United States Government Accountability Office

GAO Testimony 

Before the Subcommittee on the 

Legislative Branch, Committee on 

Appropriations, House of Representatives

CAPITOL VISITOR 

CENTER 

Update on Status of 

Project’s Schedule and Cost 

as of February 16, 2007 

Statement of Terrell G. Dorn, Director 

Physical Infrastructure Issues 

For Release on Delivery

Expected at 2:30 p.m. EST 

Friday, February 16, 2007

 

GAO-07-507T 
Madam Chair and Members of the Subcommittee: 

I appreciate the opportunity to be here today to assist the Subcommittee in 

monitoring progress on the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) project. My 

remarks will focus on (1) the Architect of the Capitol’s (AOC) construction 

progress since the last CVC hearing on November 15, 2006; and (2) the 

project’s expected cost at completion and status of funding.1

Today’s remarks are based on our review of schedules and financial 

reports for the CVC project and related records maintained by AOC and its 

construction management contractor, Gilbane Building Company; our 

observations on the progress of work at the CVC construction site; and our 

discussions with the CVC team (AOC and its major CVC contractors), 

AOC’s Chief Fire Marshal, and representatives from the U.S. Capitol 

Police.2

 We also reviewed AOC’s construction management contractor’s 

periodic schedule assessments, potential change order log, and weekly 

reports on the progress of interior wall and floor stone installation. In 

addition, we reviewed the contract modifications made to date and the 

estimates of cost increases provided by AOC and its construction 

management contractor.

At the last CVC hearing, we reported that our assessment of the project’s 

schedule and expected cost at completion was somewhat constrained 

because the CVC team was still analyzing the impact on the project’s 

schedule and cost of recently identified changes required for certain 

components of the fire protection and security systems. The impact of 

these changes on the project is not yet fully known. Therefore, we could

not thoroughly assess the project’s schedule or estimated cost at 

completion and are basing our views on the information available as of 

February 5, 2007, including AOC’s December 2006 schedule. Our views 

 1

GAO, Capitol Visitor Center: Update on Status of Project’s Schedule and Cost As of 

November 15, 2006, GA0-07-129T (Washington, D.C.: Nov. 15, 2006). 

2

AOC decided to implement the CVC construction project in two phases, or sequences. The

sequence 1 contract, for excavation and structural work, was awarded to Centex 

Construction Company, and the sequence 2 contract, for mechanical, electrical, plumbing

and interior finishing work, was awarded to Manhattan Construction Company. In addition, 

AOC, which has overall responsibility for managing the CVC project, has been receiving

construction management services from Gilbane Building Company. These services include 

coordinating the activities of the major construction contractors, monitoring worker safety, 

and providing AOC with status information for reporting to Congress. See Capitol Visitor 

Center: Priority Attention Needed to Manage Schedules and Contracts, GAO-05-714T 

(Washington, D.C.: May 17, 2005). 

Page 1 GAO-07-507T 
could change as more information on the impact of these changes 

becomes available. 

In Summary:

Since the November 15, 2006, CVC hearing, the CVC team has continued to

move the project’s construction forward, but because of delays primarily 

associated with the fire alarm system, AOC’s December 2006 schedule 

shows that the CVC will be available for occupancy in December 2007,3

almost 2 months later than previously estimated, and further delays are 

possible. Over the past 3 months, the CVC team has made progress on the 

project’s heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system; interior 

floor stone and ceiling installation; and other interior and exterior 

construction work. However, problems with the project’s most critical 

activity—the fire protection system—required AOC to extend the project’s 

schedule by 2 months. In addition, problems with many other important 

activities, including work on the East Front and the House and Senate 

expansion spaces, have not yet affected the project’s completion date, but

could do so in the future. These problems, together with other indicators 

of construction progress that we have been tracking, suggest to us that the 

project is more likely to be available for occupancy in early 2008. 

