Seattle-Area Students Get a BAC Built Upgrade

Too many students in schools across the US spend their days in aging, crowded buildings. That’s going to change next year for students at two Seattle-area high schools when they move into new buildings built by the best hands in the business. These students will enjoy the benefit of attending school in beautiful, modern facilities featuring innovative masonry designs achieved by the expert craftsmanship of BAC Local 1 Washington/Alaska members.

The new schools show what can be achieved when communities invest in high-quality infrastructure, with a focus on building to last, and creating inviting spaces where people want to spend time and learn. Both schools feature extensive detail work that highlights the prowess and dedication of BAC members working for signatory contractors Keystone Masonry Inc. and The Henson Company.

‘INTENSE’ JOB

Randy Graves, a 14-year member of Local 1 and Foreman for The Henson Company, described a project of both massive scope and fine detail. It was “the most intense job that I’ve done,” he said, “and I’ve done a lot of jobs.”

The Henson Company projects that BAC members will work over 41,000 hours to complete Evergreen High School located in Burien, Washington. This project features 54,000 sf of concrete masonry units (CMU), 265,000 Norman brick laid in a one-third running bond, 26,000 Modular Glazed Brick for accent features, 35,000 Norman Thin Brick to span areas where support steel was not feasible, and more than 74,000 sf of water repellent and anti-graffiti protection installed by BAC members.

Two gymnasiums and a theater were constructed with 12-inch block and reinforcing steel, Graves said, but that was just the start. “After we built the main structures, the whole thing is veneered with brick,” in a highlight of the project that will immediately stand out to students, educators, and visitors at the school.

“This job is unique. It’s got different patterns,” Graves explained. “It’s got glazed brick patterns integral into the brickwork. It’s got a soldier course that actually are houndstooth, they step in and out around the building. It’s a really nice set-up as far as architecture.”

BUILDING THE FUTURE

Keystone Masonry, the contractor for the Rainer Beach High School project in Seattle, called attention to the detail work that will produce 11,000 work hours for BAC members. The building is planned for LEED platinum certification.

“This project has canted walls that batter in and corbel out using squints at returns, so this was a challenge even for the most talented of masons, both laying the material and setting lines and poles, to do so,” Keystone President Chris Ivy said. “Fortunately, we have some of the best BAC craftworkers on our project that the industry has to offer. Their experience, professionalism, and attention to detail is a tribute to some of the best quality and craftsmanship that you’ll find anywhere.”

Steve Alcorn, a 13-year Local 1 WA/AK member and project Foreman, described one of the challenges: “We have canted, angled walls that are going up. Some of them are coming out from the building, the whole building, and they’re kind of like stepping out each course all the way up, and we’ve got a column that’s doing the reverse, stepping in, and out on the other side.”

“I’ve done corbel work, but not at this scale at all,” he said. Alcorn relied on his years of experience to ensure this aspect of the project went smoothly, “using poles to keep a straight line for the corners that are leaning out and also going at a compound angle. I had to figure out a way to set those up so we’ve got a true corner there that’s following a specific line.”

“There’s another curveball,” Alcorn added. “Every four or five feet there’s a flashing detail in there that you’ve got to restart everything. That was an added dilemma there as well, but we’re conquering it.”

The large scope and level of detail in these projects also provided learning opportunities. Alex Williams is a US Army veteran who joined BAC through the Helmets to Hardhats program five and a half years ago. Williams journeyed out early on this project, which he said included his first time on a 12-inch double wall and has been “the first job I’ve been laying every day, the block side and the brick side.” Being involved in a project of this complexity has been an opportunity: “I’m on the wall every day, learning stuff from all the ‘old-timers.’”

ABLE TO GET THE BEST WITH PREVAILING WAGE

BAC Local 1 Washington / Alaska members with local and international officers, laborers and Keystone Masonry staff.

“Local 1 members are showcasing their exceptional skill and dedication on two prevailing wage projects in King County, WA,” said Local 1 Washington / Alaska President Lowell Glodowski. “These projects are not only a testament to the craftsmanship of our union bricklayers, but also highlight the critical role of prevailing wage in ensuring fair compensation and maintaining the high standards that benefit our communities. By upholding these standards, we continue to strengthen our local economy and support the livelihoods of our skilled BAC workers.”

According to Graves, the fact that it was a prevailing wage jobsite made working with other trades a better experience. “Because they get skilled workers in here for the other trades, it makes it easier for us to work with them.”

“Prevailing wage is crucial for our contractors to be able to compete for these public projects,” Glodowski continued. “Without it, low-road contractors would under-bid ours, and taxpayer money would go to a company that exploits their workers and does inconsistent work.”

The two school projects have added significance for these BAC members, for the communities they’re serving, and for the trade.

The average public school building in the United States is 49 years old, according to National Center for Education Statistics data, and 38% of school buildings were constructed before 1970. Many permanent school buildings are too small for the student populations they serve — 31% of schools are using one or more non-permanent (portable) buildings.

The school being replaced by the Keystone Masonry Inc. project is a case in point — it is in such poor condition that students staged a walkout in protest more than a decade ago and continued to advocate until the school board passed funding for the new building.

There are many schools across the country in dire need of replacement in the coming years, and Graves sees the scale of the masonry in the school he’s working on as a hopeful sign. “If they start making schools like this, it’s going to help our trade,” he said.

Alcorn agreed, saying, “The last two school jobs that I’ve done, there’s been a lot of detail work that we don’t normally see,” with another school near Seattle including 90 arches.

The Local 1 WA/AK members are also focused on the service they’re providing to the local community through their craftsmanship. The students “are going to be awed,” Graves said. “I’ve never seen a school like this.”

“When I was in the Army, I was an infantryman, and doing that job felt like I was serving a greater purpose. It felt good to be doing it,” Williams said. “And doing this job, building a school for kids, it’s kind of like the same thing, I’m doing something for someone else, so it’s a greater deed.”