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Construction projects rarely go exactly according to plan. Even with detailed drawings, careful scheduling, and thorough preconstruction planning, unexpected conditions can arise once work begins. Site constraints, existing conditions, material availability, coordination issues, and schedule changes can all require a project team to adjust its approach.
Experience plays an important role in how Franjo navigates those situations. Our teams understand that successful construction requires more than following a set plan. It requires anticipating potential issues, communicating clearly, and making informed decisions when conditions change. A practical approach to problem-solving keeps projects moving while maintaining the quality, safety, and standards expected by our clients.
Many jobsite challenges can be addressed before construction starts. Thorough preconstruction planning gives the project team an opportunity to review site conditions, identify potential conflicts, evaluate logistics, and establish a clear plan for execution.
Access, material deliveries, site constraints, project sequencing, subcontractor coordination, and existing conditions all need to be considered. Identifying these factors early gives the team more time to evaluate potential solutions and establish expectations with project stakeholders.
Planning does not eliminate every unexpected issue. Instead, it creates a stronger foundation for responding when conditions change. Our preconstruction and estimating teams work closely with owners, architects, engineers, and other project partners to identify potential concerns and develop a clear path into construction.
Some challenges cannot be fully anticipated before work begins. The two-phase Arsenal 201 multifamily project in Pittsburgh was built on a challenging site, where Civil War-era explosives were discovered buried throughout the property during groundwork for both phases. Despite this and other challenges during a changing construction environment, Franjo completed the second phase in 2022, with a large portion delivered in just 18 months.
The completed project includes 586 units, 19,000 square feet of retail space, and 475 parking spaces, underscoring the scale of the work that had to remain coordinated as conditions changed.
Unexpected conditions also arise when working with existing buildings. The conversion of a historic industrial building, originally constructed in 1865, into the 59-unit Otto Milk Condos required full interior reconstruction, structural modifications, and new building systems while maintaining key elements of the original structure.
Projects like these require teams to evaluate existing conditions carefully and coordinate construction within the limitations of the site and structure.
Commercial construction involves many moving parts. Multiple trades may be working in the same area while materials, inspections, deliveries, design decisions, and schedule requirements are being coordinated at the same time.
A change in one part of a project can affect several others. A delayed delivery may require work to be resequenced. Limited site access can affect material deliveries and trade coordination. A change in scope may require adjustments to the schedule or work taking place elsewhere on the site.
Experience gives project teams a broader perspective when evaluating those changes. The scale and complexity of projects such as Arsenal 201 require coordination across multiple phases, building areas, trades, and site functions. The transformation of a historic former trade school into TRYP Pittsburgh, a six-story, 108-room hotel, also required coordination across multiple restaurant and bar concepts, event spaces, a rooftop terrace, and other amenities.
Communication between Franjo’s project management team, field teams, subcontractors, and other project partners helps keep everyone aligned as work progresses. When conditions change, maintaining that communication allows the team to understand what is happening, evaluate the options, and determine what needs to happen next.
When an unexpected issue arises, the goal is not simply to solve the immediate problem. The team also needs to consider how the decision affects safety, quality, schedule, and the work that follows.
Depending on the situation, that may mean adjusting the sequence of work, coordinating additional resources, changing delivery schedules, or identifying other activities that can continue while an issue is being resolved.
Experience helps project teams evaluate those options. Having worked through different site conditions, building types, and project requirements, an experienced team can draw on what it has learned while still considering the specific circumstances of the current project.
Safety remains part of every decision. When conditions change, the team must understand how the change affects the people performing the work and whether additional precautions are necessary. A solution that keeps the schedule moving is only successful if the work can be completed safely and to the expected standard.
Every construction project presents its own set of circumstances. Experience does not mean having a solution for every possible challenge before it happens. It means knowing how to approach a problem, what questions need to be answered, who needs to be involved, and how one decision may affect the rest of the project.
Projects such as Arsenal 201, Otto Milk Condos, and TRYP Pittsburgh demonstrate that no two jobsites present the same set of conditions. What remains consistent is the need for an experienced team that can evaluate challenges, communicate with project partners, and make informed decisions as work progresses.
Franjo’s experience is reflected in how our teams approach those moments. From preconstruction through project completion, our teams work to anticipate challenges, communicate with project partners, and make thoughtful decisions in the field.
Construction will always involve variables that cannot be predicted. What matters is having an experienced team prepared to address them. By combining careful planning with practical jobsite experience, Franjo approaches each project with the flexibility and discipline needed to keep work moving forward while maintaining the standards our clients expect.