Furthermore, the project continues to face risks and uncertainties that 

could affect its progress, especially risks associated with the final testing 

of its major building systems, which is not scheduled to take place until

July 2007. Since the fall of 2006, AOC has been implementing an action 

plan designed to improve the CVC team’s execution of the project and the 

project’s schedule. It is too early to tell what impact this plan will have on

delays, but the CVC team’s efforts to date—including weekly schedule 

reviews and frequent site inspections—provide greater management 

control of the sequence 2 work. However, to complete, or come close to 

completing, the project in December 2007, AOC will need to take action to

mitigate any risks that it has not yet addressed and continue to implement 

its CVC action plan aggressively, focusing particularly on those actions 

that are critical to completing the work on schedule. Accordingly, we are

recommending that AOC (1) reassess the project’s schedule risks, develop

risk mitigation strategies, and determine a realistic completion date, and 

 3

This date does not allow time for installing artifacts in the exhibit gallery or for addressing 

risks and uncertainties, and it may not provide enough time to prepare for operations.

AOC’s December 2006 schedule allowed until January 2008 for installing the artifacts. 

According to AOC, it is not yet clear how much time will be needed for operations 

preparations. 

Page 2 GAO-07-507T 
(2) continue to aggressively implement its November 2006 CVC action 

plan, incorporating work on the expansion spaces and other building 

areas. AOC generally agreed with our recommendations and said that 

accounting for risks in the project’s schedule will probably push the 

project’s completion date to early 2008. 

As we reported at the November CVC hearing, we roughly estimate that 

the total cost of the entire CVC project at completion is likely to be about

$592 million without an allowance for risks and uncertainties and over 

$600 million with such an allowance. We have not updated our estimate of 

the project’s cost at completion with an allowance for risks and 

uncertainties. To date, about $538 million has been provided for CVC 

construction. For fiscal year 2007, AOC has requested about $26 million in 

additional appropriations for CVC construction, a portion of which it has 

already received, and for fiscal year 2008, it has requested another $20 

million in CVC construction appropriations to cover remaining costs. 

Based on the estimates we reported at the November hearing, we believe

that, in total, AOC may need about $15 million more than it has requested 

to date to complete the project, without provision for risks and 

uncertainties. 

According to AOC’s construction management contractor, contractor 

billings indicated that the overall CVC project is 90 percent complete, 

compared with 88 percent reported complete at the November 15 CVC 

hearing. The great hall and orientation theaters are nearing completion, 

although certain items, such as custom light fixtures, will be late. Seven of 

the CVC’s 23 air-handling units were operating full time as of January 25;

about 12,100 square feet of interior floor stone and 370 pieces of wall stone 

have reportedly been installed since November; and work has progressed 

in the East Front. In addition, AOC’s Chief Fire Marshal has essentially 

reached agreement with the CVC team on nearly all elements of the fire 

protection system.4

Construction Is 

Progressing, but 

Delays Have Occurred 

and a Later 

Completion Date Is 

Likely

 4

Discussions are continuing on outstanding points on the fire alarm annunciator panels—

panels that display the location of fire alarms—and special fire suppression systems for the

exhibit gallery and the expansion space 

Page 3 GAO-07-507T 
Despite the advances in construction since the November CVC hearing, 

the project’s scheduled completion date has slipped by almost 2 months—

from October 26 to December 21, 2007—primarily because of delays in the

CVC project’s critical path activity5

—the fire alarm and smoke control 

system. According to AOC, these delays occurred because the fire alarm 

system cabling took longer than expected to obtain and is taking longer 

than expected to install. Additionally, it took longer than expected to get 

approval of shop drawings6

 for the fire alarm annunciator panels. The 

sequence 2 contractor believes some of the lost time can be recovered. 

Critical and Near-critical 

Activities Have Been 

Delayed 

Delays in many near-critical path activities have also occurred. Work on 11

such activities has fallen at least 4 weeks behind since the November 

hearing, according to AOC’s construction management contractor. For 

example, according to the construction management contractor, the 

schedules for the East Front upper levels and the upper level orientation 

and security lobby slipped by about 7 weeks largely because of unforeseen

conditions in the East Front and the need to add a conduit for wiring in the 

orientation lobby that was omitted through an oversight. According to the 

project’s December 2006 schedule, work on the HVAC system has slipped 

about 3 weeks since the November hearing, reportedly because of delays 

in finishing certain East Front work.

