The erecting of structural steel started this week in the new addition. A crane was set up on campus to move the steel in place and this crane is a self erecting crane. A self erecting crane comes on a trailer and has a base that does not move once it is set up.  The grey weights are the counter balance that prevent the crane from tipping.  A typical crane has a seat and controls for the operator,  this crane is operated by a hand held remote.  This allows the operator to get close to the work.

 

This is the new entrance from the addition to the lower level and the elementary area. This concrete was cut with a large diamond blade saw and is being removed with jack hammers.

 

 

These three photos show the excavation work for the new ramp on the south side of the building. The ramp will enter in the building in the elementary area.

 

 

 

Framing in the lower level

 

Windows in the elementary staff work space look out towards the elementary commons area.

 

 

 

    Elementary classroom

 

 

 

Rest room in the elementary level.

The top floor will have tubular skylights, there will be approximately three skylights per room.  The amount of natural light entering through each skylight will be controlled by the touch panel in each classroom.

 

 

These are two of the openings in the roof from one of the classrooms.  The tubes that come through the roof will allow light to shine into the room through a plastic lens in the ceiling.

 

 

 

 

The opening from the roof side of the skylights. This is the first step in the process, an opening was cut though the roof to the concrete deck.  A large core drill was used to make a 14” round hole through the concrete deck.

 

 

This photo shows all the skylight openings on the roof.

 

This is the completed framing and the finished roof surface.  The next step is to wrap the plywood with a material to complete the process of making the opening water tight.

The skylight will sit on top of this wooden curb.

 

 

 

 

The work on the new addition  is continuing.  The elevator shaft is complete.  The walls have been poured for the lower level.  The two openings in the wall are the windows for the media center office.  Installation of structural steel is the next step.

Concrete was placed inside the building and in the walls for the addition.
Two different pumps were used.

The trailer pump has a bin that the concrete is dumped in from the truck. The concrete is pumped through a hose to where it is needed.

 

Finished product, the floor where the south stairwell was.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A truck style pump works in the same manner.  The truck concrete pump has a boom that allows the operator to place concrete in a specific place. In this case the new walls for the addition.

West entrance looking to the east, the stage is at the back of the photo.  This area will be the auditorium, middle school commons, multi purpose room, and video production area.










Decking and structural steel filling in the old south stairwell.  This decking will be covered with concrete, this will make the halls from the new area into the class room part of the building.








The new elevator shaft is almost complete.  The shaft is being constructed with concrete blocks.  The work is completed in lifts so that the mortar between the lower blocks has time to dry.








A telescopic forklift is used to deliver pallets of concrete blocks to the scaffolding for the elevator shaft.  This allows heavy loads to be raised from ground level to platforms several feet in the air.  In this case approximately 30 feet in the air.





 
These forms are for the basement walls of the new addition.  The forms create a sandwich with the metal rebar in the middle.  The rebar adds structural strength to the walls.  After the second face is installed concrete will be poured into the forms.

Dry wall delivery crane is used to load several sheets of sheet rock to the top floor.

This is the curved wall at the high school commons and the teachers work space.




Duct work on the top floor, the black pipe on the left is the fire sprinkler system.









The framing on the lower level is being installed.


This photograph shows the layers of wall construction around the windows. 
Left to right:
Wall Plaster
Concrete blocks
Common Brick
Castle rock Rhyolite

 

This is a side view of the landing at the west entry door.  With the walls all removed you can see the stairs up to the main floor, the landing at the door and the tunnel that runs around the perimeter of the building under the lower floor.

 

Copper pipe is being installed in the ceiling to move heating and cooling water to heating and cooling units at each room.  The silver air duct will transport air from the same unit into each room.

 

 

 

This is the framing for the “teaching” wall.  There will be a  wall like this is in each classroom. When this wall is finished there will be white boards on each side of the interactive LCD TV.

This diamond blade saw is used to cut concrete. The concrete floor has to be removed on the lower level in small sections.  A trench is dug in the dirt to allow the plumbing pipes to be installed under the existing floor.