DPS Alaska Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory

This project is an 84,000/SF, 3-story Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory. The contract was met through a 2 step CM/GC delivery method.  NCI provided pre-construction services throughout the design phases. The pre-construction services included construct-ability reviews and clash detection, value engineering, and schedule and cost controls.  The crime detection laboratory project is a highly complex facility with system infrastructure to support all functions of a full service “CSI” lab.  The project was under budget, allowing some contractor contingency funds to cover owner initiated scope increases. There were multiple rounds of estimating, value engineering and budget reconciliation within the pre-construction phase of the contract.  NCI developed several value engineering concepts that were accepted by the owner, saving over $5 million which helped to secure legislative approval for project funding.  NCI’s innovative approach to contract phasing and team interaction have had a very positive effect on budget and schedule control.

The facility is a steel and concrete structure with a metal panel and glazed curtain-wall exterior.  Building systems are very complex, to meet the “chain of evidence” and environmental constraints of maintaining crime scene evidence. Among other capabilities the new Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory can handle all aspects of DNA sampling, gathering, and testing. It also has its own ballistics testing range so that evidence does not have to be shuffled around to other law enforcement facilities for ballistics testing.

Due to the difficulty in getting project fully funded during the 2009 legislative session, and to keep design and construction moving forward simultaneously, work packages were released incrementally as Change Orders. The delta between the original and final contract amounts was the addition of FF&E to the contract. The project was completed on schedule and under budget.