Building the Frame

The "flying steel" is settling in on Area 3! We now have the beginning frame on the roof. The bar joists are in place and soon the roof decking will begin on that area.
This is the shorter classroom wing on the north side of the building. From the front of the school (parking lot level) looking west in this photo it appears to be two floors in height.
But this photo is of the same Area 3 wing from the opposite end showing there are three floors. Notice the floor decking is in place on this wing. Next the re-bar will be added into the decking. Concrete pouring for the floors should begin within the next week! They will be poured from the top down. Third floor floor first ;-)
This is a side view of the same Area 3 wing. I referred to this wing as the "short" wing. You can compare the size (length) of this wing with the next Area 2 wing in this photo. (Once roofing is in place you will easily see the difference.) Area 3 is one of the future "add-on-for-future-growth" features designed into this building. We have design plans and potential for additional growth off the end of that wing should it ever be needed.
As large as the structure looks at this point, the three classroom wings now being framed in are only a part of the total footprint for the main building. This photo is taken from the front southern "corner stake" near the gym. The diagram illustrates the location of the next phases of the project which are Areas 4 and 5. The gyms, cafeteria, commons, offices, theatre, and band room will fill this space!The rectangular area in this photo is the mezzanine above the hallway on the third floor. This is where our mechanical components will be housed for the wings. I find the geometry in the design of line and shape in structures to be quite interesting. Perhaps the viewer will enjoy this composition of line and form creating pattern.

Our New School Cheerleader Retires

Dr. Bobbie Short, our chief cheerleader and co-worker for the new WHS is retiring at the end of this week. Bobbie has supported, co-ordinated, and inspired us in our new school efforts from the start.

Dr. Short joined us on the long bus ride to our new school future. She had us put on our "thinking caps" and hard hats and travel to visit other schools being built across the state to study features and desirable designs for our school.

Bobbie once commented that the "Ground Breaking ceremony (shown above on September 19, 2007) was one of the most perfect moments in my career, the sky was Watauga Blue, the energy was exciting, and I knew the dream was becoming reality from that point forward".

Dr. Short convened and utilized many methods to include as many people as possible in her efforts. She developed a number of committees: the feasibility study committee, the new school planning committee, the education sub-committee, and the core team. Through the involvement of many owners, she garnered support and moved the project forward.

Link to Watauga Democrat article:

http://www.wataugademocrat.com/2008/0609/0613schoolboard.php

"Board member Deborah Miller commended Short for being forward thinking and for encouraging community involvement."

The Core team (photo above) of teachers, parents, administrators, and board members served under her direction to accomplish the work of the new school support and design. Many hours with this team were spent with sleeves rolled up and work on the table to move the project forward.

link to High Country Press article:
http://www.highcountrypress.com/weekly/2008/06-19-08/school_supers_retire.htm

"Of course one of the things we’ve spent much time and energy on is the new Watauga High School,” she said. “As I first came into this district, I did a survey including teachers, administrators, parents, board members and community leaders. Overwhelmingly, the response was, ‘What are we going to do about Watauga High School?’

"I recall calling the State Department of Public Construction to speak with someone in building facilities and when I mentioned Watauga High School, the guy said, ‘Lady, they’ve been talking about a new high school there for 20 years.’

“I think the timing was perfect, in terms of moving ahead with a new high school,” Short continued. “Although we’ve been in this process for five years and will be for two more, it’s going to be a facility that we will be so proud of for the next 40 years. This high school is a reality because of the support the community gives education.”

“I have been amazed at the generosity and the support of this community toward education,” she said. “That includes parents, community leaders, school personnel, school board and the county commissioners.”

Where we are today, June 23, 2008
We thank you for your dedication and focus on this project. The countless hours in meetings, presentations to civic and community clubs, visits to schools, sessions with architects and leaders. You have gotten us where we are today. The students, the community, the future of education in Watauga County has been greatly moved forward by your model of support and service.
We will miss you.

But we look forward to seeing you at our

Grand Opening in 2010!

F~L~Y~I~N~G STEEL !

There were reports of low flying steel on the site this week!


Amazing work to watch and to try understand.....


