Check out our new video

Check out the latest video of the crane setting up to begin erecting the steel framework.

Steel framework almost completed

Sometimes, we don’t realize how much progress we’re making on the building because we see it every day. But if you take a look at these photos, you’ll see for yourself how fast the steel framework is going up.

We took these photos on four successive Thursdays: July 31, Aug. 6, Aug. 13 and Aug. 20. And we’re right on schedule to finish the framework by mid-September.

With all the rain and thunderstorms we’ve had this summer, we have to take our hats off to our construction crews – Fast Trek Steel of Coxsackie is erecting the steel -- for keeping us on track.

After that, a bunch of things start happening all at once. We no sooner finish the framework when we start pouring concrete for the floors – third floor, then second a few days later.

At the same time, we’ll begin work on the roof, insulation and the underslab plumbing.

And by fall, we’ll begin work on the fire-protection systems.

Pretty busy, indeed. We’re excited by it.

Clean water coming in, less water going out

You probably don’t notice one of the most environmentally important features of any building. And in truth, you might laugh when we tell you that it’s critical to the environmental safety and health of our new building. It’s the water and sewer service.

Clean water coming into a building and safe discharge of dirty water has been a critical facet of healthy building construction for more than 5,000 years. You can still see Roman viaducts across Europe and water cisterns in Istanbul.

Our water pipes can supply thousands of gallons of potable water each day to meet the needs of our members and 80 employees. Normally, sewer lines are designed to accommodate the same amount, but in our case, they need to handle a bit more.

That’s because we’ve installed storm water holding tanks capable of handling 4,500 gallons of water. That water will be used to flush toilets, water the lawn and other “grey water” uses – where the water doesn’t need to be treated, potable water.

Of course, we’ll be using low-flow fixtures throughout the building so we don’t waste water. A low-flow toilet uses 1.6 gallons per flush or less, compared with the 5 gallons of older models. If the building flushes toilets, say, 300 times a day, that’s a savings of 1,000 gallons a day – more than 350,000 gallons a year. That’s enough water to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool every two years.

Steel arrives for building's skeleton

The steel is here. We’ve been waiting for this day for months.

Steel is at the heart of any modern building, and we’re using more than 60 tons of it – 120,000 pounds. A good portion of it will be recycled, but because we have several different suppliers, we can’t say exactly how much.

But if we manage just 10 percent recycled metal, that’ll be 12,000 pounds less iron we have to pull out of the ground and refine. If we get to 25 percent, that’s 30,000 pounds that stays in the earth.

We’ll spend the next several weeks hanging the steel frame of the building. When we’re done, you’ll have a much better idea of what the building will look like.

After that, two things will happen that will hide the steel for the life of the building: We’ll encase it, to make sure it can resist heat.

And we’ll cover the frame in a skin of brick, wood and insulation as we build out the walls, much like your skin covers your bones.