T.C. Williams High School
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- LocationAlexandria, VA
- General ContractorHensel Phelps Construction
- ArchitectMoseley Architects
- Property OwnerCity of Alexandria Public Schools
Project Overview
T.C. Williams High School is the sole 9th through 12th grade educational facility serving the City of Alexandria, and is located at a centrally situated site that is one of the few sites in the city large enough to accommodate a modern high school program.
Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS), faced with the need for modern facilities while maintaining the existing facility throughout the year, and the desire to keep the school at the existing prime location, proceeded in 2004 with the implementation of a phased construction for a new three story, 460,000 square foot high school at the footprint of the existing parking lot. Once the new facility is turned over to ACPS in the summer of 2007, the existing school will then be demolished and replaced with a new parking garage structure and recreational spaces.
The new school facility design reflects the City’s desire to maintain the historical architecture of the region while planning for a 100 year facility life, with an exterior façade of brick and integral monumental cast stone, and an interior consisting of almost exclusively masonry walls. Calvert Masonry, Inc. proceeded with this approx. $9 Million masonry package in July, 2005.
The Gymnasium and Auditorium wings consist of masonry bearing and fire separation walls, several of which are 2 and 3 concrete masonry unit (CMU) wythes in excess of two foot total thickness and grouted 50% or greater. The Classroom and Support building sections are structural steel framed with exterior CMU back-up grouted walls, interior fire separation CMU walls and single wythe classroom CMU partitions. In excess of 750,000 CMU units and 2,000 cubic yards of grout were installed for the new building. Specific hallway and entrance areas also received decorative ground face CMU units, and acoustical CMU units were incorporated into both of the two Gymnasiums. The exterior masonry façade is comprised of over 420,000 utility size brick, and approximately 4,000 pieces of monumental cast stone; many weighed in excess of 3,900 pounds each and were set atop two story high masonry piers. Faced with an aggressive schedule and minimal available site left for storage and contractor staging.
Hensel Phelps Construction and subcontracting team developed and implemented a detailed sequence and schedule that involved several trades working together in multiple areas. Storage and equipment access for masonry operations were continually shifted and/or relocated to accommodate this plan, and Calvert’s forces peaked above 150 men over a several month stretch to meet the team’s schedule milestone goals. The masonry was substantially completed for the new building within a 17 month time period. The parking garage portion of the project is expected to commence in the 4th quarter of 2007. The incorporation of concrete masonry units and wire reinforcement with recycled content also assisted towards the project’s goals for LEED certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. To date, project is categorized in as silver, with likelihood of gold classification at final inspection.