Information
US-Major Project "Efficient Basing Grafenwöhr"
The US-Army will station an additional troop contingent at the Training Area Grafenwöhr in the frame of
re-organizing its troops in Europe and Germany. This major project of the US Army Europe it titled
"Efficient Basing Grafenwöhr" (EB-G / efficient stationing in Grafenwöhr) and reserves the right to be
called extraordinary with its total volume of presumably more than 650 Million Euro for military
construction projects alone and its high complexity.
Six battalions that have performed exercises at Grafenwöhr on a regular basis will be relocated new at
this area. They are approx.3.500 soldiers that will find a new home in the region together with
approximately 5.000 dependents.
In addition, approximately 150 individual military projects – new constructions, alterations, renovations,
infrastructural measurements – will be carried out by the end of 2009 in a total project time of
approximately 8 years, during ongoing exercise operation.
The US Army requires installations for common needs and recreational facilities at the site besides
the construction projects for the military infrastructure at the training area. They are associated with
residential construction of more than 1.800 apartments in the region financed by private investors.
The investment volume for these buildings is estimated with another 340 Million Euro.
Overview
Project Group and construction department Grafenwöhr
The coordination of the construction and infrastructure measurements has been transferred to the Bavarian
Government Administration. The project control and supervision tasks for this major project are a
challenge for the Government Construction Administration. A significant task volume remains with the
Government Construction Administration even with engagement of self-employed for individual design and
construction tasks, which was accomplished with considerable support of the involved departments
and active co-work of subordinated departments.
The high investment volume and the short construction time required specific organizational measurements.
Therefore, the "project group Grafenwöhr" was established in the autumn 2001 by the superior construction
department with the Government of Upper Palatinate based on a ministry decision to bundle all relevant
competences and responsibilities. This staff unit that is directly
responsible to the supervisor of section 3 (construction) controls the design and performance of the
construction projects at the Training Area. In addition, the project group of the US-forces is available
advisory during preparation and coordination of the design for civil US-residential construction projects
located in the vicinity of the Training Area that will be carried out by investors in the frame of so
called "Built-to-Lease"-leasing models.
The expert technical supervision is incumbent on the Federal Construction Directorate at the
Autobahn directorate (former Federal Construction Department of the Federal Assets Office Nürnberg),
as with all construction tasks of the Government and the stationed forces in Bavaria.
The "construction department Grafenwöhr" (BDS) was legislated as instance that is directly subordinated
to the project group. With an office directly at the site, it is a department in charge for all involved in
the project on the working level. The project coordination with the US Army and the responsible support of
design and construction performance of military construction projects is their main task. They administer
building owner tasks with the employed design offices and the contactors. The BDS will be closed after
completion of the construction measurements.
The BDS started work at the East Camp Grafenwöhr at the site on December 1st, 2001 with a Start-Up-Team
of 7 persons, formed up with 17 persons at the southern adjoining Camp Aachen with 15 persons at first
and was personally built-up in the aftermath with the increasing task volume accordingly. The BDS team
works with the planned required strength of 45 employees since October 1st, 2003.
The BDS literally works door to door with colleagues of the US-construction department USACE-EUD
(US Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District) and the user USAG-Grafenwöhr (US Army Garrison - Grafenwöhr)
in a former troop billet building consisting of a one-storey building complex that was renovated by the
Staatliche Hochbauamt Amberg for this purpose. The German construction administration, US-expert inspectors
and representatives of the user use the synergy effects of the so called "areal experience corporate identity"
of the areal proximity planned from the beginning, so the construction project can be pushed determined
jointly – also with the objective of short instance routes to the US departments.
The BDS engaged self employed (FBG) architects and engineers for the design and project monitoring
that were selected successive with a controlled procedure based on VOF. Staatliche Hochbauämter are
partially involved in the design and project monitoring in addition.
Major project EB-G in six phases
The major project EB-G assigned BDS with the task to construct approx. 50 new buildings and to modify resp.
renovate approx. 100 building – plus the appropriate installations for development resp. supply and disposal
and with interfaces to the planned investor performances for the infrastructure at the new construction area.
This is all performed with ongoing training area operation, is subject to a stringent date and cost framework
and requires sophisticated project control logistic for design, construction site operation and move management.
In addition, increased US-safety standards during the construction phase and the later building utilization
have to be considered. Many measurements are linked time wise and in regards to contents, as critical
individual measurements will endanger the prior and following projects potentially.
The planned approx. 150 individual military construction projects will be carried out based on the 6 finance
years 2003 until 2008 gradually.
