Excavation for the 5-in. foundation slab included installing 495 16-in.-dia cast-in-place auger piles to bedrock. A permanent dewatering system of perforated PVC underdrain was installed between 4 ft and 12 ft below grade to collect groundwater in a 14-ft-deep, 8-ft-dia sump pit located in the EBB's two-level basement for channeling to the cisterns.

Working within limited space for construction was another hurdle. "It wasn't as challenging as downtown, but the more building that came in, the less room we had," Gaither says. "We adapted by flip-flopping construction entrances and widening a street that would become part of the access route to the loading dock."

Well before its completion, the EBB was already a center for research, with several teams of Georgia Tech engineering students and researchers using the site to conduct experiments. One group used GPS and unmanned aerial vehicles to track equipment and personnel proximity to analyze productivity and safety, while another used augmented reality to check product installations via handheld tablets in the field to compare them against BIM digital planning documents. A third study group monitored masonry productivity.

"The students also performed air quality testing to make sure conditions were always in safe limits," Gaither says. "This was a great way to help them learn the process and provide us with valuable data."

Those won't be the only lessons learned from the EBB. Gaither predicts other owners will adopt Georgia Tech's model of collaborative design and construction—not only to tackle complex projects with diverse interests but also to stay ahead of rising costs.

"Escalation is going to catch up with us in another 12 to 24 months," he says. "The faster you can get things going and deliver the project, the more opportunities you'll have to maximize the owner's budget as it relates to the overall program that they want."