Yarmouth Elementary School

Built to meet LEED gold standards, the new Yarmouth Elementary School was designed and constructed around the existing gymnasium from the previous school on the site. The 38,000 square foot structural steel expansion includes a precast concrete bleacher system, expanded studio stage system, double height curtain glazing, as well as challenging framing design shapes that required careful coordination. BMR’s ability to provide inventive, constructible solutions was demonstrated on the Yarmouth Elementary School in order to work collaboratively with the tradespeople on site and seamlessly integrate the new expansion with the existing gymnasium. BMR continues to be the structural engineer-of-choice for many local general contractors based on numerous successful design-build projects.

Under the supervision and direct involvement of the structural lead, BMR’s services included schematic design, design development (collaborative BIM model), preparation of construction documents & NMS specifications, and tender & construction administration.

Key Points

• BMR provided a robust, structural steel raker system as a base of support for the academic stair feature in the Creative Common complete with its own independent foundation system. Designed to minimize vibration and maximize student safety, the raker system provides a durable, low-maintenance bleacher support solution for the life of the building.
• Custom, hot-dipped galvanized structural steel support system provided in coordination with the mechanical designer to integrate the new mechanical louvres into the exterior wall system. In addition, the design includes a secondary structural steel baffle frame on the outside of the louvre system to prevent snow and other debris from entering the system.
• To eliminate the risk of harmful radon gas permeating the interior space and potentially impacting the health of students and staff, BMR worked with the mechanical designer to provide a series of custom, galvanized structural steel radon collector units. These units were placed on concrete slabs below the main floor slab, within the gravel subbase, and connected to a system of pipes that vents the gas safely out of the building.

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