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Stacking Them Up

ronh — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 22:03:03 +0000

Work continues at a brisk pace down in the Atrium. Concrete masonry walls are going up along the Gym exterior wall and the wall outside the offices and Fireside Rooms 1 and 2. Another truck load of block arrived today.

From Top to Bottom

ronh — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 18:32:38 +0000

From top to bottom and a little of everything in between. Though the big excitement last week of lifting the cross into place is past, still there remains a lot of activity at our construction site/church. On the roof of the Atrium, welders have nearly finished the task of installing the perforated decking material. Lower down in the Atrium, masons are putting up the block walls which will separate the room from the Gym and the Narthex. And down in the A-Wing hallway, work continues on excavating the shaft for the three-stop elevator.

Through out the buidling smaller jobs go unnoticed. HVAC up near the ceiling of the Gym spiders across the room. New walls for the stairwells in the Gym are nearly completed. Metal wall studs on the second floor of the A-Wing now enclose the space and it won’t be long before the steel beams and joists are layed into position. Each day brings new signs of progress and moves us closer to our completion date.

It’s Up!

ronh — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 16:55:02 +0000

When it happened, it didn’t take more than a few minutes; those of us who had been waiting around in the hot sun sought shelter in the shade of a couple of trees. Steve Holley led those assembled in prayer. Construction workers received a safety briefing before climbing up to the heights of the Atrium roof. On the ground, construction workers, Immanuel staff and visitors, members of Jack Bays, Inc. waited with anticipation and a tremendous sense of excitement. And then…it’s off the ground!

Gently rising over the buidling, past the framework of the second floor, then guided gently into position, the new cross takes its place high above Immanuel.

Our Video Team has put together a snapshot of the event. Take a look at it on our vimeo site.

Its Hot Up There

ronh — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:09:14 +0000

The past week temperatures have been above 90 degrees, at times reaching into the low 100s. However, construction continues on the Atrium even under these extreme conditions. Skies have turned white in the hazy afternoon light and it is hard to pick out the roof skyline.

Work on the roof has progressed sufficiently that the installation of the cross has been scheduled for Thursday, July 8 at 11am.

Sparks Fly

ronh — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 18:48:23 +0000

Only a week has passed since the crane arrived and the process of installing the big steel columns, girders, and trusses began. Already the outlines of the Atrium can be seen as one approaches Immanuel driving down Braddock Road. Imagine what a sight it will be when the cross is finally set into place! There is still a lot that needs to be done before that can happen, however. Due to the Monday holiday, the current schedule for “raising the cross” has been moved to Thursday, July 8.

Work continues on other areas of the project. New stairs have been poured from the Atrium entering into the Gym, stairs and a handicap-access ramp constructed in the alley outside the Bookstore, and the elevator shaft in the A-Wing hallway near the Gym is being dug out.

On the second floor, exterior wall supports are going in. They can be seen from the Braddock Road Parking Lot. Inside the Fireside Rooms, temporary roof drainage pipes have been installed above the ceiling. they can be seen in the Braddock Road stairwell. And punch list items from our B-Wing construction, including the column covers in the Glass Breezeway, are being worked on.

Trusses Go Up

ronh — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 02:01:23 +0000

Today the trusses began to go up in the Atrium. What a sight! It’s hard to get a sense of scale as to how large the interior of the Atrium will eventually be, but the roof will definitely soar overhead. When the trusses have all been positioned, the cross will be set into place. After that the roof will be layed out and we should be be dry inside.

Along with steel going up in the Atrium, construction began on the second floor walls beginning at the corner of the Bookstore near the alley.

Moving Steel

ronh — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 18:25:23 +0000

The large crane pulled into IBC Thursday afternoon along with four semi-tractor trailors carrying the extension arm, counterweights, and additional parts to assemble the crane on site. The temperature set a record (100 at National Airport) but the assembly process went very quickly.

On Friday, the outline of the Atrium began to take shape. Huge columns and crossbeams were gently lifted into position and fastened together. Check out the rest of the photos from our gallery. It won’t be long before the trusses are in place and the roofing is put on the Atrium. Once enclosed, work will slow down on the Atrium until the A-Wing and Gym are finished.

Setting the Cross into Position

ronh — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:22:18 +0000

Monday morning the new cross was set into position, held up by four arched supports. After adjustments, the cross will be permanently welded to the supports, welding marks will be ground off, and the entire structure will receive a final coat of paint before being lifted to the top of the Atrium roof.

Big Things are Happening

ronh — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:19:14 +0000

With school out, it seems progress has really picked up on the building construction. Grumpy’s concrete was here again before 6am and began pumping concrete into the Atrium courtyard. It was quite a specatacle watching the hose disgorge all that sludge.

In the front of the building the new cross is beginning to take shape, slowly rising up above the vehicles in the parking lot. Because of the size of the cross and the Atrium truss pieces layed out in the lot, the fenced work area has been expanded. We are asking everyone who enters Immanuel thru the Braddock Road entrance to take it slow and use caution.

On Sundays our parking and shuttle volunteers will be providing additional guidance as attenders arrive for church. Please give them your attention and respect. If you haven’t already, consider arriving a little earlier and riding one of the air-conditioned shuttles from our sattelite parking areas. Avoid congestion and enjoy donut holes this Sunday!

Some Assembly Required

ronh — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 19:57:57 +0000

Despite the rough weather this week, major changes have been taking place out front of Immanuel. The metalwork which had been fabricated last year was delivered. Additional fencing was required and the construction work area in front of the Bookstore (Braddock Road side) has been enlarged. Currently that area is filled with sections of the roof trusses which will span the Atrium. The trusses are so large that they were transported in sections and are being assembled onsite. Next week an even larger crane (150 ton crane) will begin hoisting them into place. Once they are set, the new cross will be lifted into position high above the present building.