New constructions, modifications, questions of design
The new constructions mainly form the heart of the EB-G-program, the "BCT-Area" (Brigade combat
training-area): here, the six Battalions newly re-stationed at Grafenwöhr including their technical
infrastructure will be housed around Heidweiher. This includes erection of new troop billet buildings,
company buildings and relevant technical areas.
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- Picture 1: Roof work on a new troop billet building (July 2006).
Heidweiher at the front, where the new construction measurements inside the Training Area are concentrated
The occupation dates middle of 2006, 2007 and 2008 – for two each battalions per year are the milestone,
on which the frame schedule for the total project is based on.
Examples of other new constructions are a workshop for targets and a sport center (both completed),
a shopping center (under construction), as well as an elementary and middle school, a youth center,
a child care center (all under construction) as well as a "Chapel Complex" (multi-religious center –
in design) at the so-called "Village Center" on Netzaberg near Eschenbach.
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- Picture 2: Construction site of the elementary and middle school at the "Village-Center" Netzaberg (July 2006)
830 residential units are financed and constructed by a private investor in the close vicinity of the
"Village Center" at Netzaberg; they will be leased by the Government for the US – forces. The Government
and the republic of Bavaria made this investor project possible with long term lease guarantee. While the
civilian investor residential area will be a district of Eschenbach, the "Village Center" erected under
project supervision of BDS remains part of the Training Area.
The modifications and renovations at the training area mainly concern headquarter buildings and troop billet
buildings. More typical individual projects are for example: modification of the former Camp to a military
academy, modification of a shopping center to a post office, modification of a storage building to an
administration building for the military community, as well as the expansion measurements for a dining facility,
an outpatient clinic and a vehicle washing facility. Many of the listed measurements have been completed in
the meantime.
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- Picture 3: Renovation measurements at the existing installation area (construction site in May 2006)
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- Picture 4: The "city hall" for the military community – developed from the former army bakery.
Turned over on 03/04/2005
The BDS has to consider many criterias during control of the projects with and against each other. Standard design
and design manuals of the US-forces thereby define the main requirements for the parties involved in the project.
Cost and date aspects are urgent design criterias for all projects. An interesting idea variety naturally grows from
the multiplicity of involved architect and engineering offices. This idea inventiveness in turn is geared on the goal of
a superior design concept, which answers the construction area of the installation readable by quarter (incipiencies around 1910)
time wise on one side, but takes he user side forwarded request of regional identity serious at the same time.
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- Picture 5: Modification and expansion of a dining facility, completed in July 2006
Infrastructure
Road development, power and heating energy supply (remote heat, produced from natural gas) as well as water supply and
disposal had to be tackled before construction on buildings and exterior facilities at the "BCT-area" could be started.
Installation of existing line routes and demolition work, mainly concerning former Camps and storage buildings, had to
be performed prior.
Private investors took over construction and operation of installations for supply with water, power, remote heat
as well as for sewage disposal by order of the US-forces. Road construction and surface water management remain a task
of BDS. Here, all design was controlled by BDS until the pre-final design.
BDS attended the design and construction of a connection road to the east camp, the so called "TA-1 road" in combination
with erection of the "Village Center" and the investor residential area. The main development of the Netzaberg-area is,
however, performed from the north – via a new road connection to the government owned road 2168 among others. BDS was
commissioned with the provision of this main development with all supply and disposal installations the end of 2004 and
supervised the construction supervision design of the city of Eschenbach (land utilization plan change and development plan)
required for this purpose. The development measurements presently performed under supervision of BDS will be transferred to
the city of Eschenbach for future operation afterwards.
The city of Eschenbach gave "green light" for the construction of 830 investor apartments with the article resolution for
the land utilization plan Netzaberg the end of August 2006.
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- Picture 6: Development of the Netzaberg-areal: main development road, connection to road 2168 without crossing
(construction site picture dated August 2006)
A new construction site access road (gate 6) was provided in the east, discharging into Bundesstraße 299 on a
level with the foundation center Grafenwöhr at the training area to manage the construction site traffic at the
Training Area Grafenwöhr. The main access at gate 3 was re-organized also. A multiple of the original existing
capacities is available for dispatch during access control after the modification. The measurements also guarantee
quicker discharge of the traffic from B 299 to the training area that was forecasted because of future higher
traffic load for the conurbation Grafenwöhr in the frame of a traffic investigation performed by the
Bavarian Traffic Administration among others.
German construction law and US-specific design and advertisement
The US – forces have to adhere to the German construction law during performance of construction
measurements at the training area also; the high order requirement is valid in case of coinciding
with US-regulations.
