July 24, 2011 - Exterior Metal Framing

Last week work continued with the interior partition framing and most of the first floor was framed.  Work also began on the exterior metal framing.  These are the exterior walls of the building around the perimeter that keep the weather out.

You can see the new silver exterior framing at the base of the Eastern wall columns

Detail at base of column

The Construction Documents require that all ductwork be sealed while under construction.
This prevents dust and construction particulates from contaminating the ductwork.

Special types of slotted attachment anchors are required at the top of the metal framed walls.
Interior walls need to accommodate up to 1-1/2" of movement and the exterior walls need to accommodate up to 1". 

Taking Shape

July 17, 2011 - Begin Metal Framing

Last week Precision Walls installed the partition framing on the second floor while the plumbers, RC Jacobs,  worked roughing-in the plumbing from the ground floor below.

Looking East from the North Stair, second floor.  
Faculty offices straight ahead and to the left.  

Shared Ground Floor plumbing stack.  Mens room to the right and Womens room to the left.

Looking South, second floor corridor.  Classrooms are to the left and to the right.

These sleeves fit within the cavity wall for plumbing in this location.

These sleeves will be relocated into the cavity wall to the right.

Electrical conduits for a wall panel on left and Roof drain sleeve on the right.

Contractor is using the largest classroom on second floor for material staging.

Floor slab and curb poured at Mechanical penthouse.  Penthouse roof framing and sheathing is also in place. 

Until the next Post...  Lookin' Good!

July 7, 2011 - Isolation Pockets and Full Penetration Welding

With the majority of the two steel packages in place and the second floor slab poured, workers are now tending to smaller miscellaneous items.

Now that the second floor slab is placed and the steel columns are true,
the isolation pockets at the base of the East wall columns are being filled with concrete,

Looking south down central corridor in the clinic, sterilization is to the right.
These isolation pockets at the base of the short columns are round and still need to be filled with concrete.

Welder works on full penetration welds as Special Inspector stands by.
Each one of these special Full Penetration Welds takes about half a day.
There are at least 40 of these welds required on the project.

Detail of completed weld.

Special Inspector sign-off of completed weld.
Translation: "Inspected by MT, weld is OK, June 30th"

Welder works off special platform in a hard to reach spot.

Detail of platform.

Workers preparing to pour the slab in the mechanical penthouse.

July 5, 2011 - Second Floor Slab

Last Tuesday, June 28th, 2011, the second floor slab was poured.  This is a significant milestone in the project.  Now that the second floor slab is in place, the pace of construction should pick up. 

Concrete placement started at daybreak.

The concrete specifications call for a 5,000 psi mix.    It took several truckloads to complete the pour.

The morning after the pour.

Looking out towards the Eastern curved wall.

Slab edge detail at curved wall.

Looking back at the connector and elevator shaft.

Connector slab and building slab edges.