With only eight weeks to go until construction is complete, workers are very busy installing drywall, ceiling grids, bathroom tile, fixtures, trim and paint. Exterior sidewalks are being poured and final grades are being established. Most of the new trees are already stored on site ready for planting. Parking lot light poles are in and asphalt will be laid in the parking lot and front driveways the week of May 18.
Installation of the resident room finishes has started, with some paint and bathroom tile work in place on portions of the first floor. This work will proceed quickly, and all areas of the building should have paint, tile, lights and plumbing fixtures by the end of May. Metal frames for the full-height windows are being installed in the large conference room, social lounges and individual sorority chapter rooms, and very soon the addition of glass in these areas will make the building look complete from the outside.
Concrete for the seatwalls surrounding the large west patio is being poured. This patio, which will be surrounded by lilac trees and other landscaping, is a key architectural feature and will be a very functional outdoor gathering space.
The brick and stone masonry work is complete. Most of the operable windows are installed and crews will start putting in the full-height windows next week. Drywall walls and ceilings are being installed, and bathroom tile installation will begin next week.
Outside the building, the contractor started laying out the sidewalks, patio and tiered seatwalls that will make up the courtyard between the building and parking area. Concrete pours for these elements start next week.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
The red brick and cast limestone masonry work will be 100% completed by next week. The brick columns in front of the building were recently completed and will be painted white to match the architecture of the campus.
Installation of the operable windows in the resident rooms is about 50% complete, and installation of the full height windows in the social lounges, meeting rooms and stairs begins tomorrow.
As rough-in of the mechanical, electrical and plumbing work is mostly complete, installation of the drywall ceilings and walls has now started. This will begin to bring more definition to the resident rooms and common areas which, until now, have not been fully enclosed.
The building remains on schedule for substantial completion on July 10. At that time, the College will bring in furniture, fixtures and equipment to have the building ready for resident occupancy by August 1.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
The red brick masonry will be completed by April 10. Once scaffolding is removed, work on site grading, sidewalks and patios can proceed.
Window installation on the south wings is scheduled for completion by March 27. Work on the north wings will follow completion of the exterior masonry. Large electric fans are being used to remove moisture inside so the installation of gypsum sheetrock on the steel wall studs can begin.
Plumbing rough-in on the interior is complete except for toilets and sinks. Mechanical ductwork and major component installation is ongoing.
The parking lot and entrance driveway work will begin in mid-May following graduation and be completed by Memorial Day.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Crews are installing windows in the resident rooms. These double hung windows are very energy efficient and can be opened and closed easily. The recent warm weather has allowed brick installation to proceed quickly, and soon the building will appear to be finished from the outside. Mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire projection installation work continues throughout the building, and elevator installation is complete.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
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Brick work and windows being installed.
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Installation of brick work and windows is the main focus on the exterior of the building. Once the building is fully enclosed, the interior work will accelerate. Currently, plumbing and electrical rough-in continues within the metal stud walls, and soon interior drywall will begin to be installed. The drywall partitions will more clearly reveal the generous size and scale of the resident rooms and common areas.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
All interior rooms are now well defined with metal wall studs and door frames. The metal decks for the flat roofs over the chapter rooms and large conference room have now been installed, and roof shingles are in place over 90% of the peaked roof area. In the front of the building, the structural masonry for the two-story columns has now been completed.
Brick and window installation will be ongoing over the next month and these will be attractive features from both outside and inside. The meeting rooms will all include some interior brick, and the social lounges, exercise room, study rooms and meeting rooms will have full height windows with excellent views.
Thursday, January 23, 2009
Approximately 25% of the brick work on the building has been completed, and window installation will begin Feb. 2. The steel roof deck for the west conference room is now beginning to be installed. This is the only remaining area without a roof. Roof shingle installation on the peaked roof areas is now more than halfway completed.
Inside the building, wall stud installation, plumbing rough-in and electrical rough-in activities continue. Installation of the elevator will begin in about two weeks.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
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Main roof nearing completion.
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The main roof structure, plywood sheathing and ice and water shield will be complete by the end of this week, and shingle installation will begin next week. Bricks are now laid up to the roof on the southeast side of the building.
Inside, some metal wall studs have been installed with plumbing and electrical rough-in work to follow.
