Markham Reconstruction Update

Dear Markham community,

As we mentioned in our last update, we wanted to provide you with an inside look at the reconstruction of the Markham school building. Below, you'll find video and photos of the progress crews are making, along with short explanations of the main work involved in each space.

Projects like this one follow a basic order of operations:

• Standing water and damaged material removal

• This includes water-logged ceiling tiles, drywall, and flooring

• Abatement of hazardous materials

• Demolition

• Removal of remaining damaged tiles and sheetrock

• Repair and replacement of damaged water and steam heat piping throughout the building

• “Put back”

• Installing new piping, insulation, drywall, and flooring

• New bathroom fixtures, tile, etc.

• Hanging the lights

• Painting, finishing work, and cleaning

• All impacted areas will get fresh coats of paint and a “construction clean.”

Markham suffered an unprecedented amount of damage throughout the building, and restoring the hardest hit classrooms, hallways, and common spaces has proven extremely challenging. That said, all three asbestos abatement phases are now complete, and the video and photos below show that damaged flooring, ceiling tiles, and drywall have all been removed. Our contractor is now on the demolition phase in some areas of the building and “put back” in others.

The progress is steady and significant, and we are confident that Markham will be ready to welcome students and staff after winter break.

Thank you to the Markham community and to Dr. Brown-Warrens for the patience and forbearance you’ve shown during these extremely difficult months. Our teams will be working very hard through the summer and fall to make sure that when you first step foot back into your school next year, you again feel right at home.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jon Franco, Chief of Schools

Dan Jung, Director of Operations

The water damage that impacted Markham originated in the main hallway off the cafeteria. Water poured through a broken pipe in the ceiling above the hall and flowed in the direction of the gym.

Crews have finished removing all the damaged piping and ceiling tiles from the hardest hit hallways. They have abated the area for asbestos and installed the bulk of the new piping and pipe insulation, both of which meet the strict environmental stewardship standards established by the Energy Trust of Oregon.

Once all the new pipe and insulation is in, workers can begin installing new ceiling tiles. They will also be putting in safety rails in the halls where the grade is the steepest.

The third photograph shows a hallway where the damage is confined to smaller sections. Crews will begin work on this area once they’re finished restoring the more damaged hallways and classrooms.

At the height of January’s storms, water flowed from broken pipes in the school’s main hallway into the gym, where it pooled and warped both levels of the wooden floor.

Crews have removed the damaged boards, and facilities staff have obtained the necessary structural permit to begin replacing the original worn floor with new boards and modern materials that are more shock absorbent. Once the boards are in and sanded, workers will install a new finish and stripe the floor for sports. They will also install new, safe volleyball stanchions.

Nearly all the restrooms in the school suffered major damage, which made a full plumbing replacement necessary. This replacement has entailed removing tiles, pipes, pipe insulation, and sinks, urinals, and toilets.

As crews complete the plumbing work, they will also be adding safety upgrades such as wider stalls and grab bars, and installing new floor and wall tiles.

One key factor in Markham’s vulnerability to January’s storms was its plumbing system. The system consisted primarily of galvanized pipe, which is very prone to breaks and leaks. As workers began removing broken pipe and testing other seemingly undamaged sections, they quickly found more and more leaks. It was clear that patching the pipes would only lead to more problems in the future and that a full-scale plumbing replacement would be the most efficient and long-term solution.

The first photo shows the new energy efficient and hardy pipes going in throughout the building. The second is of new hydronic copper piping that works as both a water conduit and efficient heating source. The third photo shows the kind of old, worn out pipes that are currently being removed and replaced.

You can see from the two photos here that the ceiling in the auditorium suffered damage in two main sections – one above the stage and other in a back corner. Workers have abated, staged, and isolated the areas and will begin repair work once the main hallways are fully restored.