Just like an Erector Set

Things are really heating up now at the Willow Grove Construction Site. The picture to the right was taken two weeks ago, just as the steel was first delivered to the work site.

Not more than a day later, the frame of the building is taking a very definite shape. If we think of the building as a body, we've got a skeleton (steel frame), a couple layers of skin (exterior concrete walls), and a few pieces of circulatory system (exterior drains).

Interior walls (which, if we're stretching our body metaphor, are what, cell walls or muscle fibers?) are still a few months away, but we're well on our way to something that actually resembles a building.

The pictures in this post all were taken within the space of a week, which our construction guru tells us is about perfect for a structure like ours.

More updates as we get new pictures. In the meantime, take a few seconds to become a fan of Settlement on Facebook. Then check out the fan page and let us know what you think.

Snow and more Walls

So there was the matter of a little snow in the middle of February. Okay, a lot of snow. But we've got a lot full of construction equipment -- the kind of equipment that moves giant piles of dirt without a problem.

So a little bit of snow didn't slow construction much at all. The bulldozer just shoved the most inconvenient mounds out of the way.

Then workers got started on a retaining wall that will run the length of the rear of the property along the railroad track. Importantly, the parking lot for the new branch will be between the building and the railroad tracks, so the retaining wall serves the important purpose of building up the ground back there so it brings the parking lot to a reasonable level. The shot to the left is just the first level or two of that wall.

A few days later, not only is the wall a good bit larger, but we're already packing dirt behind it tightly enough that the construction equipment is rolling across it without a problem. You'll notice that the snow on that dirt mound didn't last long, either.

While the snow itself didn't slow down work that much, the after effects did cause a few issues.
Remember that picture of the elevator pylon from a few posts ago? Well, they had recently dug out the area around the pylon to fit the sleeve that will become the base of the elevator.

Melting snow flooded that newly dug hole, and as it turns out, it's a lot easier to move snow than water.

Rest assured, though, work continues. Stay tuned next week when we'll post photos of a whole lot of steel.

The first of a few Willow Grove Updates

In the last few weeks we've had two separate snowstorms (albeit close together), and we're about to get hit with a torrential downpour this weekend. But while weather and 102nd Anniversary Gala preparations have prevented blog updates, these circumstances haven't slowed down work on the Willow Grove Branch construction site.

In the first of a few posts today, we'll be bringing you up to speed on how the site has progressed since early February. In our last post, we shared pictures of the pre-fabricated forms that were erected in preparation for poured concrete. Take down those forms, and voilà, walls!

Point of interest: The ridge that runs around these concrete walls is actually where the bottom-most layer of the brick facade will be laid.

You can also make out the shadow of our intrepid photographer, Settlement's Facilities Manager Bob Giannone.

And taken from my favorite angle, compare the following shot with one taken back in December.

Come back later today for a few shots in the recent snow, as well some work done earlier this week.