The new Primary Health Clinic at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio will provide more than 123,000 sq ft of clinical space for delivering primary care to military service members and their dependents. The facility was built to achieve LEED-silver certification.

Photo: Satterfield & Pontikes

A change to the steel rebar in the foundation by the owner early in the project’s construction resulted in a delay and formidable test for general contractor, Satterfield & Pontikes, because the completion date was not extended. The team overcame the 90-day setback with a massive overhaul of the project schedule that included stacking trade work and implementing a seven-day work schedule until the lost time was made up and the project was back on schedule.

The rebar delay caused a ripple effect. For example, the adhesive typically used for the vinyl composition tile flooring can take up to 48 hours to set before foot traffic is allowed. In order to speed installation, an alternate product was substituted that allowed walking on the floor 20 minutes after the material was placed. That enabled the team to gain valuable time and move the project back toward “on-time” status.

The contractor completed the project on time, within the budget and successfully met all requirements of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Satterfield & Pontikes compiled a perfect safety record for the project and was recognized by the Corps with an award for outstanding safety.

Key Players

Submitted by: Satterfield & Pontikes Construction Inc.
Developer/owner: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District, San Antonio
General contractor: Satterfield & Pontikes Construction Inc., Houston
Architect, civil engineer, structural engineer and MEP engineer: HEERY International Inc., Atlanta