Wastren building started

Geiger Brothers began site preparation in late November and will build a new office building for Wastren Advantage, Inc., on Shyville Road north of the Pike County (Ohio) uranium enrichment complex. The 11,000-square-feet contemporary corporate building will feature multiple and flexible conference rooms; large, open and expandable work areas; and a centralized core area for building services and common spaces.

The exterior will have vertical metal siding panels, cement fiberboard panels and some masonry veneer with a standing seam metal roof. The building is designed to meet LEED Standards for Sustainable Design and feature a pervious concrete driveway, rain garden storm water control, natural lighting, a high efficiency HVAC system, low VOC finishes and the use of recycled materials.

Portsmouth West Middle School

News

12.8.10

10.26.10

Construction under way on Portsmouth West Middle School

The photo above shows progress of construction on the Portsmouth West Middle School as of October 26, 2010.

The Washington-Nile Local Schools board had voted May 12 to award a $9.8 million contract to Geiger Brothers for general trades, HVAC and plumbing for its middle school building project.

The new structure is being built on the same campus as the elementary and high school buildings, both done in 1997 by Geiger Brothers (at that time as KCI, which became a part of Geiger Brothers in 2003).

The exterior will have brick and metal panels that match the two existing buildings. The structure is being built on approximately 12 feet of engineered fill to place it above the 100-year flood plain.

The new Portsmouth West Middle School will be open for students by the start of the 2011-12 school year. The 67,457-square-foot single-story building is designed for 474 students. The building will feature 17 classrooms, three project labs, three special education classrooms, an art center, media center, two music rooms and a stage open to both the cafeteria and the gymnasium. The classrooms are divided into two wings, one for grades 5-6, and the other for grades 7-8.

Total project cost is $15.5 million. The project is being funded through the Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC). The OSFC accepted the middle school plan as a special-needs project in 2008.

The building is being constructed to state-mandated LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) requirements. All newly constructed or substantially renovated school buildings that are state funded must achieve a minimum of Silver certification in the U. S. Green Building Council's LEED-school rating system with emphasis in energy conservation.

Roof monitors will provide daylight to the gym and the media center. Both wings are oriented to face north and south in order to use daylight-providing windows. Roofing material is white to provide a solar reflectance index (SRI) of approximately 98. The roof is being insulated with a total of R-25; most walls are insulated to a total of R-12.

5.10.10

Geiger Brothers becomes EPA Certified Lead-Based Renovator

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has certified Geiger Brothers to conduct lead-based Renovation, Repair and Painting Activities in target housing and child-occupied facilities pursuant to 40 CFR Part 745 Subpart E.

The notification came from the EPA’s Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances. The certification expires May 2015 and is valid in all EPA Administered States, Tribes, and Territories for purposes of Section 402 of the Toxic Substances Contract Act (TSCA).

In conjunction with its application for certification, five Geiger Brothers employees completed the EPA-approved course "Lead Safety for Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP)" and became Certified Renovators. At least one person on a lead-based job must be a Certified Renovator.

EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Final Rule (40 CFR 745) requires that renovations done for compensation in pre-1978 homes and child-occupied facilities (schools, day-care centers, etc.) be performed by Certified Firms using Certified Renovators. Accordingly, all firms doing such work must (1) be lead-safe certified by EPA, (2) employ supervisory certified renovators who have successfully completed an EPA-accredited training course; (3) use only trained workers who have received specific on-the-job training, and (4) use specified lead-safe work practices and provide designated educational material.

The regulation applies to work that disturbs painted surfaces of more than six square feet in pre-1978 facilities occupied by children under age 6. Examples are demolition of walls, removal of windows, and cut-outs for HVAC and plumbing.

2.8.10

Geiger Brothers becomes ODOT Pre-Qualified Contractor

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has certified Geiger Brothers as a prequalified contractor.

The Certificate of Qualification received February 8 allows Geiger Brothers to submit bids and perform work on state highway projects, with some size and scope limitations, under contract to ODOT. The qualification is subject to periodic application for renewal.

The certificate sets out the work types for which Geiger Brothers is qualified on the basis of previous performance for the Department of Transportation and general work experience. The 29 work types for which Geiger Brothers is pre-qualified are Clearing & Grubbing; Roadway Excavation & Embankment Construction; Incidental Grading; Soil Stabilization; Temporary Soil Erosion & Sediment Control; Aggregate Bases; Rigid Paving; Concrete Texturing; Sawing; Flexible Replacement; Rigid Pavement Replacement; Structure Removal; Level 1 Bridge; Level 2 Bridge; Reinforcing Steel; Structural Steel Erection; Stud Welding; Expansion & Contraction Joints, Joint Sealers, Bearing Devices; Structure Repairs; Structural Steel Repairs; Earth Retaining Structures; Drainage (Culverts and Miscellaneous); Guardrails/Attenuators; Miscellaneous Concrete; Maintenance of Traffic; Waterproofing; Signing; Landscaping; and Trucking.

Geiger Brothers had submitted its application in mid-December following the preparation of a request and reference document for each of the 29 work types, along with resumes, financial documents and other information.

Prior to awarding certificates of qualification, ODOT contacts provided references from previous applicant contracts to verify performance and finished product quality.

11.20.09

The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) has certified Geiger Brothers to its Quality Standard for Steel Building Structure Fabrication.

The certification recognizes that Geiger Brothers has the personnel, organization, experience, procedures, knowledge, equipment, capability and commitment to produce the highest quality of work and to meet the requirements of the AISC’s Steel Building Structures category.

AISC sets the quality standard for the structural steel fabrication and erection industries. Certification requires a rigorous initial evaluation to evaluate a company’s quality management system and is based on a third-party audit conducted by professionals experienced in the structural steel industry. The certification is subject to annual review.

Certification requires use of American Welding Society qualified welders and written welding procedures, and written bolt tightening procedures compliant with Research Council of Structural Connections (RCSC) specifications. Certified companies must have procedures for contract and project specification review, for inspection and the qualification of inspection personnel to verify that product quality meets project requirements, and for correction of non-conforming work. Materials must be ordered in accordance with design drawings and specifications, and an inspection procedure must be in place to ensure material received meets stated requirements.