Construction of Garden City Elementary School’s steel structure is finally underway as of March 18. Dimeo – the company building the new school – plans to complete the steel structure by mid-May.

“We are very excited to see the ongoing progress of Garden City Elementary School. We are now beginning to be able to see things taking place above ground, while previously a lot of the work was about the foundations and things going on underground,” said Superintendent Jeannine Nota-Masse.

According to Edward Collins, chief of Facilities Management and Capital Projects for Cranston Public Schools, the project is in a good position, and he is happy with its progress. Collins said there are usually 40 to 50 workers on site.

In early March, Dimeo presented a PowerPoint for Garden City students and gave them the latest update on their new school. According to the presentation, Dimeo’s civil engineers designed four drainage bays and two underground storage/filter systems to handle storm water; the tubes will collect rainwater and let it filter into the ground.

After workers completed the drainage bays, Dimeo moved on to create a concrete foundation. Workers created formwork which is essentially a mold that holds wet concrete until it sets. Dimeo then installed rebar, which are steel bars that make the building stronger. The formwork was then filled with concrete and left to harden over several days.

Dimeo had a range of equipment for this portion of the project, including insulated tarps, a Frost Fighter (which blows hot air) and a Ground Thaw Heater (which pumps hot water through hoses). According to Dimeo, all this equipment “prevents snow and ice buildup in formwork and rebar before a pour by covering all work with concrete blankets.”

Temperature affects concrete, so it is important for freshly poured concrete to be within a temperature range for a chemical reaction to occur and for the concrete to cure properly. If it’s too cold, the concrete will not become strong enough. If it’s too hot, there are issues with the chemical reaction. According to Dimeo, workers “warm up the rebar and forms with the frost fighter before a pour, keep the concrete warm after the pour by rigging the formwork with the hoses from the ground thaw heater and wrap it all up with concrete blankets.”

After this stage was completed, Dimeo moved on waterproofing and insulation. According to Dimeo, waterproofing stops water from getting in through the concrete over a long period of time and insulation on the inside of the foundation walls will make it so floors aren’t cold in the winter.

Dirt was then placed against the foundation walls and footings to fill up holes and trenches one foot at a time. The construction company used a Troxler which was a tool that informed workers if they made the ground hard enough where they backfilled.

As of March 18, a crane was located at the school site to start working on the steel structure. According to Garden City School’s construction update, “following behind the steel crews will be underslab systems such as sewer, radon, and condensate, along with raceways for electrical systems. Concrete flatwork crews will then install slabs on grade and slabs on deck as the project moves into the early summer months.” 

The cost of materials and product availability has affected the Garden City project. Collins said that while the project has been bought out, the material costs within the economy are 20 to 40 percent over, and the Garden City project’s material costs have increased roughly 30 percent. Deliveries can take three times as long to arrive, with stainless steel and petroleum being the hardest to get.

Collins said when they drafted the project schedule, they added a buffer, and that the school will be competed by spring of 2023.

“Behind the scenes, our educators are participating in targeted professional development sessions specifically designed for preparing for teaching and learning in a 21st century environment. There are a lot of moving parts, literally, with a major school construction project, and we are very proud of our team and of the schools we are building here in Cranston,” Nota-Masse said.

For this project, which is part of the district’s five-year plan, Garden City students were relocated to Chester W. Barrows Elementary School. After the new school is completed, construction will move on to Gladstone Elementary School.