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47HA Ground breaking 2009.jpg

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Week of November 23, 2009

Work on the site for the new Hampden Academy has progressed rapidly since the end of October. By the week of November 16, 2009, the following have been completed and/or are ongoing for this first phase of construction:

• cutting/clearing of woods and stumping grinding in access road and building site areas
• trucking of granular backfill on access road and building site
• initial soil erosion and control work
• construction of the access road (opposite Rt. 202)
• excavation of unsuitable soils around the building site
• establishment of onsite facilities

Week of December 21, 2009

The snow and chilly temperatures of the winter season have arrived, but the Sargent Corporation workers just keep on moving dirt. The goal is to have the building pad ready by December 24 and then to cover it with layers of soil for protection against the worst of winter. Since Thanksgiving, phase 1 work has included the following:

• clearance/cutting of woods and grinding of stumps in the areas of the athletic fields
• site demolition throughout the site (will continue until the weather prohibits further work)
• installation of drainage piping and structures (will continue until weather prohibits further work)
• trucking of granular backfill on access road and building site (will continue until December 24)
• excavation of unsuitable soils around the building site (will continue until mid-January)
• soil erosion control (will cease because of frozen grounds; will continue spring 2010)
• construction of the access road now complete (more granular material to be delivered spring 2010)
• establishment of site office facilities now complete

Some interesting trivia:

• Fourteen pieces of equipment are on site, nine different types.
• GPS guides the equipment, providing accuracy of excavation.
• Sargent Corporation has taken at least 2,400 survey shots.

Important upcoming dates related to the project:

• Tuesday, December 15 -17, 2009: Final construction drawings and budget submitted to Department of Education
• Friday, December 18, 2009: General contractor, prequalification inquiries due to Bureau of General Services
• Wednesday, January 13, 2010: State board of Education meeting to approve phase 2
• Monday, January 18, 2010: Phase 2 out to bid
• Thursday, February 25, 2010: Hampden Academy school construction bid opening

Site Clearing Summary Near Gas Line

Site clearing for the future baseball field and tennis courts will begin on January 18th. These activities will commence:

• Mobilize equipment to site area
• Start clearing in the area already flagged (from existing construction west to the pipeline)
• Layout clearing limits west of the pipeline
• Clearing / stumping / grinding of the remaining site

Week of January 25, 2010

In late December, several of the Hampden Academy faculty, Principal Ruey Yehle, and WBRC Project Manager Charles Earley braved the chilling temperatures for a walking tour of the construction site with Mike Light, Sargent Corporation’s project superintendent. Folks commented on the quantities of dirt being moved, of the size of the equipment, and the size of the site. At the end of the tour, Principal Yehle said, “After studying the plans for so long, it was exciting to stand on the site of the building. I knew when I was in the performing arts center or the art room or the dining commons.”

Site work is continuing through the winter months. The bids for the construction of the school itself will be opened on March 11, 2010.

Week of March 2, 2010

Phase 1 work continues and Phase 2 work will begin this spring. On March 5, Sargent Corporation will begin a planned interruption of work, primarily caused by weather conditions. Phase 1 work will begin again in April.

Phase 1 work since the beginning of the year includes . . .
completion of clearing and grinding stumpage in athletic field areas
completion of drainage piping and structures
completion of all granular backfill
readiness of building pad for construction spring 2010
completion of 25% of waterline installation with final waterline connections to be completed fall 2010

Phase 1 work for spring 2010 will include . . .
stripping topsoil in field areas -- to begin April 12
grading site -- to begin May 3
constructing athletic fields, including retaining walls -- to begin July 2010

Bids for Phase 2 will be opened on March 11. The Phase 2 (construction of the school building) will begin no later than June 1 and possibly sooner. Completion will be no later than June 29, 2012.

Some interesting facts about the construction process so far:

• At the height of working to remove inadequate soil and haul in structural fill, there were an average of 30 trucks working each day with one trip being made every 45 minutes.
• Approximately twenty Sargent workers are on site each day. The total reaches approximately 50 on site daily when including additional subcontracted and other personnel.
• The building pad is covered by three feet of gravel (approximately 12,000 yards) during the winter months. Once this material has thawed in the spring, it will be moved for use in constructing school parking lots.
• Approximately 30,000 yards of earth from the soccer field area will to be used to bring new multipurpose field to grade.
• Some of the ground stumpage is used along the perimeter by the fencing to keep dirt stabilized. Some is sent to paper companies to be converted to paper.