A Family and A Team
Project Role – Electrical Trade Partner
Our Team Spotlight series highlights the contributions of the project team members completing the historic Capitol Complex Project Phase II.
Pictured Above: Tumlinson Electric team on Phase II of the Capitol Complex Project. Photo courtesy of Tumlinson Electric, LLC
Every day, we switch on lights, turn on computers, make meals, cool and heat our homes and offices, and engage in other big and small tasks that require power. It’s a good bet that most of us never spend a lot of time thinking about how power gets to the particular light switch we turn on, but for Tumlinson Electric, LLC, thinking through the complexities of how power gets from point A to point B is a full-time job.
Tumlinson, a leading provider of electrical contracting services in the State of Texas, is the electrical trade partner for the JE Dunn Construction team on the Capitol Complex Phase II project. The company is also providing electrical contracting services to expand the Capitol Complex Central Utility Plant, which will serve the Phase II improvements.
A Family and A Team
Suanna and Kenneth Tumlinson bring over twenty years of experience and operating successful electrical contracting businesses. Together, they were managing partners for KST Electric, one of the largest electrical contractors in the State of Texas. During their years of management at KST, Suanna managed the company’s financial operations with $80 million in annual revenue, and Kenneth oversaw the daily operations of the nearly 750 employees. KST Electric completed thousands of projects, and in 2010, Suanna and Kenneth sold their successful family business.
After selling KST, Suanna and Kenneth received many requests to start a new business. In 2016, they joined with five other partners to establish Tumlinson Electric. The name speaks to years of quality electrical contracting services, and the partnership provides a vast history of leadership focused on teamwork and successful growth.
The company has grown quickly in a relatively short time, now having 350 field employees and 75 project management and administrative employees. Even at this size, there is still a family atmosphere at the company where everyone knows each other.
“Our people are what makes Tumlinson Electric the company that it is,” said Suanna. “We are a real team, and our people get credit for their efforts.”
Many Projects, Many Market Sectors
Tumlinson works across market sectors, on core and shell and tenant finish-out projects for public and private clients.
“We are experienced in commercial office, K-12 education, and central utility plants. We can scale our operations from small tenant finish-out projects to large, complex projects like Phase II of the Capitol Complex Project.”
The company’s public work encompasses a broad spectrum of projects. Their university work includes multiple projects on the University of Texas at Austin, Texas State University, and Texas A&M campuses. They recently completed The Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion, Baylor University’s new basketball arena. The complex project was fast-paced with a large team, similar to the Capitol Complex Phase II project. Current projects for the University of Texas at Austin include renovations to the Micro-Engineering Research Facility at the J. J. Pickle Research Campus (PRC), the new seven-story, 210,000-square-foot Engineering Discovery Building, and upgrades at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium.
Tumlinson Electric provided electrical contracting services for the Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion, Baylor University’s new 223,547-square-foot arena for men’s and women’s basketball. – Photo courtesy of Baylor University and SIDEARM Sports.
A rendering of the Engineering Discovery Building at the University of Texas at Austin – Photo Courtesy of the University of Texas at Austin.
Tumlinson is also providing electrical contracting services for the City of Austin’s Waller Creek Project, a chain of urban parks with a mixture of public and private projects around a restored Waller Creek. The Waller Creek District is close to the Capitol Complex Phase II project. Run-off water from the Capitol Complex feeds into Waller Creek. Events at Waterloo Greenway use the Capitol Complex parking lots for overflow parking.
Capitol Complex Project Phase II
Many of the trade companies working on Phase II perform services with specific start and end times based on the project’s overall schedule of activities. However, since Tumlinson Electric is responsible for powering the project, they started at the very beginning of the project and will remain onsite through completion. Tumlinson is overseeing the electrical infrastructure with subcontractor Beckwith Electronic Systems, LLC supporting life safety systems.
Tumlinson working on Phase II of the Capitol Complex Project. Photo courtesy of JE Dunn Superintendent Mike Hamline.
Generator Power
Tumlinson has worked closely with the construction manager at risk, JE Dunn, to plan the sequence for powering the three construction sites: 1501 Lavaca, 1500 Congress, and the final block of the Texas Capitol Mall.
