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Oct. 28, 2019
Critical Progress Made to Strengthen Sanctuary 
Ginormous Girders Installed By Crane
A crane sets into place an 8,000 pound steel "moment frame."
While the children from the Parish School watched from the safety of their playground, two gigantic steel "moment frames" were gently set into place by crane in a dramatic moment in the life of our Sanctuary renovation. They will be attached to the existing steel beams that line the nave, strengthening the building in both east/west and north/south directions. 
Parish School children in their hardhats watch the giant crane bring in huge girders. Cookies from our general contractor, Armstrong Associates, topped of a perfect morning.
 
Cars stopped, walkers stared and children were awed when the craned lifted each of the 8,000 pound steel frames into the sky. The crane picked up the girders which had been bolted together while in the parking lot next to the Sanctuary and swung them over the church for placement onto steel plates that were already installed onto rebar-reinforced concrete columns. 
 
This work is a critical component in the overall project to seismically strengthen our historic 119-year old church. Formal construction began in April and is on schedule to conclude in June 2020. Once construction is finished next summer, a number of weeks will be required to set up the church once again for services. More detailed schedule information will be provided later this year.
 
The project budget is strictly monitored on a daily basis. At the halfway point of the project, we are on budget. The active and detailed monitoring of all spending suggests we will remain on budget with some spending required from the contingency fund. 










Photos by Sheri Benninghoven, Alyson Eyer-Delevett, Chip Nichols, and Bob Smith
Floor Joists, Subfloor Completed in Western Portion of Sanctuary
The western half of the interior of the Sanctuary is beginning to take shape with the installation of the subfloor structure.
In our last report, you learned about the thin concrete layer called a "rat slab" installed on the crawl space floor of the western portion of the Sanctuary. Since then, the complete floor substructure was built. Our engineers called for supports that will ensure the building can withstand a major earthquake.
 




Contrast the photos above to these taken from below our old nave floor:








Past Newsletters, Online Photo Album Document Sanctuary Preservation & Readiness Project

You can check out All Saints' online photo album by clicking this link. You'll find photo albums of the entire Sanctuary strengthening project, including the reconstruction of the Bell Tower and special services, and many parish events.

Past editions of the Special Edition Bell Tower are available at the links below; you'll be able to relive all the progress we've made. If you are new to All Saints, you can learn the entire back story!


Here are links to a few of the key past editions: