News: Academic Building Construction

Construction Stays on Pace for CCU's Campus Redevelopment Project

Despite September rains and October snow, construction on CCU's new academic building continues on pace for its May opening. In fact, November will mark some significant milestones in the construction of the building.

The most visually impressive aspect of the construction, the erection of the steel, has now been largely completed. The decks, which are made of concrete poured on corrugated steel, are slated to be finished by Thanksgiving.

"As the decks are finished, we can start moving in and laying out where the walls will go on each floor," explained Shannon Dreyfuss, head of the construction project. "They've already laid out where walls or raised sections of classrooms will go, which speeds up the next phases of the project."

Dreyfuss noted that the building should be substantially enclosed by Christmas. "That'll help a lot because you can keep the moisture out, and you can provide some heat in for people to be working inside."

Once the building is enclosed, work will continue outside and inside. Inside, electricians, plumbers and dry-wallers will descend upon the scene; outside, masons will lay stone and carefully give the building its finish.

"Even so, the fast visible exterior progress is about to slow down," said Dreyfuss. "Work will still continue, but it won't be as dramatic."

For now, the first floor is set in concrete; the main stairs are up and both interior stairwells are in place. And, some basic engineering principles are evident to knowledgeable passers-by. For instance, the combination of steel and concrete in building provides maximum strength. The vertical steel columns are excellent at carrying heavy loads, and the vertical concrete stairwells provides lateral strength for the entire building

"The layout of the stairwells and elevator shaft are deliberate to provide strength," added Dreyfuss. "At this point, much of what you can see has been meticulously engineered to safeguard the building's integrity."

For more on the building project, or to see images from the construction camera, please visit CCU's Campaign website.