Crews crossed a crucial hurdle — moving and installing drainage pipes — in the construction of the new gym at the Grafton School Complex, and a completion date has been set for December.
In October 2012, WY Daily first reported on the construction of a new gym at the complex that houses both Grafton’s middle and high schools. Almost a year later, COO Carl James announced at Tuesday night’s York County School Board meeting that construction crews had finished the piping for the structure.
Mark Tschirhart, assistant director for capital plans and projects, said the piping that included stormwater, sanitary and roof drains was essential to finishing the project. Because previous drawings of the underground pipework were inaccurate, crews had to rearrange much of the existing system in order to build the gym.
Work on the piping started on time and was expected to be completed before summer. Instead, crews just finished the job.
“Because of the [location of] the building, there were pipes that ran underneath the building that needed to go around it,” Tschirhart said.
There was a domino effect, he said, when moving some of the pipes: To get one pipe in the right location, crews had to move another. It ate time and, coupled with high amounts of rainfall over the summer, the project was delayed.
In addition to the piping now being in place, Tschirhart said the outside wall of the gym is constructed, exterior windows are installed, the first layer of the roof and roof insulation are complete and the air conditioning unit is on the roof. It’s starting to look like a gym.
The wooden floor of the gym will have to wait, he said, because the building needs to first be completely sealed, which will take the completion of the second layer of the roof and walls to the exterior restroom and store room. Tschirhart said that in the coming weeks, gym equipment — like basketball goals — will arrive, duct work will be completed and the final layer of the roof will be installed.
“W’ere expecting to have the building substantially complete by December 11,” he said.
When the December date arrives — three months after the project was first expected to be completed — an architect will walk through the building and request any necessary adjustments. After that, minor cosmetic work, such as paint, will need to be done.
