New High School Winter Construction Update

As winter settles in for the season, the construction site will remain a hub of activity throughout the cold. Despite the dropping temperatures, the project is progressing well and is on schedule and budget. 

Brunswick New High School Winter Construction Update

As winter settles in for the season, the construction site will remain a hub of activity throughout the cold. Despite the dropping temperatures, the project is progressing well and is on schedule and budget.

Due to the relatively dry season, the construction team has been able to adapt and continue developing the complex exterior work before the harshest weather arrives.

Massive concrete pours have been taking place for sections of the second-floor spaces. For this significant logistical undertaking to happen during the cold snap, the crew implemented a "tenting" strategy in Area 1. They enclosed the first floor, heating the slab deck from below to ensure the concrete would cure properly.

On pour days, dedicated crews arrived early in the morning to brush off snow and prep the surface, ensuring concrete trucks were pouring several hours later. This push allowed the team to secure the structural concrete while conditions were favorable.

The Winter Strategy

Looking ahead, the site will transition into a phase defined by steel erection in Area 3, and masonry in Areas 7 and 2, with some winter protection procedures. In addition, crews will also focus on finishing the foundation in Area 6.

Construction in the winter requires a thoughtful approach to material installation. While steel can go up in most conditions, masonry and concrete blocks require specific temperature thresholds.

Construction professionals have arranged their build schedules around these constraints. When temperatures dip too low for block work, the focus shifts to steel erection. As the weather warms slightly, they pivot back to masonry. This flexibility ensures that no time is lost to the season.

Progress Inside and Out

While crews brave the elements to erect steel in the Performing Arts wing, a different kind of progress is happening in Area 5. This section of the building is now enclosed under a roof.

Because this Area 5 is "dried in," crews can work, unaffected by the snow and wind outside. This has opened the door for interior trades to begin their work in earnest. Mechanical and plumbing teams are already inside Area 5, building out the complex systems that will power and support the new school.

Beyond the main school building, the wider campus is taking shape. The new Maintenance Building is now complete and fully open for operations. Meanwhile, the Board Office is in its final stages of construction and is on track to welcome staff this coming Spring.

In the coming months, as various interior spaces begin to be enclosed and steel is lifted into place, the new school will continue to dramatically take shape.