July 29, 2013

Tropical Storm Flossie is predicted to hit Oahu tomorrow, the first day back for teachers.  Let's hope the storm turns away from the islands!

Fortunately, the inspection of our fire lanes took place on Friday, so workers were able to backfill and compact the dirt in the trenches.  I did see the workers trying to repair the compactor in the afternoon, though, so the job is not yet complete.

The rest of the work had to be put on hold since everyone was busy making sure the construction materials and equipment were secured just in case we have high winds and flooding.  I'm hopeful that won't happen - keeping my fingers crossed!

Workers are backfilling and compacting the dirt in the fire lane trenches.  There will be another inspection to be sure the compacting is satisfactory.



Workers stopped what they were doing to ensure that all the materials and equipment were secure just in case Flossie decided to make an impact.  Most of the dirt piles are gone now that the backfilling and compacting are almost completed.

July 26, 2013

Teachers return to work next Tuesday, and if they haven't been on campus since summer began, they'll be surprised at all the changes on our campus!  Several updates on our project:

• The monkeypod tree won't be cut before school begins.  Hopefully, it will be done soon because the administration building cannot start until the tree is removed.  The wood shop teacher at Leilehua High School will be taking the bigger pieces when the tree is cut down, and we hope to have a table or a similar piece as a memento.
• The inspection on the fire lane was completed today, so workers can begin to backfill the trenches.  I was a little worried about whether Hurricane Flossie might be problematic, but the project manager assured me it should be fine.
• Teachers were able to get into P12 and P13 to get set up for school.  By Monday, there should be electricity and running water in those rooms.  

Next week, workers will be putting up the dust barriers in the area by buildings A, B, and C.  

Hope you all have a great weekend!  Let's hope Flossie moves away from the islands!

I believe these copper pipes will provide water for the new administration building.

Another storage bin was brought onto campus.  There will be a couple more to accommodate all the equipment, tools, and materials needed for the project.

Gee, I wonder what these are for.  I'll find out and let you know.

This is how P12 and P13 looked yesterday; today, all of the railings are completed.  The deck or porch area is quite large and could accommodate small student study groups.  However, with all the construction going on, that may not be the quietest place for students to meet.  

July 24, 2013

The project continues!  Here are a few photos taken today:

Guess what these guys from DPW are doing?

They're moving our crosswalk to make it safer for our students and families who are crossing the street.  The crosswalk is close to the exit from our school parking lot; according to traffic safety experts, it's better to have the crosswalk in that area because vehicles will have to stop to exit so they are more likely to see the pedestrians.  

The carpenters are really working hard and doing quality work on the stairs and the ramp for P12 and P13.

I wish the students could see this. Everything is measured so precisely, and the angle of the ramp had to be exact and follow guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act.  

July 23, 2013

It's been a few days since my last post about our $33.2 million project.  It seems that things were moving so quickly, and so much was happening, and now things are slowing down.  Some of it is due to unforeseen changes which need to be made; in other words, it can't be helped.  As someone who wants things to move quickly, I realize that it's vital that the project be done righ, so I am learning patience.

Yesterday (July 22), the workers found water valves which were buried. They needed to know if these were still operational and  if so, where they led to.

This valve turned, and workers weren't quite sure where it led.. FYI,  we had a project in 2004 when all of our pipes were changed, so these were probably buried for a reason:  they are no longer operational.


Carpenters continue to work on the stairs and the ramp for P12 and P13.  Little did I realize that they would build new stairs and a ramp; I just assumed they would bring the old ones over.  These are going to be way nicer than our old ones!

The custodians were able to clean P12, P13, and P17 today so teachers can probably start moving in by Thursday.  Ms. Park, Mr. Bevacqua, and Mr. Enoki have been waiting patiently!

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July 18, 2013

Not too much to report today.  The workers are continuing to work on portables P12 and P13, building the stairs and ramp to the rooms.  The fire lane is almost done, and we'll need an inspection before they can begin backfilling.  There are so many infrastructure details that need to be taken care of before actual construction of the buildings can begin.  We're lucky to have a contractor and staff who really are working with the school to take care of the details that will hopefully be done before students return to school on August 5.

I won't be in school tomorrow, so there will be no updates until Monday at the earliest.  Here are a few photos from today.

Building the stairs and the ramp for P13

Looks like they're getting ready to put in the dust screens by the portables and buildings A, B, and C

We had hoped to have the stairs and ramp completed for P13 so the custodians can clean the room and the teacher can start setting up.  Looks like it's not quite ready.

July 17, 2013

I thought I'd share a photo album with you today.  I'm surely enjoying documenting our project through this blog, and I'm learning so much!  Everyone has been really patient with my questions.

Click on the hyperlink and then the photo if you want to read the captions.

July 15, 2013

One thing I'm learning from this construction project is to be flexible and expect the unexpected.

When I got into work today, our head custodian informed me that a tree had fallen on the playcourt.  She said it had just happened this morning as the workers were getting ready for the day.  They heard a loud crack and then saw the tree falling.  We went to take a look, and I was grateful that no one was in the area when it happened.  The jacaranda tree was felled by termites, and now, we need to inspect all of the trees in that area.  We certainly don't want anything to happen while we're constructing our new building! Fortunately, the arborist and tree trimmers are scheduled to come on Wednesday.

There was a lot happening with the project today!  Here are a few photos.

Workers poured cement into the trenches.  Next
step is backfilling the trenches.

I was hoping to get a photo of the workers moving the storage bin onto the trailer, but I was too late!  They had already moved it to the other side of campus.

Getting the storage bin into position.  It's amazing how quickly they got the job done!

 

The black tarp is up by A-building!
Bob Purdie from DOE Facilities provided the following information :  

The black tarp is a barrier, but more importantly it is a dust fence to fend off fugitive dust from construction operations from entering/disturbing the school.

The dust fence is used in concert with other dust control measures to maintain a pleasant and healthy air quality.  Not saying that you won't experience some dusts from time to time, because that is the nature of the work; but, dust should be minimized..

The portables have been lifted onto the trailers.  The plan is to move them to their new location on Wednesday and Thursday.  

Concrete was poured into the trenches for the electrical and water lines.  Tomorrow, they will fill the trenches with dirt.  

The whole area in front of F-building is now blocked off by orange fencing.  Classes will have to allow more time to get to the cafeteria for lunch or assemblies until the water valve is relocated.