Job Order Contracting (JOC) for Replacement-in-Kind Projects

Job Order Contracting (JOC) is an efficient and flexible construction procurement method that enables organizations to complete many projects with one competitively awarded contract. Responsible for tens of thousands of projects and $4 billion in construction volume every year, Gordian’s Job Order Contracting solutions are the go-to delivery method for various types of work. Historically, the JOC sweet spot is routine, operational work like the following replacement-in-kind projects.

San Francisco Public Works Replaces Retaining Wall

All that separated the sand dunes, rare plants and native insects of San Francisco’s Hawk Hill Park and a residential cul-de-sac was a wooden retaining wall. When that wall began to degrade, city officials knew they had to act quickly, lest the dunes tumble, collapsing Hawk Hill’s unique ecosystem and damaging private property on the other side.

Replacing the retaining wall in such a tight space would require careful attention to detail and creative problem-solving, meaning the San Francisco Public Works Department had to be strategic about project delivery. They went with Gordian’s Job Order Contracting and worked with area construction firm Yerba Buena to complete the project.

It was clear before work began that Yerba Buena was a wise choice, as the contractor went door-to-door along the cul-de-sac to discuss project plans with residents and listen to their concerns. After gathering input and surveying the site, they expanded the scope of work to include documenting the condition of homes before and after construction, among other items.  

Once the scope was set, Yerba Buena backed trucks and equipment 1,500 feet down the street and into the cul-de-sac. With everything in place, the replacement-in-kind project began with installing a new steel and concrete wall behind the wooden one, then removing the original. Yerba Buena also regraded the hill, installed erosion-prevention features and planted 3,000 native plants to stabilize the soil. No damage was done to Hawk Hill Park or any adjacent homes. Meaning the work was not only done quickly, it was done well.

Said Teenchee Le, JOC Manager for San Francisco Public Works, “What made this project successful was the timeframe. This would’ve taken six to eight months with a formal bid, but we didn’t have that kind of time with something as urgent as this. With JOC, we were able to select a contractor that we trust and who knows the work, and complete the Joint Scope Meeting in significantly less time than bidding the contract.”

School Cafeteria Ceiling Tiles Replaced Quickly

Waverly Community Unit School District #6 is a rural Illinois school district in a town of approximately 1,300 people. Given the district’s remote location, Superintendent Dr. Andrea Guerrero had a difficult time attracting contractor bids, especially on routine projects. The difficulty securing bids became a major problem for Dr. Guerrero when she needed to replace water-damaged ceiling tiles in the cafeteria.

Her pursuit of an interested contractor led to the superintendent discovering Gordian’s Cooperative JOC, a form of Job Order Contracting available to the district via Sourcewell, a major purchasing cooperative. Accessing this construction-ready contract allowed contractors to arrive on-site quickly. The awarded contractor worked with Dr. Guerrero to complete the project with minimal instructional disruption, including performing the majority of the work over a long weekend.

The contractor finished replacing the cafeteria ceiling tiles in merely four days. Dr. Guerrero described the experience as “An efficient use of my time. The budget was clear and easy for my bookkeeper to process. It was easy for my board to understand. It isn’t time-intensive for me. It’s a hyper return on investment.”

Sewage Treatment Plant Revamped

The Clinton County (OH) Board of Developmental Disabilities needed to replace a decades-old on-site sewage treatment plant that had fallen out of EPA compliance. Hoping to avoid a citation from the EPA, the Clinton County Board opted to complete the work with Cooperative JOC via Sourcewell.

McDaniels Construction Corp. Inc., the designer, collaborated with Gordian representatives and the equipment supplier to come up with a workable solution. In the end, the contractor built a new sewage treatment system next to the existing one. Work included installing several hundred feet of piping, large concrete tanks, pits and other equipment. After the new system was complete, McDaniels removed and demolished the old equipment, giving the Clinton County Board of Developmental Disabilities a modern, reliable system and enabling them to avoid a fine.

See all of Gordian’s innovative solutions for state and local government entities.

Airport Chiller Components Replaced in Three Weeks

When the chiller went on the fritz inside the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, local leaders sprang into action to ensure the comfort of the airport’s customers. Using Gordian’s Job Order Contracting for project delivery enabled the airport to get a contractor on-site within two weeks. After a week of swapping out old, worn belts with new ones and performing routine maintenance, the replacement-in-kind was complete and the repaired chiller worked like new.