Because of the delays in the fire alarm system work and in several nearcritical path activities, AOC has extended the scheduled construction 

completion date for the House and Senate expansion spaces as well as the 

CVC. For the expansion spaces, the schedule has slipped by almost a 

month—from July 2, to July 27, 2007—according to the December 2006 

schedule. The near-critical activity paths include millwork, bronze doors, 

and above-ceiling work. Of even greater concern, the dates shown in the 

December 2006 schedule for completing several near-critical activities 

were within 15 workdays of the critical path, meaning that additional 

delays of 3 to16 workdays or more in these activities could delay the 

overall completion of the expansion spaces. Furthermore, the expansion 

space subcontractor has said that it has not determined yet whether scope 

 5

The critical path is the single longest path of activities through a project’s schedule. Each

day of delay in a critical path activity could delay the completion of the entire project. 

Near-critical paths are the next longest paths through the project’s schedule.

6

Shop drawings are submittals required by the contract that provide detailed information 

on work that is to be done. 

Page 4 GAO-07-507T 
changes requested by the government will affect the scheduled 

construction completion date. 

Finally, according to the construction management contractor’s report on 

AOC’s December 2006 schedule, the completion date for the Jefferson 

Building modifications has slipped by 7 weeks, because of unforeseen 

conditions on the basement floor and the contractor’s inability to proceed 

with this and certain other work before receiving direction from the 

government. The contractor indicates that further delays are possible. 

Barring further construction delays, the House and Senate expansion 

spaces will be completed before the CVC’s construction, but both the CVC 

and the expansion spaces will be available for occupancy at the same time, 

because AOC is planning to test the fire protection and other major 

building systems in both facilities concurrently. In addition, the project’s 

schedule includes another 39 calendar days for installing artifacts and 

documents in the CVC’s exhibit gallery. More time may also be needed to 

prepare for CVC operations, but this is not yet clear. 

Indicators of Construction 

Progress Point to Further 

Delays 

The indicators of construction progress that we have been tracking 

continue to suggest that the project is not likely to be completed on 

December 21, 2007, as shown in the project’s December 2006 schedule, 

unless the actions AOC is taking to improve the CVC team’s schedule 

performance are effective in stopping slippages. As shown in figures 1 and 

2, the sequence 2 contractor fell behind in completing schedule 

milestones, and the contractor’s billings continue to indicate delays. More 

specifically,

• as of January 25, 2007, the sequence 2 contractor had met 2 of 21 schedule 

milestones scheduled for completion by December 31, 2006, and 

completed 2 other milestones late (see fig. 1) and

• the sequence 2 contractor’s monthly billings through December 2006 

continue to indicate that construction work is about 2 months behind the 

scheduled completion date (see fig. 2). 

Page 5 GAO-07-507T 
Table 1: Sequence 2 Contractor’s Progress in Meeting Selected Milestones Scheduled for Completion by-December 31, 2006

Activity Location Scheduled completion Actual completion

Stone stairs Great Hall 11/17/2006 11/17/2006

Wood paneling and doors Orientation Theater 11/17/2006

Wood doors & frames Food Service 11/20/2006

Install Hoods Food Service 11/20/2006 11/27/2006

Wall stone Area #2 East Front Principal 11/27/2006

Upholstered wall system Visitor Auditorium 11/28/2006

Finish paint West Lobby & Assembly 11/29/2006

Wood panels West Lobby & Assembly 11/29/2006

Install Glass Wall North End Exhibit Gallery 11/30/2006

AHU 10/11/22 Mech. Ready Service level 12/01/2006 11/28/2006

Procure fire alarm panels Various locations 12/04/2006 1/22/2007

Plaster ceiling East Front Basement 12/12/2006

Stone stairs East Front Principal 12/18/2006

Ceiling stone East Front Principal 12/18/2006

Wall stone Area #1 East Front Gallery 12/18/2006

Wood doors and frames West Lobby & Assembly 12/20/2006

Hang drywall East Front Attic 12/21/2006

Flooring Orientation Theater 12/26/2006

Plaster ceilings East Front Ground 12/27/2006

Flooring Visitor Auditorium 12/27/2006

Fabric ceiling panels Orientation Lobby 12/28/2006

Source: AOC’s September 2006 CVC sequence 2 construction schedule for the scheduled completion dates and AOC and its 

construction management contractor for the actual completion dates as of January 25, 2007.

Page 6 GAO-07-507T 
Figure 2: Total Billings by the Sequence 2 Contractor for the Entire CVC Project Compared with the Billings Needed to Finish 

Construction Work on Schedule

Dollars (in millions)

Month

Range of billings needed to finish on schedule

Target billings (range average)

Actual billings

Source: AOC’s construction management contractor.

