By Russ Jackson and Larry Coburn
New Raleigh Elementary School is a new construction build in Sophia, West Virginia. The facility was part of Raleigh County's educational facilities plan, which consolidated three nearby elementary schools. The school offers students a learning environment focused on student engagement and STEM education.
An Atypical Multiple Prime Bid
Southern Air's Bluefield team won the mechanical contract with BIM coordination. The bidding process was atypical as it was a multiple prime contract, meaning most specialty contractors, like Southern Air, sign individual contracts with the owner and not a single general contractor. The West Virginia School Building Authority partially funded the project, meaning we had to hand-carry sealed envelopes containing detailed paperwork for the public bid opening. If the paperwork was ever wrong, the bid was discarded without being considered. Southern Air's Executive Secretary Janet Martin and Project Manager Assistant Jennifer Harris did a masterful job during the bid process to ensure all paperwork was correct and in Bluefield at the right time.
Three Trades and a First Run at HDPE Piping
The New Raleigh Elementary project needed three of Southern Air's trades: HVAC, pipefitting, and insulation. This included pipe fitting with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) piping. That effort was headed by Buster Dunford and Troy Walker, who did a first-rate job considering this type of pipework was a first for the Bluefield team. Ralph Billings and Terry Thomason handled the metal duct installation while Eric Davidson headed up the insulation of piping and ducting. The project was overseen on the ground by Bluefield foreman Earl Beck.
“Earl is a highly experienced tradesman in the MEP trades and managed all of the coordination of our efforts with each of our trades and with the other prime contractors,” says Larry Coburn, Southern Air Bluefield Construction project manager. “Earl has spent time in estimating and project management throughout his career, but his chief gift is as a site superintendent. Simply put, he knows what to do and when.”
A Fully Geothermal School
The main heating and cooling for this building is completely geothermal, with multiple underground water wells serving as the port for heat rejection in summer and heat collection in winter. The earth itself serves both roles. These wells were installed underground by a specialty contractor and connected inside the building by Bluefield's tradesmen.
The school is constructed with insulated concrete forms, reducing the need for mechanical heating and cooling. The only gas heating comes from two dedicated outdoor air units, which provide the necessary ventilation air to the spaces. Otherwise, the building relies on water source heat pumps on a two-pipe geothermal system. Coburn credits Southern Air's Water Treatment Department for guidance on geothermal piping.
Bluefield's First BIM Project
Part of the bid process consisted of BIM coordination, a first for Bluefield both as a bid and as a project using BIM technology. The BIM department not only played their part in the build, they also did some rudimentary training to ensure Coburn's team understood the drawings and how to problem solve, as this was their first exposure to the process.
“The SAI BIM team working with the Bluefield office for the first time was a great experience,” says Wayne Harris, Southern Air BIM manager. “We don't see geothermal mechanical systems very often but through great communication and feedback with Larry Coburn and (foreman) Earl Beck, we were able to navigate fairly quickly through any design problems we encountered. We look forward to working with the Bluefield team again in the future.”
Ronnie Lloyd, Southern Air BIM detailer, was equally instrumental throughout the process. Lloyd took the lead on the geothermal piping and provided the information needed to coordinate the header piping to the geothermal wells.
Walking Away Proud
The Southern Air team, including sheet metal mechanics James Hughes and Shawn Harris, plumbing and pipefitting apprentice Darrin McGuire, and everyone else involved, walked away proud of New Raleigh Elementary. This challenging project tested new capabilities and pushed many of our tradesmen to work long hours for months. Coburn notes that other firms working on-site referred to his tradesmen as “rock stars” for the ease of conflict resolution, updating the model as needed, and the pride they took in their work.
That pride comes not from the installations alone, but from knowing the work results in a comfortable building where children can focus on learning. Our teams have delivered the same care on other education projects, including The Covenant School in Charlottesville.
Interested in joining a team that takes on projects like this? See our open positions.
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