We have a 100 ton crawler crane on the site for steel erection. These columns, girders, and joists are steel I-beams. Some are 30 feet long. Each of them weighs tons. To watch them lift and swing like a Calder mobile turning in the wind is to see a delicate dance of heavy metal in motion. When the steel has been marked, coded, tied, and centered, the crane lifts as many as five steel beams at a single hoist to the frame. When it is being lifted, all eyes are on the crane boom and cable. On the construction site it is referred to as "Flying Steel"!
In the photo above you will see the steel on the ground organized and ready to lift. The crane is lowering these joist pieces on the second floor of area 3 in this photo. The steel erectors, the men, are settling it into place for bolting.
Even though the beams weigh tons, you will notice the steel workers are able to move and shift and swing it with just one hand. All the while, they are balancing themselves (secured into safety of course) on the beams from the start of the day to the end of the shift. These men communicate with the crane operator via hand signs not radio, just old fashioned manual signaling.
The subtlest movements are possible with the crane operator responding to the gestures of the erectors. Their hand signals are simple points and shifts of the hand, precise, distinct, and fully understood by all working. (no waving arms or frantic pointing like you and I do trying to help a friend back the trailer up! :-)

Our Steel erection company is Roanoke Steel. There are only twelve steel erectors and the crane operator putting together this structure. In one week, we are about to see the entire Area 3 frame in place.


Go by the site and turn right onto Hilltop Drive to watch todays performance of "F~L~Y~I~N~G STEEL".

http://whs2010.blogspot.com/2008/05/apple-tree-observation-station.html

Soccer and Football Fields

shelton wilder said... Breaking news......
Many questions have been asked about the status of the soccer field and other Sports Complex features. Dr. Short reconvened the Core Team for a meeting on June 10th. The Core team has recommended an ad-hoc committee meet to discuss, clarify misunderstandings, and involve all parties in the process to develop a plan. The purpose of the meeting will be to advance the effort to provide artificial turf for soccer play and adequate field space for all the sports and PE classes that will use the second field for classes, practice, matches, games, tournaments, and recreation.
June 11, 2008 7:31 AM

A recent visit to the site reveals the near flat grade of the Soccer and Football fields. In earlier photos the amount of rock that remained to be removed from the fields was enormous. http://whs2010.blogspot.com/2008/02/whs-2010-stadium-rocks.html

Now we are able to see the surface area of both the Soccer and the football fields clearly defined.

This photo is a view of the Football field as it will be seen when standing at the edge of the main parking lot looking south (toward the greenway trail). Just below the distant edge of the field shown in the picture above is the Soccer field.
The first clear view of the Soccer field and the newly flat grade is shown in this photo. As you can see, the field is in place and has not been "eliminated" from the campus as rumors have suggested. It is a regulation size soccer playing field.

At this point it is being prepared to be a natural grassed surface. Perhaps someday it will be artificially turfed.

"We believe turf can be easily added in the future if desired (and when financially possible). At this point, the slope will probably not contain terraces as the future stand configuration is not known. We believe they can be added without significant difficulty when size and configuration are known" .....(Sfla). This aerial photo from April shows the location and relationship to the total campus of the football and soccer fields. We are building an entire campus and this image helps gain perspective to the total project.
In this photo the viewer is looking north west and standing at the south goal post on the football field. You will note the football field is under grade now. The field will be surrounded by an eight lane track. This field will be artificially turfed.

The width of the entire turfed surface between the straight aways of the track is 208 feet. The width of the turfed field is easily wide enough to contain a regulation soccer field with up to a 195' playing surface. The soccer coach, Doug Kidd has requested a minimum of 195' (65 yards X 116 yards long) of playing surface for soccer.

This football field has been designed to accommodate regulation soccer matches, track meets, and football play. We will paint permanent soccer field lines and football field lines on the turf. Just as ASU stadium has done on their football field. With cooperative scheduling we will play and host football and soccer in this stadium on an artificially turfed field. There will be stadium seating on the home side and stands on the visitors side.

In athletics and throughout the campus we have tried to meet our guidelines of building as least what we now have on our existing campus. We do not have a soccer sized practice field on our current campus. We are proud to be adding a soccer practice field at the new school.

