Beachside Elementary School

Summarize the project's program, features and achievements?

Beachside Elementary School, located in Daytona Beach, FL, is a modern facility that consolidated Ortona and Osceola elementary schools. The $30M+ state-of-the-art campus boasts high-tech learning spaces, comprehensive marine science programs, and a focus on hands-on discovery and sustainability.

Ortona and Osceola. Both of the schools were from the 1950s -60s and many of the current buildings were experiencing moisture intrusion.

This project included the construction of a new 95,000 SF school which houses approximately 750 student stations on the existing approximate 11.9-acre Ortona site, as well as site re-development and demolition of the old campus.

The new design included three buildings, two playgrounds, a basketball court, bus loop and parent loop, mechanical yards, and site utilities including domestic water, fire water, sanitary sewer and storm drainage.

Building A is the only two (2) story building and houses the administration, a media center, and Pre-K through Grade five (5) classrooms. Building B holds the cafeteria, a multi-purpose room with a stage, and music, art and lab spaces. Building C is the gym (covered play area) with restrooms, storage and additional offices.

What obstacles were overcome related to the schedule, budget, program, specification, site, etc. on this project?

Budget & Supply Chain Issues: During the pandemic, the budget spiked by $2.4 million (pushing the maximum project cost to $26.4 million). The district absorbed these added costs —driven by skyrocketing prices of steel, aluminum, copper, and freight—by utilizing funds from the county’s half-cent sales tax.

Schedule & Phasing: To keep the timeline on track without disrupting the student body, the district used a transitional schedule. Beachside students and staff remained housed at the nearby Osceola campus in Ormond Beach for the duration of construction before moving into the new campus

Please communicate any engineering complexities or unique features of the panel design for this project?

Low Bearing Capacity: Loose sand shifts easily under heavy structural loads & crane capacities. Uneven shifting causes structures to tilt, crack, or collapse that were accounted for to make sure their wasn't any future concerns.

High Water Table: Shallow groundwater requires continuous dewatering during excavation, where dewatering was required to perform foundations, elevator pits, etc.

Corrosive Environment: High saltwater salinity aggressively degrades concrete and corrodes steel reinforcements.