UAB Blazer Hall

When building a dorm, no wiggle room exists for opening day. School calendars and student move-in days are established months and even years earlier. When we were selected to construct a new freshman dorm for the University of Alabama at Birmingham, we knew it had to be ready for the beginning of the fall semester.

We had to open in time for the fall semester, period. Frequent and heavy rains, unfortunately, hampered progress. By working extended hours when it wasn’t raining and by adding a second forming crew so two slab sections could be constructed simultaneously, the team returned the project to its original timeline. But that wasn’t the only challenge. Our jobsite was just 50 feet from a dining hall that was under construction by another firm. To ensure simultaneous grand openings of both structures, we resequenced the exterior skin schedule to allow hardscape construction between the dining hall project and Blazer Hall. Another challenge: the closing of two adjacent streets and reconstruction on a third street during the project. However, by cooperating with the university and the other contractors, not only did we complete the project in time for the fall semester, we even allowed the university to use part of the building for summer camp residents.

South Central Construction Award