popular, drawing crowds of up to 30,000 each weekend. The restaurants surrounding the fountain saw their wait times increase as the summer went on, with visitors returning to see the evening shows again and again, bringing their families, friends, and neighbors back with them. Due in part to our familiarity with the site, cultivated through the diligent planning and execution of the project, the OTL team recently upgraded Illuvia with a patented new AI-based technology that allows the fountain to interact with visitors. Nearby cameras capture the positions, movements, and sizes of guests standing in front of the water and shift the jets and nozzles to mimic their movements, creating a magical and unforgettable experience. The fountain has a modular design that will allow it to be expanded as EpicCentral grows over the years to come. The existing structure can be extended farther into the lake to align with future development as needed. Planning to Succeed with Safety The key to a safe job site is a well-thought-out plan that includes the entire project team paired with clear, consistent communication. Take as much time as you need to design a strategic safety plan that works for everyone and includes all stakeholders’ input. Then, create a solid backup plan, in case site conditions or logistics change for any of the stakeholders. Ask the project team to think outside the box. Aside from standard safety protocols, what extra measures need to be taken? If a crucial team member is unavailable, who will step in? Anticipate the unexpected. Additional safety planning considerations might include: • site-specific safety training to address hazard awareness and emergency procedures onsite • health and wellness considerations , including fatigue management, mental health support, and hydration control • open communication channels for workers and stakeholders to report and address safety concerns onsite • a communications checklist that clearly defines stakeholders’ roles and includes whom to contact should plans go awry. With Illuvia, our team turned a complex project into a win by taking a measured approach to developing a smart project plan, with safety considerations at the forefront. If we had to do it all over again, we would start with the same process: survey, collaborate to develop the best project plan, and proceed safely.
crane would then be required to lift the barge as well as the 15-ton pile driver over the existing buildings and safely into the lake where they could be assembled. While the team was confident in the approach they had designed, using a crane to lift another crane over an active work site and onto a floating barge was new to everyone, so extra safety precautions were employed. Representatives from the crane company came out to the job site ahead of time to meet with OTL safety personnel to survey the area and develop a safe plan. It was determined the job would require seven to eight trucks with counterweights, rigging, and service gear, in addition to the lifting crane and the barge equipment. The plan was reviewed with the City of Grand Prairie as well as the general contractor charged with constructing all the buildings and restaurants, and all agreed it was a safe and practical approach to the challenge we faced. Once the piles were driven and aligned to within half-inch tolerances, the team welded the gussets to the piles so they could support the steel platforms that would contain the various fountain components as well as allow for regular maintenance of the fountain’s nozzles and lights. The final plumbing, wiring and terminations for the lighting and jets were all done from the barge since the lake could not be drained. At one point, a transfer pump was used to drain the water depth down to 5 feet so that the team could make final wiring connections. To mitigate the loss of torque wrenches and other tools into the lake, the team used tethers to tie the tools to their bodies. While none of the safety precautions we took were extraordinary, the combination of a solid safety plan and a professional, experienced team meant that we had no accidents on the job, no injuries, and no losses or delays. After six months on the job, Illuvia was complete and ready for its debut last summer. The spectacular nightly shows were immediately
TOM REAL , is the Vice President of Engineering and Preconstruction at OTL, a design-build themed construction company that specializes in creating one-of-a-kind rockwork, water features and themed environments for retail entertainment, hospitality, gaming, and golf properties around the globe. More information is available at www.otl-inc.com .
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