The first part of the electrical plan is establishing generator power for the site equipment, including the three tower cranes. JE Dunn has provided several generators for the sites. Tumlinson’s electricians are working hard to power all the equipment using the generators. This step requires close coordination with JE Dunn and the trade partners working onsite. Throughout the project, Tumlinson will coordinate power needs with every trade partner working on the sites.
A generator providing power on Phase II of the Capitol Complex Project.
Temporary Power
The next step is establishing temporary power. Austin Energy will provide two 2000 kilovolt-ampere (kVA) industrial transformers to bring temporary power to the project. Once the transformers are installed, power will be transferred from the generators to the transformers.
As the buildings take shape, more trades will arrive onsite. Tumlinson will also set up temporary power to spider boxes. Spider boxes are portable power sources set at intervals on each building level during construction for trade partners to plug in tools and equipment.
Spider boxes are portable power sources that construction sites use to power smaller hand tools and equipment.
Permanent Power
Once the main equipment room is built and the distribution equipment moved onsite, the final step is establishing permanent power. Tumlinson will run connections from the main distribution panels to branch panels directly connected to power sources throughout the buildings.
Each state office building will also have backup generators that can be switched from Austin Energy to emergency standalone power with one switch.
Big Buildings Require Big Electrical Equipment
Electrical gear and emergency generators are exceptionally large for buildings the size of the new state office buildings. The equipment can weigh up to 20,000 pounds and must be transported to the construction sites on 18-wheelers. Some equipment is transported in pieces and assembled onsite. Rigging companies use cranes to install the equipment.
The electrical equipment can take up to a year to manufacture, so buildings are often designed with walls left out to allow construction to progress while waiting for the delivery of the equipment.
Using BIM in Design for Accurate Construction
State buildings are designed in 3D using building information modeling (BIM) software. This process allows the team to view the finished building or peel back layers to reveal each building process. TFC, the design team, JE Dunn, and the trade partners meet twice weekly to discuss the BIM model. One meeting is to discuss 1501 Lavaca, and the other is to discuss 1500 Congress and the final block of the Texas Capitol Mall.
The BIM model allows the team members building the project the opportunity to look at the design based on their role and determine if there are any potential construction issues before the actual work begins. If any issues are detected, the project team members work together to find a solution. Working out issues in the model prevents time-consuming corrections in the field and allows construction to move faster.
BIM modeling also allows designers to size equipment rooms accurately based on the equipment they will house. Once the project is complete, facility maintenance teams will use the final BIM models to pinpoint system lines and connections.
Electrical system BIM model.
Safety in Design, Safety in Construction
JE Dunn has collaborated with TFC project managers to establish a safety plan that all trade partners follow on the construction sites. Tumlinson has a full-time safety manager who oversees all company safety practices, including employee training and project safety.
Each day begins with a morning huddle focused on safety. The team uses this time to discuss what activities will occur during the day and safety hazards that workers should guard against.
The Tumlinson Electric team with other trade partners attends a daily safety huddle on the Capitol Complex Project Phase II construction site.
Tumlinson Electric has a zero-energized safety policy, which means they do not work on energized systems. This process protects everyone working on or near the electrical systems. Tumlinson also follows all OSHA requirements for locking and tagging energized electrical equipment. This process provides safety warnings and prevents anyone working near the equipment from accessing the energized systems.
Logan explains that safety is an ever-constant topic of conversation at Tumlinson. “Our goal is to eliminate risk wherever possible. If we can’t eliminate it, we communicate and take all measures possible to ensure the risk is known and controlled.
In addition to the safety precautions during construction, the two new state office buildings are designed for safety. The 1501 Lavaca and 1500 Congress buildings will be equipped with the Emergency Responder Communication Enhancement System (ERCES). The system casts a signal that allows emergency personnel to communicate in the stairwells without using cell phones.
The ERCES is managed by the Capitol Complex Central Fire Command Station located in the George H.W. Bush Building. The new building system tie-ins will require close collaboration between the trades and TFC.
Image of an ERCES system.
Powering Up the System
As the new facilities are built out, Tumlinson will work with TFC and Austin Energy, and the project will switch to permanent power that will power the building for the next one hundred years.