Once the building is fully enclosed, the contractor plans to completely finish one resident room and bathroom as a mock-up. This unit will be used as an example for construction of the remaining rooms.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
The cold, snowy weather has slowed installation of the plywood roof sheeting. Most of the sheeting has been installed on the north and south sections.
All concrete floor slabs are completed, and rough-in of the main plumbing waste and vent piping is complete. The only concrete remaining to be poured within the building is on the stair treads in each wing.
Crews started installing the exterior building insulation and laying brick on the south wing.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Roof trusses for the north and south sides are complete and sheeting has begun. The contractor plans to start on the middle section by Dec. 13. The second floor topping slab is scheduled to pour on Dec. 9 and interior rough-in plumbing is underway. The project remains on schedule and, weather permitting, the entire roof structure will be completed by Dec. 31.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Second Floor
The exterior walls of the second floor on the south side have been completed and exterior walls for the north side are nearly complete. Steel stairs have been placed for the fire exits and interior access to the second floor commons and chapter room areas. These metal pan stairs will be poured with concrete to form the tread surfaces for final floor finishes. The goal of the construction team is to have the entire building “dried-in” by December 30 so interior work can proceed through the winter months.
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Ready for the wood roof trusses.
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Wood roof trusses are scheduled for delivery on in mid November. Once in place, exterior grade plywood sheathing will be attached which will define the roof lines of the building. This scope of work is scheduled for completion by December 12. Roof top units for heating and cooling will be installed starting in mid-December and should be completed by the first week in January.
The retaining walls inside the storm water retention basin on the front corner of the property are complete to the design height of approximately five feet.
J.E. Dunn Construction Company is using the parking lot to the west for materials staging and storage for the duration of the project. Concrete and masonry deliveries are using the entrances from R.E. Bowles Drive, so caution should be taken when passing the site.
Monday, October 6, 2008
First floor almost complete
Erection of the hollow core precast floor units is now underway. The southeast and southwest legs of the building are now complete, and the entire first floor should be “set out” by Oct. 17 which will provide masons a platform to begin concrete block work for the second floor walls.
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First floor concrete block work almost complete.
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All underslab utility work has been completed and the first floor slab on grade is complete.
The large excavation at the corner of R.E. Bowles Drive and Doniphan Street is a retention basin. These basins are required for all new construction projects and act as a holding area for storm runoff to prevent flash flooding downstream. The basin will be lined with a decorative block unit to retain the earth walls and will be dry except during periods of significant rainfall.
In mid-November, the roof trusses will go up. Our goal is to have the roof water tight by the end of the year.
The Sorority Complex parking lot has been completed and will serve as a staging area for the remainder of the construction project.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Pouring the slabs
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Pouring the concrete slabs for the first floor..
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Concrete footings were poured in August and crews are currently pouring slabs for the first floor. Next the masons will begin laying up the load-bearing interior and exterior walls. The building structure is comprised of load-bearing masonry walls that will support pre-cast concrete hollow core slabs that make up the second floor. These pre-cast units will go up in early October, helping give shape to the exterior
In November, work will begin on the exterior bricks, designed to blend with existing campus buildings. We anticipate the building to be weather tight by Dec. 31 so crews may spend the winter months completing the inside. The new complex will be open for the Fall 2009 semester with substantial completion scheduled for mid July.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Excavation and Grading
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Excavation and grading in early June 2008.
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Site work for the project began in late May with the project boundaries being fenced for security and safety. Excavation and grading followed in early June. During this process, it was discovered that an existing gas line needed to be abandoned and relocated. This work has now been completed. Later in the excavation process, it was discovered that concrete piers for the married housing facility that once occupied the site needed to be removed in order to complete final grading. This has now been completed and the piers are being br
oken up to facilitate their removal.
The parking lot for the project should be completed with a base course of asphalt by mid August, permitting all construction workers to use this lot for parking. The construction trailer adjacent to R.E. Bowles Drive will then be relocated to the project site.
Site utilities and earthwork are now almost complete and foundation work is planned to begin the week of July 7 - 11. The contractor plans to work weekends to recapture lost time due to the significant rainfall during the month of June and delays occasioned by the gas line and piers.
Thursday, May 14, 2009 | 
