Several local officials -- Love County commissioners, fire chiefs, law enforcement officers, and Emergency Management Services among the list -- along with area contractors and other interested parties were invited to experience a walkthrough of the new Marietta Public Schools Middle/High School facility currently under construction.
The walkthrough, held on Thursday, October 13 at 9:30 a.m. was led by Alfonso Nieves of Fox Blocks, the company that erected the insulated concrete forms. Other members of the project team present were representatives of Redsky Constructors, the construction management team, and Kerr 3 Architects, the firm that designed the building.
The building process, better known as ICF, entails using Styrofoam forms that result in cast-in-place concrete walls that are sandwiched between two layers of insulation materials.
“As far as we know, this facility is the only one of its kind in Oklahoma,” said Nieves. “It is concrete, so everything is super secure, and there will be savings in heating and cooling this structure every year. Part of the walkthrough is allowing people to speak with the district about why they chose to go this route.”
ICF combines the strength and durability of reinforced concrete with high performance rigid insulation, resulting in an ideal construction solution for buildings. ICF provides disaster resilience, fire resistance, and noise reduction, along with operational savings resulting from interior temperatures that are easier to regulate due to dual layers of insulation.
Local fire departments, law enforcement officers, and other service providers were asked to be present for the tour in case they ever respond to an emergency there.
“They wanted first responders there because this building is being constructed unlike anything built in our area,” said Love County Emergency Management Assistant Director David Bond. “Because there are currently no doors or windows on the facility, they were able to help us understand how it’s put together so if we have to respond there for an emergency, we’d know what we’re dealing with.”
Bond was impressed with the construction.
“From the emergency response and safety perspective, this building is amazing,” he continued. “The walls have a four-hour fire rating, which would make the spread of fire almost impossible, and it’s practically bullet-proof. When it comes to weather events, the exterior walls are safer than any other structure around here, and the safe rooms are rated for F5 tornadoes. It’s going to be a really safe building for kids to be in, as well as being cost-effective to heat and cool.”
When the building is closer to finished, Bond said there will be another walk through with more local first responders to do some emergency pre-planning.