STEM/Ag Building Construction Briefly Delayed

Construction was briefly delayed on the Crawford County R-1 School District’s new STEM/Ag building at the high school, but it is still expected to be completed by the end of September.

Superintendent Dr. Kyle Gibbs said a design flaw was noticed back in April that forced a three-week stoppage.

“There was a detail drawing that showed the anchor bolts for the main building should be embedded in the concrete,” Gibbs said. “There were specifications that described how anchors could be post installed using epoxy. Cahill (Construction) chose to post install them and the design team (ASDG) did not accept this, so there was a delay in determining how to proceed using post installed anchors.”

Gibbs said ASDG made updated calculations and after they were completed, it was determined that some of the beam base plates would need to be modified in order for the anchor bolts to work.

“Two beams had to have an additional support added to them to account for the changes with the post installed anchors,” he said.

Costs were incurred related to the redesign from post installed to cast in place anchors, but Gibbs said the construction management team — FSG — has absorbed it.

Gibbs said they are anticipating the project will still be completed in early September, but have not been given a revised date.

“By the contract, Cahill has until the end of September to complete the building,” he said. “The weather delay days this winter and spring are the reason that has pushed the date back from the original scheduled date of Sept. 10.”

Gibbs said construction was on an accelerated schedule to get the building ready for the start of school.

“With this issue resolved, it is still Cahill’s goal to complete the project as expeditiously as possible,” he said.

Regardless if the building is completed on time, Bourbon is pressing forward on a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) curriculum.

Nicole Dillon-McCoy has been hired as the Project Lead the Way teacher for 2021-22.

Gibbs said Dillon-McCoy will teach four classes at the middle school and two classes at the high school.

The courses will be engineering essentials and automation/robotics, with the high school classes taking place in the current building until the new addition is completed.

At the middle school, a large classroom space is available to house the program.