Billings based on early finish dates in schedule 

Billings based on late finish dates in schedule 

December 2006

January 2007

February 2007

March 2007

April 2007

May 2007

June 2007

July 2007

August 2007

S

November 

eptember 2007

2006

October 2006

September 2006

August 2006

July 2006

April 2006

May 2006

June 2006

March 2006

February 2006

January 2006

November 

December 2005

2005

October 2005

September 2005

August 2005

July 2005

June 2005

April 2005

May 2005

March 2005

February 2005

January 2005

November 2

December 2004

004

October 2004

September 2004

August 2004

July 2004

June 2004

April 2004

May 2004

March 2004

February 2004

January 2004

December 2003

November 2003

October 2003

September 2003

August 2003

July 2003

June 2003

May 2003

October 2007

November 2007

December 2007

0

50

100

150

200

250

Notes: 

The early and late lines on this figure reflect the cumulative billings that would be required to 

complete the project through contract modification number 154 ($240.1 million total contact value) by

the early and late finish dates shown in the sequence 2 contractor’s schedule. 

The actual line reflects the sequence 2 contractor’s actual monthly billings. 

Although bills are typically submitted for payment after work is completed, it is often likely that

construction work will be completed on schedule when the actual billing line falls between the early

and the late lines in the figure. Even with the lag in billings, this figure indicates that the amount of 

work being completed and billed each month is not sufficient to keep the project on schedule. 

Page 7 GAO-07-507T 
Other indicators of construction progress that we have been tracking,

including the number of proposed change orders and the pace of floor and

wall stone installation, also point to further delays. The number of 

proposed change orders has continued to grow during sequence 2 work, 

even at this relatively late stage in the project. Proposed change orders 

that result in contract modifications for new work or rework could 

adversely affect the schedule, as well as the costs, of the project. 

In addition, floor stone installation has slowed considerably because 

materials, such as escalator parts, are being stored in areas where floor 

stone needs to be laid. Moreover, no wall stone could be installed on the 

upper two levels of the East Front for many weeks because site conditions

had to be corrected. Wall stone installation started on the main level the 

week of January 22. AOC expects floor stone installation to pick up soon. 

Project Continues to Face 

Risks and Uncertainties 

Problems in completing the installation, integration, operation, and testing 

of complex, major building systems, including the fire alarm, security, and 

HVAC systems, remain the most significant risk facing the project’s 

schedule. Technical problems may not be evident until these systems 

undergo testing and commissioning.7 For the HVAC system commissioning

is not scheduled to be completed until July 2007, and in the interim, much

work remains. As of January 25, 7 of the CVC’s 23 air-handling units were 

providing conditioned air to their designated spaces full time. The 

remaining 16 units were reportedly ready to operate pending the 

installation of initial control programming, the preparation and cleaning of

spaces for the units, and in some cases, other work. All 23 units still 

require air flow testing and balancing, control-related work, connection to 

the fire alarm system, punch-list work, and commissioning. 8

 While the 

CVC team expects the commissioning of the entire HVAC system to be 

completed in July, the achievability of this date is uncertain. Risks include 

an insufficient number of technicians with the skills and training needed to

install the system, technical problems that could arise given the 

complexity of the system, problems coordinating the work of 

 7

Final acceptance testing is the last test of a system’s operation, conducted to ensure that

the system meets all contract specifications and relevant fire and life safety code 

requirements and operates as intended. 

8

Commissioning is a systematic process to ensure, by verification and documentation, that

all of a facility’s systems perform interactively as designed and intended to meet the 

owner’s operational needs. 

Page 8 GAO-07-507T 
subcontractors, damage to equipment from excessive dirt9

 or from 

moisture accumulating in nonoperational units, and delays in readying the 

spaces for the air-handling units. 

While work on the fire alarm system has advanced, it still requires 

substantial acceptance testing, as well as testing to ensure that it and the 

other major building systems operate together as intended. In addition, the 

project’s schedule remains vulnerable to other risks and uncertainties, 

including design or scope changes, late identification or slow resolution of 

problems, and insufficient manpower. 

