DPR Employees Take on Alma Mater’s Challenge, Meet Tight Deadline for New Bell/Clock Tower

With a three-month timetable set in stone due to a pre-arranged dedication ceremony for a new bell/clock tower at Oregon State University, DPR Portland’s Tim Sissel and Charlie Holm, two alumni of the university, took a different approach to complete the project on time - without any overtime - by expediting the steel fabrication.

“We turned a lot of heads on campus,” said Sissel. “No one thought we could do it within the time constraints we were facing. However, we determined that prefabrication was the best way to ensure a finished product by dedication day and as an added bonus, we reduced costs and minimized safety risks.”

By completing the fabrication off-site, the project team eliminated the scaffolding necessary to install the metal studs, reducing costs by $15,000 to $20,000 and picking up approximately two to three weeks in the schedule. Also, while off-site, the installation of the metal stud exterior framing was self-performed by DPR, all the interior grating, ladders, roof hatches and PVC roof drainage piping were placed, and the polyurethane finish paint was applied to the exposed steel. In addition, the process eliminated the need for “stick-frame” steel erection, typically a high-risk activity for contractors.

After the tower’s delivery, DPR was able to erect and finish the tower well before the dedication.