporarily.
The disruption needs to be communicated so the business can give notice to employees, prepare for emergencies, and adjust schedules.
Do The Project in Phases
Phasing is part of the MBCM Construction project scheduling process. It’s how the business stays partially operational while construction is going on in the rest of the building. Imagine a retail store where half of the floor is closed off. The customer buys things from the available half of the store, and once it’s complete, it’s filled up with merchandise. Then, the other half gets closed down for the workers.
Phasing requires extra planning compared to a straight-out closure. You’ll need to keep track of separate inspections, cleanup, and work areas. It also means coordinating around long-lead materials and shared mechanicals and such. Short meetings help ensure the business manager and the site supervisor are both aware of potential problems, such as upcoming promotions or big events.
Inspections May Take Longer Than Expected
There’s no guarantee that the inspection will happen right on time. Maybe the inspector needs something corrected, maybe there’s an occupied room the inspector wants to check out, or maybe they come back tomorrow. Having some leeway in the schedule allows for a minor delay to not disrupt every phase that comes afterward.
Be sure the inspection area is ready and accessible and that the appropriate people know what they’re looking for. Sometimes it’s better to have a flexible schedule than an aggressive one.
In addition, occupied projects must perform a daily safety inspection. Temporary fire alarm (see info here) or sprinkler shutdowns, hot work, and any changes in exit conditions should be recorded and communicated to building personnel. A current list of emergency contacts will enable both the contractor and business to act quickly in case conditions change.
It Takes Careful Planning To Stay Open
Staying open during a renovation means the building doesn’t shut down for safety reasons, the customer knows where they can shop, and the employee knows what to expect from their workday. It takes careful planning to get to that point, though, with things like phased construction, separated work areas, scheduled utility disruptions, and open lines of communication. It means the business continues to function during the construction process.