The acknowledgement procedure accord. to Art. 86 (4) BayBO is performed for all military construction
measurements that require approval according to the Bavarian Construction Law. The involvement of the
institutions of public concerns and the hearing of the community accord. to § 37 (2) BauGB are performed
in the frame of this procedure.
Approvals, permits and licenses will have to be obtained according to different public-law regulations
(i.e. accord. to BImSchG, water law, natural protection law, etc.) in individual cases. The new construction
measurements "BCT-Area" and "TA-1 Road" for example together required wood cutting of more than 10 ha
and where therefore environmental compatible investigation obligated accord. to enclosure 1 Nr. 17.2 to
UVP-G (law on environmental compatibility examination). The Federal Ministry of Defense (BMVg) can exclude
the UVP-G or permit exceptions from the requirement of this law according to § 3 Para. 2 UVP-G in connection
with the guideline on it for the performance of construction measurements of the armed forces, as long as
binding reasons of defense – or the fulfillment of interstate contracts require it.
The BMVg has complied with such a request of the Headquarters of the US Army Europe (USAREUR)
in Heidelberg, to exclude the UVP-G in this particular case, with administrative act dated January 23rd,, 2003; they ensured in their decision, however, that the environmental precaution remains guaranteed. Even though
the formal procedure of the UVP-G was excluded, the substantial contents were nevertheless applied.
The verifications are recorded in two environmental compatibility studies for the measurement "BCT-Area" and
"TA-1-Road" as well as in a FFH – compatibility study.
The contract construction basis´ 1975 (ABG 75) in connection with the guidelines hereto (RIABG) rule the
design and construction procedure of measurements for the host nation forces analogous to the German
guideline RBBau (old edition) in the steps (Preconcept), (Concept) and (Final + Corrected Final Design).
The clearly regulated intermediate dates for reviews and review comment meetings by the US-construction
administration EUD are significant.
EUD nominates a responsible project manager (PM) for each partial project. He and his expert-PM ensure
inclusion of the project specific US-regulations. The design and advertisement documents of the FBT always
have to be delivered bi-lingual in German-English with the engagement of a translator.
The ABG 75 also regulates the payment transactions and the reimbursement of costs from the US to the
Government, which manages the expense reimbursement with the Free State of Bavaria on his part.
HOAI and VOB / VOL are standard practice, the host nation is, however, not committed to VOF and
EU-threshold values. All individual structures have to be offered with one total amount completely combined
in a package by a bidder companionship or a main contractor because of the US-budget law for public
advertisements: new construction measurements for a lump sum (with measurement part for engineering-portion),
modification measurements based on quantity and unit prices for billing accord. to measurement.
So there is no "construction accompanying design", in fact, the detailed plan documents and
the work specification have to be provided completely in the quality of an individual structure related
contracting before publication.
The question on conclusiveness and concurrence of the plans and work specification will always have
to be asked by BDS, to keep cost increases during construction (change requests) as low as possible. Even
though the BDS relies on the best possible free lance partners, their performances will, however, always
have to be verified in the means of specific random samples.
The bid openings are performed at the operation center Eschenbach by BDS to ensure unhindered delivery
of all offers on schedule.
Online contracting and information market constructions contracts
Contract procedures for construction contracts can be processed electronically via Internet since
September 2003 in the area of the architectural administration of the Free State of Bavaria according
to the "awarding and contracting regularity for construction performances (VOB)". BDS Grafenwöhr
also offers this service. The "online-awarding" allows the continuous use of the electronic data
processing in all stages of an awarding procedure. The interested contractors can retrieve up to
date advertisements, process offers digital and submit them under www.vergabe.bayern.de.
In addition the possibility exists, to obtain information on middle-term upcoming advertisements on the
page "advance notice". This page was mainly created in regard to contracting to main
contractors that is indispensable for the US-forces, so medium-size companies have sufficient time
for cooperation in terms of bidder cooperation and to be able to attend the advertisement as such.
In addition, an information market was provided with the Handwerkskammer Niederbayern/Oberpfalz,
in which the companies are listed that already had a contract awarded and where sub-contractor
performances can be offered where applicable.
Management-organization
The BDS has organized its construction management based on the project structure of EB-G: each
construction measurement is managed by a team consisting of each responsible expert project supervisor
and the groups architectural (H1 resp. H2), engineering technology (I) and mechanical and electrical
technology (T). The central management is the responsibility of the leading project supervisor –
normally that is the expert project supervisor, whose area of expertise shows the largest project
related processing volume.
