Construction Progress
Gulf Coast State College Advanced Technology Center
April 2012
This month the GAC/H. J. High joint venture team worked closely with Gulf Coast State College and their outside HVAC vendor to coordinate the commencement of underground chilled water supply and return piping. This piping will originate at the College’s existing chiller plant and travel approximately ¼ mile to the new Advanced Technology Center. The work represents a tremendous savings to the project, allowing the College to avoid the sizable cost of constructing a new chiller plant dedicated to serve the new ATC building by using their existing chiller plant capacity. Although the work itself is outside of the joint venture’s scope, we are providing coordination and management services to the College to be sure the work is completed properly and in a timely manner.
Construction Progress
Gulf Coast State College Advanced Technology Center
March 2012
February has been a month of milestones on the Gulf Coast State College Advanced Technology Center. Early in the month the GAC/H. J. High joint venture team concluded the award of the majority of subcontract packages and was able to report to the college the project budget was safely intact. In fact enough savings were achieved during subcontract negotiations and value enhancing design changes that GCSC was able to restore certain scopes of work which had been scaled back due to budget concerns.
Of 32 subcontracts awarded, GAC/H. J. High was able to award 15 of them to subcontractors in Panama City or the surrounding areas, an important goal for the project team on this high profile undertaking. This represents more than $15.5m in work and 66% of the direct cost of the project. We have been able to build a team of solidly skilled subcontractors who are up to the challenge of this very complicated project.
Construction Progress
Gulf Coast State College Advanced Technology Center
February 2012
The Gulf Coast State College Advanced Technology Center is well underway as pile caps and grade beams continue to be formed, reinforced and placed. Underground sub-slab rough in work is continuing as well and is complete on the west third of the building. GAC/H. J. High anticipates placing the west portion of the post-tensioned slab on grade in mid-February. The first shipment of structural steel is scheduled to be delivered on February 20th with steel erection to follow shortly behind delivery.
Construction Progress
Gulf Coast State College Advanced Technology Center
November 2011
The joint/venture team of GAC Contractor and H. J. High were released this past October to commence with constructing the $32 Million Advanced Technology Center on the campus of Gulf Coast State College. Prior to that date we had only performed sitework, prepared the building pad and drove 700 concrete piles to receive the building.
The pictures below reflect the beginning of foundations for the building. The elevator pit is first which will enable us to get out of the tidal water table. Note the reinforcing steel that we have to epoxy into the top of the piles. Each pile has to be drilled with 4 or more holes to accommodate the steel. The pile cap forms are being set in place and the concrete tie beam forms can also be seen. We are hopeful of being out of the foundation work in approximately 60 days.
Structural steel forms the three floors of this project and is due to arrive in March. We need to be ready not only with foundations but concrete shear walls around the stair wells to support the steel.
A Fresh Design
Gulf Coast State College – Advanced Technology Center
The new renderings have been issued for the Advanced Technology Center project for Gulf Coast State College. This LEED-Gold designed building will be the College’s showcase of training and education in renewable and alternative energies. The sustainable design features are visible throughout the images; from the solar panels to the wind powered generators.
The Start of a Solid Foundation
Gulf Coast State College – Advanced Technology Center
The Joint Venture of GAC and H. J. High (GAC/HJH) continue to work on site and with foundation preparation. Due to the poor soil conditions of the site and the loads to be imposed by the building, the geotechnical engineer required the use of precast concrete piles to carry the building’s loads. GAC/HJH began driving some of the more than 300 piles on March 7 and continues this operation currently. The piles have been delivered and staged on site.
As an area is prepared for pile placement, a large water hose is jetted into the ground to a prescribed depth (softening the surrounding soil) and the pile is lowered into place. When the pile reaches the firm soil beneath the jetted area, the pile is mechanically driven to its final depth. The entire process is witnessed by a representative of the geotechnical firm to make sure the proper resistance is achieved for each pile.
The remainder of the project is currently in design with an expected release date for bid sometime in late June.