Energizing a building’s equipment is a major project milestone and requires thorough planning and pre-work. Tumlinson will work through extensive checklists to review every part of the system. Manufacturer representatives will come to the sites to check the equipment and confirm that it has been installed correctly. TFC and the commissioning crew will oversee the start-up and verify that all equipment functions properly.
Central Utility Plant Phase II
Concurrently with their Capitol Complex Project II work, Tumlinson also has a team working on Phase II of the Central Utility Plant (CUP Ph. II). During the Phase I improvements, extra bays were built for both Phase II and Phase III. On Phase II, Tumlinson will lead the installation of electrical equipment, including two additional chillers on the roof. The CUP Ph. II improvements will support the 1501 Lavaca and 1500 Congress State Office Buildings coming online in 2027.
Recently, the team held a safety meeting with TFC to plan the installation. Tumlinson is preparing a mockup of all actions with start and finish times and steps for Tumlinson, JE Dunn, and TFC. One of these steps will be an investigatory shutdown of the existing equipment so Tumlinson can safely access internal components of the gear to take photos and document current conditions. Next year, another shutdown will take place to complete the Phase II electrical infrastructure integration.
Other TFC Work
In addition to their work on Phase II of the Capitol Complex Project and the CUP, Tumlinson’s other work for TFC includes leading the electrical contracting services for the North Austin Complex, renovation work at the School for the Deaf, and four renovation contracts at the Lyndon B. Johnson State Office Building.
Tumlinson has also completed multiple tenant build-outs at the George H.W. Bush State Office Building. The George H.W. State Office Building reached an estimated occupancy of eighty percent at the end of the Capitol Complex Project Phase I. As the remaining spaces are assigned, TFC releases tenant build-out packages to complete them for intended use. Tumlinson has provided electrical contracting services for tenants on multiple floors and is beginning a new tenant build-out at the building.
“We have hired several people who worked on Phase I of the Capitol Complex Project. It has been tremendously helpful to reference the Phase I lessons for Phase II from people who understand the installations,” explains Logan.
Working in an occupied building requires working closely with facility management and building security to mitigate disruptions to building tenants. Tumlinson has to work in the ceilings above existing tenants in the George H.W. Bush State Office Building. Since much of the work requires drilling and removing parts of the ceiling, Tumlinson does a lot of work at night when the building is empty. After State employees leave for the day, Tumlinson covers the existing tenant space in plastic and then removes the ceiling above. Once the work is complete, Tumlinson reconstructs the ceiling, removes the plastic, and leaves before the State employees arrive for work the next morning.
The projects are designed to leave no trace of anyone ever being there. Tenants are around construction daily; therefore, safety and security are of utmost importance. Any materials for the evening work are staged in the early morning hours before State employees arrive to prevent moving materials during the building’s regular operating hours.
Renovation work at the Lyndon B. Johnson State Office Building.
Renovation Versus Tenant Build-Out
State office buildings are designed and constructed based on a 100-year life. However, even with regular maintenance, buildings require renovations based on normal wear, technology changes, and the evolution of how people work. Unlike tenant build-out, where work is completed next to and sometimes in occupied areas, renovation work requires temporarily relocating building tenants to other State-managed facilities.
TFC uses facility condition assessments to schedule annual renovation projects for State properties as part of the Maintenance and Renewal Program (MRP). This program helps modernize workspaces, finishes, and fixtures to create attractive, functional work environments for conducting State business.
TFC renovation projects usually include a couple of building floors at a time. This schedule keeps the work manageable and reduces the relocation time for State employees. The renovation work varies but typically includes demolition and repair or replacement activities.
Tumlinson Electric is very experienced in renovation projects and has provided electrical contracting services for the refurbishment of multiple floors of the Lyndon B. Johnson State Office Building in the past two years.
Working for TFC
TFC is their own Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), which means they have their own design and construction standards and oversee every aspect of the projects, from material and equipment purchases to construction progress. For Tumlinson, this is a unique and beneficial way to work with an owner.
“Working with TFC is very streamlined,” said Logan. “There is no third-party coordination. If there is a project issue, we can jump on a call and get to the solution faster. We get feedback from TFC’s facility maintenance and the entire project team throughout the project. Involving the end users in the design and construction really improves the process.”
We thank Tumlinson Electric, LLC for providing their expertise on TFC projects. The efforts of our talented partners help TFC deliver modern facilities for the State of Texas.
