Owner: Massachusetts School Board Authority
Total Size: 58,330 Square Feet
Completion Date: 2018
Project Team:
Architectural / SMEP Engineering: Tighe & Bond
General Contractor: Kurtz, Inc.
Commissioning Agent: Colliers International
Owner’s Project Manager: ExPERTcon, Inc.
Employer: Tighe & Bond
Mr. Dodge’s Role: Primary architectural and structural designer, Structural Engineer of Record
Tighe & Bond was selected as the Architectural and SMEP Engineering Designer for improvements to the Federal Street School in Greenfield, MA. The scope of work included the replacement of all exterior doors and windows, replacement of the asphalt shingle roof over the gymnasium, replacement of deteriorated exterior metal stairs and landings, replacement of all boilers and controls, lighting and electrical improvements, associated replacement of exterior lintel angles and masonry repairs where required to support the primary scope. All work was to comply with the 9th Edition of the Massachusetts State Building Code, as well as the stretch energy code and CMR 521.
Mr. Dodge’s role in this project was to act as the primary architectural and structural engineering designer and as Structural Engineer of Record for the roof replacement, window and door replacement, structural repairs and replacement of deteriorated metal grating stairs and landings, and for minor details required for installation of MEP equipment (equipment pads and louvers, for example). Duties associated with this role included overseeing the existing building survey and exploratory demolition and repair, materials selection, specification writing, structural calculations, and design of most details associated with this part of the scope.
The gymnasium roof insulation was supplemented with rigid insulation panels with integral sheathing and wood spacers to provide ventilation. Gymnasium roof edge details were redesigned to accommodate the revised insulation and venting, which were upgraded to meet current code requirements. The existing doors were replaced with new FRP insulated doors on continuous aluminum hinges, mounted in thermally-broken metal frames. The windows, some of which were original to the building with wood sashes and sash weights while others appeared to be 1990s vintage Pella replacement window units, were replaced with new thermally-broken aluminum windows that included insulating glass units with internal grids to match the original windows. To achieve this, historic photographs were studied in addition to the few original windows that had been left intact. Window openings were prepared with membrane flashings and spray foam insulation to meet strict commissioning requirements. The original molding profiles were duplicated with a combination of cellular PVC and aluminum panning.
Ancillary work included the replacement of the existing metal stairs and landings with new, hot-dip galvanized and painted steel posts, stringers, treads, railings, and “wheels & heels” grating. New foundations were provided for these structures where support was not provided by the building’s existing exterior wall. The original exterior lintel angles were replaced with new hot-dip galvanized pieces where they were found to have been deteriorated, and the brick masonry was repointed where needed around openings.
The North boiler room was also repurposed for use as a storage room since all boilers would now be located in the South building. In order to facilitate this, a large depression in the floor (roughly 18 inches deep) was infilled with a new slab on grade with a drainage system and sump pump, and access to the room was improved via a new, hot-dip galvanized grating stair with railings.
