Twin Rivers Middle School

School | Buford, Georgia

The Heroes

Architect: Cunningham, Forehand, Matthews & Moore Architects, Inc.
Contractor: Saliba Construction Company, Inc.

The Call

The Facility Planning Group for Gwinnett County Public Schools, the largest school system in Georgia, came to Metromont looking for lower costs, lower maintenance, better energy efficiency and faster delivery.

Performance

Metromont delivered on all accounts. The project bid came in at $97.40 per sq. ft., or about 15% below traditional construction. The project was completed six months faster. And the thermal efficient precast wall panels are more energy efficient, which will save the owner/taxpayers substantial dollars in fuel costs for years to come. In addition, reduced maintenance needs over other types of construction over the life of the school will further reduce operation costs.

Quote

“The Metromont team was very professional to work with. Their engineering team was on hand throughout the entire job, helping to coordinate our subcontractors installation needs. In the end, utilizing this structural product generated less trash, provided a quicker construction turnaround and Gwinnett County saved money. Everybody won.”
-Steve Jaggears, VP Saliba Construction

Project Details

  • Total project building cost: $97.40 per square foot
  • 238,000 square feet of floor area
  • Total precast concrete building envelope and shell
  • Structural system includes: double tee floor/roof system and precast column/beam lines with concrete block demising walls
  • Precast erected in 3 months

Architectural Finishes

  • Cast-in brick
  • Limestone look and texture for exposed precast
  • Reveals
  • Sandblasting
  • Special architectural concrete mix
  • Steel trowel finish on interior walls making them a paint-ready surface

Sustainability Highlights

  • Use of local and regional materials
  • Large precast wall panels helped minimize air infiltration
  • Use of recycled content; including rebar, wire mesh, formliner and the use of reclaimed water and aggregates in the structural components
  • Thermal efficient precast concrete mass walls with continuous insulation and integral architectural finishes determined “very energy efficient” by infrared imaging consultant with an effective R-14 value
  • Reduction in harvested materials; by integrating thin brick into the precast components, the brick raw material consumption was reduced by 80%
  • Substantial day lighting of cafeteria and media center was possible through precast solution