I believe "in time" we will see a soccer stadium on our campus. But for now, we must do what we can to be future planning and yet remain within our budget.

New School Visionary Leaving Watauga County

Next week we are losing one of our strongest advocates for the New WHS. Angela Quick, Principal of Watauga High School, is leaving her position at Watauga. We are all proud of and excited for her opportunity to demonstrate her leadership and knowledge at the State Department of Public Instruction in Raleigh.

Working side by side at the "Groundbreaking".

Angela Quick has served on the New WHS Planning Committee and the Core Team for the New School since the committees formed in 2006. She attended every meeting and contributed to the design of our new school with a future vision voice and a practical curricular insight that was priceless. She would show up at meetings with the thickest stack of reference documents and the most notes. We always knew we could backtrack previous meetings and decisions from her files, and most often, truly, from her own memory. And at every opportunity, she went out in the field with hard hat in hand for site visits.Angela was always an advocate for versatility in the design of classrooms. Her science background provided her with the ability to look at the whole structure and analyse the relationship of the parts. She was able to see the big picture of the "total school design" and also able to see the individual areas for which she worked to insure their special needs would be met.

Ms. Quick was an advocate for science and worked to advance chemistry and overall safety for the department in our new school. She supported the placement of our children with exceptional needs in a centralized location as well as championed a state of the art theatre. She supported and encouraged college quality CTE programs and facilities as well as an ROTC curriculum. Her notions of high school security were far reaching and have insured we will have a safe school beyond the capability ever possible in any other school in Watauga County. Angela understood the value of superior and totally integrated school wide technology and wireless distribution. She has inspired us to seek the most current and sophisticated technology media available for our new WHS. Her fingerprints are all over the big design of this school. From suggesting "wings" that could possibly serve as academies or schools within schools, to centralizing student services while distributing administration throughout the school. Her ability to see the value of adequate custodial design or sophisticated computer labs as being equally important as handicapped access to bus delivery indicates her total facility awareness.

Angela fully supported and encouraged all aspects of our LEEDS efforts. She believed a healthy, bright, school would improve attendance and academic performance. She grasped the concept of the "school as a teaching tool" and readily perceived curricular components for utilizing the school design as a lesson in math, science, arts, community, heritage, and..... as a lesson in "well being" for the next generations.
Principal Angela Quick: we will miss your contributions to the future decisions about the new WHS. But you have inspired us and guided us in our deliberations on design that have brought us to this point. Farewell, thank you, and go forth and make a difference. We hope you will be able to convey statewide what we are doing successfully in Watauga County.

And we look forward to your return

to visit our new school

when we open in 2010!

What's Underground?

You may recall the photo of the many huge water retention pipes from this post.... http://whs2010.blogspot.com/2008/04/water-ways-part-2.html We now have most all of those underground! Especially in the area of the main parking lot. Which should be under an 8 inch gravel base soon, most of the electrical runs and waterways are in already place. Beneath, way beneath, the surface there is a network of waterways. The pipes are connected and in line, the concrete retainments in place, and the gravel base in place. There are a few remaining storm drains that look as if they are sitting up on top of the ground. But, no, they are sitting as they should be. In time, this area will be dirt filled and graded level to the top of the drain, or "manhole" as it is familiarly referred to when seen in the ground or road.
These are cast iron water lines. We will have our connection up and ready with the Town of Boone water system soon.
We already are on our way to being safe. We have our own fire hydrants in place around the campus. I think I recall there are six total to serve different areas and buildings on campus. And that is a good thing!

Follow-up on Retaining Walls Construction

Several readers asked if this was a structural wall. No it is a retaining wall and will seperate the building walls from the earth back fill. Hence retaining wall.

You may recall that in the post last week, we were finishing up Area 3 of the wall. Our school is divided up into "areas" for location reference and design. The classroom wings are areas 3,2,and 1.
As you can see, we are finished with areas 3 and 2 and are set to go next week on pouring the retaining wall for area 1. In this photo the forms have been removed and the fill area is exposed. The raised area on the left of the photo is grade level for the 2nd floor and parking lot. The front of our school will face east from there.
There were questions last week about the statement that the walls are "double matted, keyed, and cast in place". I explained "cast in place" using forms made and set on the site. "Keyed" refers to the joint between poured sections. In this photo you can see a groove, or "key" at the end of a cast section. This photo looks down the key, (or in my opinion the "lock" of the weld, since a key goes into the lock). The next section poured will fit into that groove, locking in place within the groove. This avoids having "cold" butts or flat welds and insures an interlock between sections that are held together by the lock and key and the continuous mats.

