Ron Morgan
Director of Construction Administration
Senior Associate
Ron Morgan joined DBR in 2012 and serves as the Director of Construction Administration. Ron manages the Construction Administration team, sets standards, and organizes training activities for this group who are knowledgeable in all aspects of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing system design and construction. Ron holds a Master Electrical License, and he worked for many years as an electrical contractor and as a designer prior to joining our CA team.
The DBR CA team plays a critical role in the delivery of high-quality finished projects for our clients. From design through pre-construction, construction administration, and closeout of a project, the CA team is focused on quality assurance. Our CA team reviews plans and specifications for coordination and completeness. They review shop drawings and submittals to ensure compliance with our design. During construction, they provide detailed-filled observation reports documenting the work’s progress and coordinate with the construction team to ensure compliance with local and state-wide building codes, the intent of the design plans and specifications, and the general quality control of the construction MEP installation. Our team helps the construction team ensure that equipment and product installations meet the approved submittal requirements as well as the manufacturer’s recommendations. The goal of all these activities is to deliver the highest quality project to the client.
When he is not on project sites or leading our team of CA professionals, Ron enjoys cooking, traveling, and woodworking.
Ron’s technical capabilities, dedication, and commitment make him a valued leader at DBR.
Q&A with Ron
Q: Can you describe the types of projects that your team typically performs CA on?
A: The department works on a wide range of project types and sizes from small retail lease spaces up to 573,460 square foot schools—and the largest project to date, Daikin Texas Technology Park, which was a 4,131,997 square foot manufacturing industrial facility!
Q: Describe the types of field management software utilized to document projects under construction?
A: DBR’s CA department documents all deficiencies or non-compliant work with BIM 360 Field. This field management software combines mobile technology with cloud-based field data and allows the team to have access to all current drawings, specifications, submittals, etc. while on site. Every field representative has a 360-degree camera which is used during surveys. This gives the design team valuable information when designing renovations or additions. Additionally, DBR has a multitude of tools that can be checked out by the CA team to test, verify, and measure field conditions.
Q: What do you see as key challenges or opportunities for the CA department in the next 5 years?
A: One of the biggest challenges that our team is currently facing is changing construction costs. Due to supply chain interruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the cost of many products used in construction climbed 7.4 percent over the past year due to double-digit increases in commonly used construction materials, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors. Our team frequently reviews change proposal pricing, but the rising cost of construction materials is not reflected in our RS Means cost estimating tools or in our Esticom software. I have spent many hours on the phone with suppliers, manufactures, contractors, and estimators to ensure that our clients keep receiving accurate cost analysis from DBR.
Another challenge that we face is the ever-increasing pace of projects. Field work requires a different way of thinking and behaving and reacting to constant change with quick decisions on fast-paced projects. By leveraging new technologies and continually updating our standards, we are preparing the CA department to overcome future obstacles over the next five years. I believe we are preparing the CA team to adapt quickly and to make the right decisions as new challenges arise.
Project Photo:
Cypress-Fairbanks ISD – Bridgeland High School | Texas-IBI Group | Cypress, Texas
Have questions? Give Ron a call:
Ron Morgan, Senior Associate
Director of Construction Administration
713.914.0888
[email protected]