The leading project supervisor is the direct person in charge for the US-project manager, for the
leading free lance also, who coordinates all expert involved free lance during design and object
monitoring according to performance image HOAI.
A free lance was engaged for project supervision during project start of the construction
measurements in the fiscal years 2003 – 04. The project supervision performances are provided by
BDS for the construction measurements of the fiscal years starting in 2005.
The group technical branch office (TG) with contract management for HOAI- and VOB/VOL – contracts
and the group administration (V) with personnel affairs, general administration, accounting office
and EDP perform cross section tasks.
The former State Construction Department created an expert project group EB-G with a person
in charge for BDS with the Federal Assets Office Nürnberg at all times (today: State construction
authority with the Autobahn authority North Bavaria) to support BDS in expert technical and contract
questions.
Management-instruments, virtual project space
The short routes in the building complex Camp Aachen with five administration buildings and
one conference building provide best conditions for joint coordination, review and decision at
the site for the partners BDS, EUD and USAG.
The project controller included in the date and cost control of the project years 2003 – 04 had
his office container placed at the site also.
Management instruments as an organization manual for the complete program and an individual project
manual for each construction measurement are mandatory, also the updated EDP-programs of the
Staatlichen Hochbau administration: PRIMAVERA for scheduling and HHV-Bau-CS for cost control,
supported by Excel reports for management reports. The personnel expense of the construction
administration considering the expense for the included free lance is recorded and controlled by
means of the data processing cost-performance analysis.
Provision of a "virtual project space" (VPR) for central, standardized data transfer
and preservation on the leased Web-server of a private offerer, which offers encoded data
exchange with multiple saved data storage is absolutely new.
Standardized communication processes and data filing are very important as control instruments
especially with a very complex major project as EB-G. Even though the previous habitual paper filing,
E-Mail and Fax cannot be completely renounced, BDS provides a standardized platform as new model
with a number of partial project spaces to all project participants (construction administration,
US, FBT and contractors) that permits access to up to date data at all times and to have communicate
and document traceable – which means revisable.
Right assignment and file structures are centrally administered at BDS. So-called "versioned"
documents cannot be deleted. The inquiry "history" allows inquiry resp. verification, if resp.
when a document had been opened by the addressee or if it has been downloaded as ordered for further
processing for example.
Construction start July 2003
The construction start for the major project EB-G was initiated in July 2003 with the demolition
work to modify a former Camp to a Military academy.
The US government released the 25 individual construction measurements of the fiscal years 2003
and 2004 with a total budget of approx. 174 Million US-Dollar for performance, among others new
construction of a maintenance shop for targets, modification of a former storage building to
"city hall for the military community", furthermore a physical fitness center with exterior
facilities, a dining facility, a military post office as well as troop billets, company
buildings and technical maintenance facilities for a forward command. In the meantime,
most of the projects of this first contract package have been completed.
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- Picture 7: Physical Fitness Center with gymnasium, track, large condition area and much more training possibilities, opened March 22nd, 2006. Photo: rmWerbefotografie.de
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- Picture 8: turned over 2006: one of a total of 12 troop billet buildings (new barracks) that are presently constructed at Heidweiher – each building more than 100 m long
The architectural measurements are accompanied by extensive civil engineering measurements as for example the
construction measurement for gate 3 and gate 6, the connection road "TA-1 Road" to Netzaberg and the
development measurements at the new construction area "BCT-Area".
A next construction measurement package to erect troop billets, an out-patient clinic with integrated dental
clinic, a large shopping center, as well as an elementary and middle school Netzaberg in the amount of approx.
148 Million US-Dollar started in the year 2005.
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- Picture 9: Shopping center under construction (August 2006): prefab reinforced concrete
construction with facade insulation. In the back the water tower – the landmark of Grafenwöhr
Construction funds were released for the US-fiscal year 2006 to construct additional troop billet buildings,
company buildings and technical maintenance facilities of the "BCT-Area" and to execute the day care center,
the youth center and the development project Netzaberg. These additional construction investments of approx.
120 Million US-Dollars will be confident propitiate that the enlargement of the Training Area Grafenwöhr to
be the main operation basis of the US-Army Europe as planned will continue.
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- Picture 10: Dance of the cranes: work on the troop billet buildings is continued with high pressure. The frame
schedule is the clock that is oriented on the occupation dates for the newly stationed troop parts (2006, 2007 and 2008)
Version: Sept. 2006
Person in charge
Supervisor of the construction department Grafenwöhr
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