As part of its ongoing research partnership with Virginia Tech, Procon Consulting and researchers in the Myers-Lawson School of Construction uncrated Spot the robotic dog on Monday, November 16th at Virginia Tech. Spot, an agile mobile robot, is being used to explore  the automation of remote inspection tasks to capture data safely and accurately. 

“Procon has partnered with Virginia Tech to research the usability and effectiveness of robots for on-site construction progress monitoring,” said Steve DeVito, Director of Technology at Procon Consulting. “We integrate technology into our core consulting practices and we’ve partnered with Virginia Tech because they are pushing the envelope on how to use technology and shaping the construction leaders of tomorrow.” 

Procon and the Virginia Tech research team are working with the school’s Facilities Capital Construction department to test the technology on three active construction projects. The three construction projects include the Student Athlete Performance Center in Jamerson Hall, Center for Autonomous Mining and Robotics in Holden Hall, and the new construction Living-Learning Community residence hall in the Creativity and Learning District.

“We are exploring ways that Spot can allow us to remotely monitor construction progress on these projects,” said DeVito. “For owner’s with a dispersed real estate portfolio, job sites with limited access, or for safety reasons, robotic inspectors can be a real game changer. Our research is not just looking at how Spot can help conduct site inspections via remote control, but perhaps more importantly, also how it can conduct inspections autonomously.” 

The collaborative research project between Virginia Tech and Procon Consulting is expected to conclude in the Fall of 2021 when student researchers at the Myers-Lawson School of Construction will report their findings.  

To see Spot in action on Virginia Tech campus, please click here.

 


Procon was awarded a task order to oversee a feasibility study on behalf of the National Park Service (NPS) by the Volpe National Transportation Center. The feasibility study of approximately 2.4 miles from the DC/Maryland border to the Henson Creek Trail will be used to design additional trail routes along a corridor owned by NPS. 

Procon will provide a range of services and strategic planning support, including analysis of existing conditions, develop conceptual designs, and provide environmental impacts, major constraints, and cost estimates to aid Volpe/NPS in identifying critical factors for the future trail extension. 

“Building on our diverse capabilities, this latest award enables us to bring a full spectrum of services including technical, design, and construction expertise to support NPS and the Volpe Center,” said Mark Ilich, Executive Vice President of Procon Consulting. “By understanding the effects on safety, landscape, and adjacent facilities, we plan to establish a lasting impact on the trail system that enhances sustainable local infrastructure.” 

The project study is anticipated to be completed in the third quarter of 2021.

 


Pam O’Reilly Senior Space Planner at Procon Consulting has joined the Communications Committee as co-chair for the Capital Chapter of International Facility Management Association (IFMA). 

The Communications Committee is responsible for creating content that addresses IFMA’s FM Core competencies, as well as sharing best practices, event highlights, and relevant topics that are important to facility managers right now within the newsletter, blog and on social media platforms. 

“I’m honored and thrilled to serve as a co-chair of the Communications Committee.” O’Reilly said. “We have a truly dedicated board and a strong committee this year, and I’m looking forward to working with everyone to highlight the importance of the role of Facility Managers, Space Planners, and other facilities-related personnel, particularly in our current climate.”

The Capital Chapter of IFMA aims to be a strategic resource uniting the facility management community. Offering the most up to date industry specific information to the Greater Washington area, and hosts monthly educational meetings for an opportunity to learn and network with other facility management professionals.

To learn more about the Capital Chapter of International Facility Management Association (IFMA), please visit: https://ifmacap.org/.

 


The General Services Administration (GSA) has awarded Procon a contract to provide Program Management Services under the One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) Small Business (SB) contract vehicle. The OASIS SB contract gives GSA the ability to acquire professional services from a pre-qualified list of firms. Procon was chosen through a competitive on-ramping process.

The services to be provided under OASIS SB are intended to meet the professional service mission requirements of all Federal agencies, including all organizations within the Department of Defense (DoD) and National Security Community.

“We are very excited to be awarded the OASIS Small Business contract,” said Kyu Jung, Procon’s Co-Founder and President. “This award opens up more opportunity for Procon to showcase the strength of our expertise and continue to provide success to projects nationwide.” 

The recent award announcement is only for the next top 89 ranked offers, including those tied at the 89th position. Evaluations for the remaining 61 anticipated awards in OASIS SB Pool 1 are on-going. 

For more information or questions, please contact Kyu Jung, kjung@proconconsulting.com.

 


BPA Win GSA
The General Services Administration (GSA), Public Buildings Service (PBS), has awarded Procon a contract to provide Construction Management, Program/Project Management Services and Building/Lease Inspection Services under a Blanket Purchase Agreement. The BPA gives GSA the ability to issue task orders to a small handful of CM firms. Procon was chosen through a competitive procurement to provide services in all four GSA zones covering the entire country.   

Each BPA runs through September 2024.

“We are extremely pleased to have been awarded BPA contracts for all four geographic zones,” said Mark Ilich, Procon’s Co-Founder and Vice President. “This award shows the strength of our expertise and our track record providing CM services across the country.” 

Procon’s successful selection was measured based on the breadth, depth, and relevance of our prior experience in performing similar work in each of GSA’s zones.

The awarded BPA Zones are as follows:

Zone 1:

Region 1 – New England (Boston)
Region 2 – Northeast and Caribbean (New York)
Region 3 – Mid-Atlantic (Philadelphia)
Region 5 – Great Lakes (Chicago)

Zone 2:
Region 4 – Southeast Sunbelt (Atlanta)
Region 6 – Heartland (Kansas City)
Region 7 – Greater Southwest (Ft. Worth)

Zone 3:
Region 8 – Rocky Mountain (Denver)
Region 9 – Pacific Rim (San Francisco)
Region 10 – Northwest/Arctic (Seattle)

Zone 4:
Region 11 – National Capital Region (D.C.)
Central Office (D.C.)

For more information or questions, please contact Mark Ilich, milich@proconconsulting.com.