Dent Renovations -- August 29 - September 2

I have posted pictures of the scaffolding Monarc Construction has erected in the Dent Building to temporarily support the School and permit new, permanent steel supports to be installed. Construction work is a dangerous profession, and this message hit home during the earthquake. Imagine the momentary abject fear the men in this building experienced during the earthquake; they believed that the noise and shaking was the building collapsing on their heads.

Fortunately for the men and for our construction project the shoring and remaining bricks and mortar held. Following a structural inspection of the building only a portion of the chimney was damaged and had to be removed.

A substantial amount of structural steel is in place in Level 1. Installing supports in an existing building has to be carefully engineered and completed by skilled workers.

Photos:

1. Structural steel in the parking lot awaiting installation.

2. Dumpster of bricks and mortar. A significant portion of the Dent Building has left the School in dumpsters.

3. The former ASP/SC Office is in the foreground looking towards the PreKindergarten classroom. All those skinny poles, the shoring, held up the three floors above during the earthquake.

4. New structural steel installed in the ceiling of the Kindergarten classroom.

5. The elevator pit.

6. The "dead space" between the Science Room and the 5th Grade. A steel beam will replace the wall on the right and this space will be incorporated in the former 5th Grade to create the new Science Laboratory.