For more than a year and a half Roanoke, VA-based Branch & Associates Inc. has been working on renovations and additions to Meadowbrook High School in Richmond, VA. Chesterfield County Public Schools awarded the $28.18-million contract to Branch for updating the aging school.

Branch is renovating 187,000 sq. ft. (17,373 sq m) of the existing high school. A portion of the front exterior wall of the school will be completely torn down in order to build a new front exterior wall with a new elevation. Every classroom will be renovated and the existing walls will be demolished to make room for new walls. There also will be major renovations in the kitchen and cafeteria areas, including all new equipment.

New building additions of approximately 87,000 sq. ft. (8,083 sq m) will consist of a new gymnasium with locker rooms and supporting offices. The additions also include a new auditorium and new restrooms. The building additions will be brick veneer to match the existing school as close as the architectural firm, BCWH Architects of Richmond, VA, could match it to.

The contract includes related roadwork, utilities, sitework, landscaping and paving. According to Robert V. Schneider, senior project manager, when finished, the school will have all new mechanical and electrical systems, plumbing, floors and walls. The extensive sitework is comprised of an addition to the football field house.

Furthermore, the student parking lot will be repaved, and a new parking lot for teachers will be created. The sitework also includes a reworked bus access loop.

Branch has hired approximately 55 subcontractors to work on the Meadowbrook High School site. Standard construction equipment is being used on the project, including backhoes, front-end loaders and Gradalls. According to Schneider, subcontractors supply any equipment being used on the job, or Branch will rent any equipment needed, which, so far, has not been a lot.

Construction of the gymnasium, however, required Branch to rent a crane from W.O. Grubb in Richmond, VA. Branch & Associates rented the 175-ton (159 t) GMK hydraulic truck crane to assist in placing the large steel roof trusses for the gymnasium.

Schneider acknowledged that the project has been challenging because students are attending school during construction. As a result, the project has been divided into phases where part of the school is vacated and moved into temporary trailers. After a phase is complete, students are moved into the newly renovated areas and the next phase begins. Branch will continue with this method of moving students out of the old and into the new until the job is complete.

In order to work around the hours that students attend school, crews on the project are working two shifts plus overtime.

“When students leave at two o’clock we’re able to get in the areas that they occupied,” said Schneider, “so we have a second shift work two to nine or two to 10.”

Another challenging aspect of this job is meeting the deadline of the construction schedule.

“This is a very extensive renovation and addition project,” explained Schneider. “Twenty-four months is not a lot of time.”

The project is on schedule to meet the completion date of Aug. 31, 2002, in time for school to begin in the fall.

Today's top stories

Eagle Bridge Co. Works On Final Leg of U.S. 35 Upgrade

Fay Preps Way for Pittsburgh International Airport Modernization Project

Volvo CE Continues to Perform, Transform During Slower Q1 2024

American Bridge Co. Leads Conn.'s East Haddam Swing Bridge Project

Pettibone Celebrates 75th Anniversary of Cary-Lift

Common Ground Alliance Hosts Conference & Expo in Colorado On Preventing Utility Damages

Going Beyond Diversity: Star Equipment's Rental Advantage

Volvo CE Launches Updated L30, L35 Compact Wheel Loaders