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St. Louis, Mo. — Jan. 6, 2015 — Springfield, Ill.-based Western Waterproofing, a member company of Western Construction Group, recently completed the task of applying a fluid membrane air barrier to the 130,000-square-foot Paris Cooperative High School (PCHS) under construction in Paris, Ill.
Western's work is slated to be certified by the Air Barrier Association of America (ABAA), which requires extensive installer training, installation testing, and an auditor inspection.
Over time, air leakage in a building can contribute to indoor air quality issues, increased energy costs, mold growth, efflorescence, and degradation of a building's structure. Ensuring that the air barrier is applied properly during construction is crucial to the life of the building and to the well-being of its occupants.
Western crews began work on the two-month project in May 2014. The majority of the new, two-story school's exterior is constructed of steel studs and exterior-grade drywall, along with some Concrete Masonry Units (CMU). Western crews sealed all seams in the exterior sheeting, having taped all corners, control joints, and wood blocking.
Once all of the prep work was completed, Western crews applied 8 wet milliliters of W.R. Meadows AIR-SHIELD LSR to the entire wall surface. W.R. Meadows products are manufactured in Illinois, which contributes to the facility's LEED accreditation.
Western crews resolved several challenges throughout the project to stay on schedule and within budget.
"There were several areas that were a challenge on the project. One of those challenges included access to some areas due to wet weather conditions. Extreme mud made it difficult to get equipment moved in and out," said Western Project Manager Darren Lemon. "We also had to make sure to keep ahead of the mason contractors so that their work could keep flowing. Two separate mason contractors were hired on the project to install masonry veneer and back-up walls. The challenge was adjoining our air barrier where the other mason contractors had applied their own air barriers. Another challenge was the window and door openings along with the columns which had extensive wood blocking on them. Taping all of the angle changes on such a large structure was a challenge and time consuming."
The new $40 million high school, sports fields, and track will replace the existing high school at 309 South Main St. The new school sits on a 65-plus-acre site that will also include a 500-space parking lot and theater seating 500. Paris Cooperative High School is expected to open in August 2015.
The architect on the project is BLDD Architects, the engineer is FGM Architects, and the construction manager is Turner Construction.
Family-owned and operated for nearly 100 years, Western Construction Group is the nation’s largest specialty contractor in masonry, concrete, and facade restoration, waterproofing, and specialty roofing. It is headquartered in St. Louis, with over 30 branch offices nationwide, and employs more than 1,200. For more information, visit www.westerngroup.com.
