ELON / HAWK RIDE/ POLO RELIEF SCHOOL

COMMUNITY MEASURES

The site that was chosen for the school was immediately adjacent to a residential community and across the street from a pre-existing high school so careful considerations had to be taken. We put in place innovative measures to control noise and dust in order to not disrupt the daily lives of the people of the local community. We also faced a challenge with school students trying to cut across the lot in order to get home to the adjacent communities. To overcome this we constructed fencing and other creative solutions to offer passage but to minimize any danger to any students from the school across the road.

CHANGE OF PLANS

Sometimes when doing site works plans need to change.  This was the case with this project. Some structures needed to be added to the construction plan so we had to adjust the development of some areas and increse the size of the detention pond in order to accomodate the changes. Any time we work on a project we always anticipate changes and make sure we have contingicies in place to accomodate them.

FINISHING UP THE DEBRIS REMOVAL

At the time of this update the remnants of the debris from the lot were all being rounded up and being removed from the lot in order to allow the real dirt grading to begin. Every job has different specifications on where debris should be taken to or what should be done with it. Here at JL Raper we have significant experience in this and can help advise on this. For this particular project, most of the debris was chipped up and turned into quality mulch which was sold to vendors. 

RUNNING INTO SURPRISES

One thing that any company that has been doing site works for any amount of time will know is that sometimes you run into surprises that aren’t forseen. With this particual project that surprise was the existence of two sewage tanks on the lot. The owers of the lot knew about a well but were unaware of the two sewage tanks. While grading we discovered the tanks and took appropriate measures to safely remove them.

MANAGING THE TOPSOIL

The large mound of dirt that is sitting in the middle of the jobsite is the topsoil that was removed from lot. A lot of it is being held in order to be used on the areas that will contain grass, trees, flowers, etc. But the remaining topsoil will be taken and used by the customer on other sites. The customer was still working out all the logistics on where they wanted the topsoil to be moved so in order to preserve it we tarped the topsoil to protect it from damage until the customer is ready for it to be moved. 

WORKING WITH COMITTEES 

Sometimes a job can be quite complicated, especially if there are a lot of people, departments, entities, etc. involved. Here at JL Raper we are comfortable with these complicated situations and we know how to submit information correctly and to wait on responses before doing anything. We understand the politics of business and will never do anything to make any project more difficult than it has to be.

SCREENING THE SOIL

On top of saving the topsoil to reuse later on in the project we also brought in sifters to ensure the soil is free of large rocks or any other debris that could cause problems later on in the development of the land for use as a school. This step is critical to ensure no problems later on in the grading of the site and helps to make the landscaping, curbing, and any other land development process go smoother.

PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE

One of the advantages of using a full service grading and land development company like JL Raper is that we do everything from the initial grading of the land to the final curbing and landscaping. This means that as we are moving the earth we can plan ahead for what we know we will be doing towards the end and can keep those plans in mind as we develop the site. This saves money and time for the client. 

WATCHING THE WEATHER

Its no surprise that weather plays a vital role in job completion when doing any site development. Staying up to date on all weather forecasts and being able to make wise decisions on what the day may bring is something we pride ourselves on. We know that sometimes a forecast of rain just means sprinkles. We keep a keen eye on all weather indicators to truly understand what the day may hold. Of course we are wrong sometimes, but we try to keep it to a minimum.

SMALL DETAILS

Its the little things that can add up to make a construction project complete on-time or late. Doing grading and site works for years has given us a perspective that not many other companies have. This is why we do small things like grading small hills in order house material and equipment. This keeps them out of the way of the construction equipment and keeps the land development of the school moving along on schedule. We also construct roads in order to make it easier for trucks and other equipment to traverse the job site. All of these small things add up to make sure the job gets complete as soon as possible. 

PREPARING FOR THE STORM

An important thing to keep in mind when developing a plot of land is stormwater runoff and how it will affect the lot. Our roots run deep when it comes to managing stormwater and erosion. We fully understand the best way to control stormwater and channel it in an effective way so that it will never become an issue on any developed land. 

GRADING NEVER STOPS

A project of this size takes many months to complete. In the beginning the grading and site development is where most of the work is. As the project goes on construction of the buildings takes the center stage. But this isn’t to say there still isn’t site development to be done. We understand how to pace out our work and schedule it alongside other milestones in order to ensure that everything is working in unison with the grading of the school site. 

DEALING WITH THE HEAT

One thing that inexperience companies don’t take into account is the heat during the summer months. Extreme heat can slow down and stop production due to the damage it can cause to workers and their equipment. Allowing adequate cool-down breaks for workers and for equipment is vital to keeping everything moving during those days where temperatures rise over 90 degrees!