PlansandSpecs Case Study: Pepper Construction and KNAACK DataVault

Key Results – Datavault + stratusvue

• • Worksite productivity doubled
  • Real-time access to live project data
  • Over 20 minutes per day transit time saved

Pepper Construction successfully completed a mission-critical data center project for a global company headquartered in Chicago using one of KNAACK’s latest product innovations. The general contracting and construction management firm integrated KNAACK’s recently introduced DataVault product with the project’s cloud-based document management software, StratusVue, to complete the highly-successful project in less than six months.

Project Challenges: Mission Critical and Timeline Driven

The data center’s owner had two goals: speed to market and the potential to expand.  To meet the deadline and collaboratively bring the project to life, the team needed a solution that would streamline communications and improve efficiencies across the jobsite. There were a lot of moving parts from both the programming and design phase to the execution phase. “We were working on an active headquarters campus, work was being done onsite every day and because of the visibility and impact of this particular project, we needed to execute the project flawlessly,” said Kevin Bredeson, Director of Virtual Construction at Pepper Construction Company.

Beyond the extremely fast-paced timeline, the project had several unique challenges, including the facility’s location, the high-profile importance of the project and the environment of the campus. Pepper Construction was using Building Information Modeling (BIM) on this project and wanted to leverage the technology as much as possible to create additional efficiencies. Mobility was also a key factor in selecting this solution.

Solution: Integration of KNAACK’s DataVault Solution with StratusVue’s Cloud-Based Software

To meet this need, Pepper Construction beta tested KNAACK’s new DataVault product, designed to connect jobsite professionals to information by providing the industry’s first fully protected digital plan storage solution for onsite job management. Powered by StratusVue’s cloud-based document management suite, which the project was leveraging, the combination gave Pepper the ability to bring technology to the field safely and ensure the project could be managed more efficiently. It provided an opportunity to get critical, current project information within feet of where the actual work was happening. Prior to that, field superintendents would need to walk back and forth between the jobsite and trailer, often traveling 5-10 minutes each way, just to access specification needs or updates.

Right away, the Pepper Construction team began seeing value from the combined solution. Instead of spending half of the time in the project trailer, the information was accessible on the jobsite for execution. “There was a need for real-time data where the action is, but before we had struggled with how to get it there efficiently,” stated Bredeson.

Impact for the Jobsite Build: Faster Access, Improved BIM Integration, Quicker Implementation

The combined KNAACK DataVault/StratusVue solution allowed Pepper to access information in real-time. It provided the confidence that the information was up-to-date on buildable plans and allowed Pepper to focus on the work vs. waiting on responses. It provided a substantial benefits, including:

• • Faster access to the data.
  • Increased confidence and reduced mistakes.
  • Improved BIM Integration.
  • Reduced wait times.
  • Improved durability, security and mobility.

The KNAACK DataVault/StratusVue solution was used by everyone working on the jobsite—from the project managers to the superintendent to the labor field teams. Bringing the combination of a technology and storage solution together, the efficiency and productivity of the Pepper Construction teams more than doubled. Previously an on-site manager would spend half of their time in-transit or in the trailer. They were now able to spend a much higher percentage of their time on the jobsite.