Situation
The University of California, Merced is a relatively young campus that started in 2005. The University of California System plans to bring in 10,000 out-of-state students into their program, so this project will double the size of the existing campus, and will continue to expand through a series of large projects.
Solution
GBI was selected as a preferred trade partner to assist in the construction of the site work, with five other subcontractors working under us for our portion of the work on this $1 billion project. GBI was responsible for all grading, paving, flatwork, construction of retaining walls, and installation of bridges and fencing. Construction began in October of 2016 and will continue through June of 2020.
Notable
One of the biggest challenges was a notable lack of pre-approved design, as this was a design-build project. Construction consistently outpaced the ongoing design on the project, which created many challenges, especially staying within our budgeted scope. When the building code and technical requirements allowed, we would steer the RFI responses and the design to accelerate and accommodate the process.
