Inside the New Family Life Center

Now that the block walls are up the layout of the building is taking form. This photo is taken from the front door and shows the framing for the large windows in the rear of the Fellowship Hall. The opening at the left rear is the hallway to the bathrooms and the pass through to the new kitchen.

Masons Laying Last of the Block

Now that the steel beams and posts are in place the masons are completing the last of the block walls. Next week the framing crew will begin construction of the framed walls.

Stained Glass Window Update

At the 6 June 2006 Shiloh Business Meeting the church voted to advertise that we were seeking donations to purchase stained glass windows to go where the old nursery windows are now. The stained glass windows would be given as a memorial, just like the existing ones in the sanctuary. The price is approximately $2,500 apiece. The first announcement was made in last Sunday's bulletin and two families responded with interest in donating windows. So it appears that we will be getting these windows. If additional families are interested, it would be possible to put two more stained glass windows in the chapel.

Steel Going Up

The structural steel beams are being set in place. This will be completed tomorrow and then the masons can return and lay the remaining concrete block. The framing and truss installation is expected to commence next week.

More Progress

Progress Restarted

The masons are back on the job full force with a 14 man crew. The exterior walls of the new chaple section are complete and the remaining walls are well started. The block work is expected to complete by next week so the structural steel (seen in second photo) and roof trusses can be installed.

View Through the Foyer Window

The interior of the Fellowship Hall takes shape as the block walls go up.

Stained glass windows anyone? The architect has suggested that instead of bricking up the two windows (seen at the left side of the existing building) that we instead install stained glass windows. The stained glass windows would be lighted from behind. This existing exterior wall becomes an interior exposed-brick firewall in the new building. We have asked the builder to quote us a price, which will be posted when available. We will then offer families the opportunity to donate one or both windows. Here is a way to create a beautiful memorial to a loved one, just like the existing stained glass windows in the sanctuary.

Walls Start to Rise

The masons have begun laying the interior walls. Next week they will begin on the exterior walls.

Masons Back on the Job

The masons have returned and have started to brick up the openings in the wall between the old nursery and the Family Life Center. Once this work is completed they will begin laying the block for the exterior walls of the new building

Slab Poured

The concrete slab that is the floor of the Family Life Center has been poured. The concrete workers are finishing up and making way for the masons.

Rain Delays Pour of Slab

The under-slab plumbing and electrical work is complete and has passed county inspection. The amount of rain we received in recent days will require us to wait a bit before we pour the slab. This will give the soil time to dry out so the moisture won't be trapped under the concrete floor of the new building.

Don't Forget the Memory Bricks

Mike Rose holds up the Memory Brick purchased in honor of Mary Burnley Owens. Memory Bricks will be set in the walkway to the new building, creating a lasting memorial to those whose names are inscribed on them. All brick proceeds go towards the new building construction cost. If there is enough interest, we may establish a series of memory bricks using the recently discovered bricks from the original Shiloh Church building. Please see Mike if you wish to purchase a brick.

New Bathrooms Almost Ready

Well - The drains for the new bathrooms are ready. The next step is to fill the inside of the foundation with gravel and rebar in preparation for pouring the slab. That pour is scheduled for next week. The gravel mountain shown below will be partially used for the under-slab gravel. The remainder will be used to surface a temporary parking area where the new parking lot will be located.

Old and New

No it is not Jim Rodante who is old, but the brick he is holding. Jim is the JH Batten site superintendent. He discovered a cache of bricks during excavation of the footings for the new building. These bricks are old and of a size that pre-date the current buildings at Shiloh. More of them can be seen at his left. It is believed these bricks are from the original church that was destroyed in the tornado in 1948. Jim placed one of them in the concrete as it was being poured for the Family Life Center foundation - thus ensuring that a bit of the oldest building is part of the newest one.

Plumbers Lay Building Drains

The plumbing crew lays the main drain line for the Family Life Center. The electricians are also on site installing under-floor conduit for our electrical and audio systems.

Masons Finish Foundation

The masons lay the brick facing on the foundation. This completes this phase. Starting Monday the electrician and plumber will install the under-slab conduit and piping so that the building slab can be poured.

Unsuitable Soil Problem Costly

The unsuitable soils problem discussed earlier has been resolved, but at a price. Almost 3000 cubic yards of soil were removed, replaced, and compacted to achieve stable soil for the new building and the expansion to the parking lot. This was in addition to the fill required to achieve the grade levels specified in the site plan. The problem came about due to the fact that the old parking lot covered a large portion of the construction area. It was not possible to know exactly what lay beneath it. We knew that our old septic system was there, but it turned out that there were two septic system tanks and drain fields located under the footprint of the new building. The potential for the septic system creating a problem was identified by soil borings conducted by Froehling & Robertson, the soil engineering firm that Shiloh engaged prior to the start of grading. The problems were confirmed once the asphalt was removed and actual conditions could be observed.

The borings also identified a potential problem area in the southwest portion of the future parking lot. This turned out to be the larger problem and the most expensive to correct. The area contained a large quantity of old fill consisting of organic matter, asphalt, concrete, and building materials. It appears that at some time in the past this area was used as a dump of some sort. A lot of soil had to be replaced to achieve stable conditions.

The F&R soil engineer supervised all of the unsuitable soil corrective efforts and achieved satisfactory compaction test results in the affected areas.

The final cost to Shiloh for this unsuitable soil effort is right at $50,000. This cost is not part of the $1,310,000 construction contract with J H Batten. Fortunately the church voted to give the New Building Committee a budget of $40,000 to cover any costs that are not included in the construction contract - so the cost of the project has not increased by the full $50,000 - but it has increased.

Other costs to the church at present include a $1,000 increase to the soil erosion barrier and a $2,000 change to the electrical plan - both required by King George County. The county has also mentioned that they may require that the roof be constructed with fire-retardant plywood. This change would also result in additional cost. As soon as all of the additional cost factors are fully identified, the New Building Committee will come to the church for guidance.

Tree Spared!

VDOT has agreed to the re-design of the left turn lane. This change will save the tree whose branches are shown in the top right of the photo.

Block Work Continues

The masons are nearly finished with the foundation and the outline of the new building can clearly be seen.

Masons Have Started Work

Masons lay the foundation block on the footings.