AOC Has Begun to 

Implement Its Action Plan 

Since the fall of 2006, AOC has been implementing elements of its 

November 2006 action plan to enhance the CVC team’s performance in 

meeting schedule dates. For example, AOC has been selectively 

accelerating critical work; focusing greater team attention on identifying 

and quickly resolving problems, including conducting frequent site 

inspections; and changing the criteria for the contractor’s award fee to 

reward adherence to the project’s schedule. In addition, AOC has been 

holding weekly CVC team meetings that focus on achieving the sequence 2 

schedule; however, until recently, these meetings have not generally 

addressed the schedules for the House and Senate expansion spaces and 

for major building systems. While the pace of sequence 2 work may not 

currently depend on progress in these other areas, the completion of the 

CVC project will ultimately require the completion and integrated 

operation of all areas, and delays in completing the expansion space and

major systems work could delay the CVC’s completion and opening to the 

public. 

It is too soon to tell whether the actions identified in AOC’s November 

2006 action plan will be effective in curtailing additional schedule 

slippages. Furthermore, continuing concerns associated with the CVC’s 

HVAC system, if not quickly addressed, could adversely affect the project’s

schedule. However, the greater management attention resulting from 

AOC’s implementation of the plan has the potential to keep scheduled 

work on track, and aggressively carrying out the planned actions is 

essential to prevent further delays. 

 9

Although 7 units were operating full time, the spaces being served by only 2 units were 

reported to be completely ready and clean as of January 25. 

Page 9 GAO-07-507T 
Recommendations The Architect of the Capitol should 

1. Promptly reassess the risks associated with, and the likelihood of, 

meeting, the project’s schedule, especially with respect to the 

installation, successful operation and integration, and testing of major 

building systems; coordinate all work associated with the HVAC 

system; take appropriate action to mitigate any risks that have not 

been sufficiently addressed; and provide Congress with a realistic 

completion date; and 

2. Continue to aggressively implement the November 2006 CVC action 

plan, including focus on the near-critical activities that can further 

delay the completion of the expansion spaces and the steps that can be

taken to ensure that the pace of work is sufficient to meet the

schedule. Also include work on the House and Senate expansion 

spaces, major building systems, and the Jefferson Building in weekly 

schedule review sessions. 

AOC generally agreed with our recommendations and commented that 

accounting for risks in the schedule, especially those risks associated with

improving system integration, will probably push the project’s completion 

date to early 2008 and its opening date to spring 2008. 

Our estimate of the project’s cost at completion remains the same as we 

reported at the November 15 CVC hearing—$592 million without provision 

for risks and uncertainties and over $600 million with such provision. As 

we reported at the November hearing, the $592 million estimate is rough, 

and we have not updated the $600 estimate to reflect our assessment of 

the cost impact of risks and uncertainties. 

To date about $538.4 million has been provided for CVC construction, 

including about $7.4 million in fiscal year 2007 funds provided under a 

continuing resolution.10 AOC received approval to obligate this $7.4 million 

in December 2006. AOC’s total request for fiscal year 2007 (including the

Cost Estimate 

Remains Unchanged, 

but Additional Funds 

Have Been Provided 

and More Are Likely 

to Be Needed 

 10AOC has been operating under a continuing resolution (CR) funded until February 15,

2007, See Public Laws 109-289, 109-369, and 109-383. The CR allows AOC’s projects to 

continue at a rate for operations not exceeding the current rate or the rate permitted by the 

action of the House of Representatives, whichever is lower. Accordingly, the $7.4 million 

requested was available under the CR. 

Page 10 GAO-07-507T 
$7.4 million) is $25.6 million.11 AOC has also requested $20 million in fiscal 

year 2008 CVC construction appropriations to cover remaining costs. We 

estimate that AOC may need about $15 million more than AOC has 

estimated to complete the project, without provision for risks and 

uncertainties. 

Madam Chair, this completes my prepared statement. I would be pleased

to answer any questions that you or Members of the Subcommittee may 

have. 

For further information about this testimony, please contact Terrell Dorn 

at (202) 512-6923. Other key contributors to this testimony include Shirley

Abel, John Craig, Maria Edelstein, Elizabeth Eisenstadt, Jeanette Franzel,

Jackie Hamilton, Kelly Slade and Bernard Ungar.

Contacts and 

Acknowledgments 

 11In addition, AOC’s fiscal year 2007 budget request included $950,000 in AOC general 

administration appropriations for contractual support to complete acceptance testing of 

the CVC’s fire protection system on schedule. 

Page 11 GAO-07-507T (545055) 
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