This photo illustrates "double matted". There are two grids of reinforcing steel in each wall. One in front of and the other behind. This creates a stronger and superior wall than having a single frame of rebar running up the center of the cast. The red wall is the inside of the form. It shines because it has an oil like releasing agent on it to ease the removal once concrete is poured. Another form will be placed on this side of the mat before pouring.

Level 1 Retaining Wall Sections 3,2,1

In the previous post we saw the steel reinforcing rods and mats being built, hung, and set in place in the running footers.
http://whs2010.blogspot.com/2008/04/how-is-retaining-wall-formed.html

We have been steadily pumping concrete over the last two weeks! Our school is organized in sections and the retaining wall for section 3 is mostly completed.

This photo shows the concrete wall after the removal of the forms that are assembled on site. A crane is used to remove them and they are moved and reused as the wall progresses.

These walls are double matted, keyed, and poured in sections as they are "cast in place". We are not using precast concrete. At this mid point we have poured over 700 cubic yards of concrete. A concrete truck hauls about 7 yards! Do the math! We are just getting started.
In this image you can see the fill area on the parking lot side or front of the school. The right angle indicates where drains will be put in place and the backfilled with gravel to the height of the parking lot. Tons of gravel. Many tons!
This is a pier or doweled column support. The lower portion that flares out will be in the footer and the verticals will tie into that. In this photo you can see the beginning of the walls in Section 2 and 1. The piers are about 20 feet tall. To give you a sense of scale, the left corner of the photo is about 1/2 the length of the school. The distance between the outside retaining walls for level 1 is approximately 1000 feet.

Beauty is in the eye of this beholder. Hope you can enjoy this arrangement of pure line, shape, color, and form.

A+ Apple Tree Observation Station

I am often asked: "Where is the best place to observe the construction site?"

As the building begins to rise from the ground this summer it will be a fascinating project for the citizens of Watauga County to watch. Steel should begin to arrive any day now and over the summer we will begin to see rapid vertical progress.

There are only two locations for observation of the construction of our new high school.

The best site is this BLOGSITE! :-)

The Second location is from HILLTOP DRIVE beneath this Heritage Apple Tree. It is located on the south side of Hilltop Drive and is the perfect location for stopping by to watch the construction project.

On a side note, I have wondered how old this tree is and who planted it and what it must have looked like when the farm and the homes were located around it many years ago. This is one of the ones we chose not to remove. The row of pines beyond have been saved too. I plan to do a series of photos of trees on the site that are heritage trees. If anyone knows any stories associated with the site trees please send them to me!

To answer your questions of "How do we get to the new school site?" I offer this direction. Head east on King Street and soon after the intersection of 194 and 421 (known as the Newmarket Hardees) take a right just before the Wilco/Hess station on the right. Travel east on Old 421 and you will soon spot the construction site on your right (through our main entrance). But this is not accessible to the public and please do not block that entry. It is a good point of view to understand how we will enter our new campus. Continue east on Old 421 about 1/2 mile until you see the intersection of Cecil Miller road on your right. It is directly across from Mountlawn Memorial Gardens entrance. Turn right onto Cecil Miller and follow that to the top where it intersects with Hilltop Drive.

Turn right onto Hilltop drive and you will find an excellent observation location along the side of the street. Traffic is limited there and it is quite easy to pull over to the side and observe the process of construction.
At that point you are just above the softball and baseball fields. The main building will be just to the right of your viewing range. Soon you will see a building arising. Enjoy the pride. The Construction Management Headquarters building is the double wide white manufactured building shown in this photo. This is command central for all that goes on within their construction site. They are some of the nicest people, but please understand this is an active construction site and safety is an absolute on the entire 94 acres under their supervision.

Enjoy!