Twelve Apostles Parish A photographic history of our

Twelve Apostles Parish A photographic history of our church

13 August 2012

Building Our House on a Rock Solid Foundation Concrete footings are poured in the ground underneath the floor of basement. They serve as the foundation of the foundation. Seen from the east end , the footings trace the “footprint” of the lower level.

Safety First! To strengthen the footings, metal rebar is placed inside the concrete as it is poured. The orange plastic caps are placed on the ends of the rebar to prevent injuries to workers on site.

Keeping Our Balance This interior footing has four bolts placed within it. The base of a support column will later be placed atop these bolts. The nuts will then be adjusted to level the base so the column is perfectly vertical.

“He sets up walls and ramparts to protect us”-Is 26: 1 Concrete will be poured into these forms to create the walls of the lower level. The metal rebar provides interior strength to the concrete; the walls will also be buttressed with steel beams on the inside.

18 August 2012

The Upper Parking Lot The outlines of the circle drive and the upper lot are seen in this photo, taken from the site of the future front door of the church. This arrangement will allow folks to be dropped off right at the front door.

The Upper Parking Lot This is the upper lot seen from the west end, facing the front of the church. The forms for the basement stand just beyond the lot’s edge. The black plastic on the right prevents erosion of the exposed soil.

The South Terrace The south terrace, viewed from the southwest. The lower level– which houses the future classrooms, parish hall, and offices— opens directly into this area. The Prius, trailer, and outhouse will be removed prior to occupancy!

The Lower Parking Lot This lot sets directly south of the church. It provides convenient access for entry to the lower level of the church where the future offices, classrooms, and fellowship hall will be located.

Safety First! The future church will accommodate over 400 people, so it is necessary to provide adequate fire protection. These hydrants will be installed near the south side of the church to facilitate fire control.

The Lower Level This is a view of the lower level of the church from the northeast corner. Due to the height of the walls, scaffolding is required just to install the forms. Concrete will soon be poured into these forms to make the outside walls.

Let There Be Light! This is the electricity meter for the new facility. Since the church sets back several hundred feet from the road, it is necessary to run as much electrical line to bring power to it. The extensive power requirements of our church, necessitated by the high demands for heating and cooling a large volume of space, also require specially designed power distribution systems.

3 Sept 2012

Basement Walls in Progress The walls in the lower level continue to be erected. Some have already been built, as seen on the left; the forms of others have been built, but concrete will be poured later; finally, some of the forms, shown in center, still await assembly.

Plumbing These vertical white pipes are for plumbing.

One Last Look. . . The walls shown here will eventually be buried underground.

Curbing on the Grade These curbs show the outlines of the roundabout and driveway out to Humphrey’s Road.

Storm Sewers The impermeable surfaces of the parking lot and driveway create large amounts of runoff water. This storm sewer conducts the water to a detention pond which delays its entry into the drainage ditch and thereby prevents flooding.

Making a Highway for Our God, and His People The high amount of traffic entering and leaving the campus at Mass times will affect traffic flow on Humphrey’s Road. In order to lessen the impact, we are required to add an extra lane along the frontage of our property.

Making Connections In order to get water to the building, 1800 feet of pipe was run from the intersection of N Hwy to the parish campus. Here the valve connecting the main to the campus is shown. The concrete vault on the left will contain the water meter and pump.

Making Connections, Part II Electricity to the campus is now hooked up. The three strips of conduit on the left of the power pole contain the wiring which carry power to the building. Power is already needed for lighting the trailer and running other construction equipment.

22 September 2012

Basement Lower Level Floor The floor in the lower level is seen in this photo. The concrete was just poured this week. The concrete slab is sawed into square sections to prevent unwanted cracking.

Lower Level Floor —Part II The pillars supporting the upper level floor will rest directly on the footings below the basement floor, hence forms were placed around the bases for the pillars.

The Kitchen Due to cost limitations, the proposed kitchen cannot be built in the first phase of construction. To facilitate later construction, this section of the floor is deliberately left unfinished. The doorway will provide easy access to the kitchen from the outside.

Wall Exterior The black material on the exterior of the wall is waterproofing. The blue Styrofoam insulates the wall to prevent water condensation on the interior wall during cool weather.

Wall Exterior— Part II The exterior of the walls is backfilled with gravel rather than dirt. The gravel makes it easier for water to drain away and thereby reduces strain on the exterior due to water pressure and freezing.

Driveway Prior to the paving of the driveway, a base layer of gravel is placed on the driveways and parking lots.

Hole-y Ground This photo shows the water line connection near the church. The yellow caution tape warns onlookers—both Anglo and Latino-that falling into a hole may cause serious injury. The contractor is not responsible for harm suffered by illiterates.

28 September 2012

Taking Shape The structural steel framework supports the floor of the upper level and buttresses the lower level walls too. The concrete piers will support the exterior pilasters in the finished church. The remaining lower level walls will be made of wood rather than concrete.

Bell Tower This steel frame is the structural support for the bell tower. Due to budget constraints, no bell will be installed in the tower at first. Eventually, a carillon (electronic) bell system will be installed.

A Stairway to Heaven The stairway on the right provides access from the lower to the upper levels of the building. The square hole on the left is the base of the elevator shaft. Due to budgetary constraints, the elevator will not be installed in the first stage of construction.

Pier-ing Inside These concrete piers mark the main entrance of the church. They will support the overhang structure at the front door that will shield worshipers entering the church from inclement weather.

Side Entrance These steel posts frame the side entrance of the church. This entrance will be situated near a circle drive. It will allow for people to be dropped off near the church. Eventually the section of the drive near this entrance will be covered.

Holy-Mole-y? Is this the work of a gigantic mutant mole? Not exactly. This lengthy mound of dirt traces the waste disposal line which runs from the north side of the building to the northwest corner of the campus where the septic system has been installed.

A New Kind of Irrigation The facility’s waste will be disposed of in a septic system on the northwest corner of the campus. The white pipes indicate the site of lateral lines of the plumbing network. After the county sewer line is built to the north, the waste line will be connected to it.

5 October 2012

Closing In The lower walls on the south and east sides of the structure are made of wood. The studs and other support elements are shown here. The doorways and windows can be seen from this view from the south.

Closing In, Part II This is a view from the east. The doorway into the lower level can be seen on the left. This end of the lower level will eventually be turned into administrative offices for the parish.

Closed In This is a view from the inside of the lower level looking outside towards the southwest. A doorway and window openings can be seen.

Let There Be Light. . . Poles The base for one of the parking lot lights is shown here. Coincidentally, there are twelve poles in the lots, corresponding to the twelve apostles. As the Lord told them in the Sermon on the Mount: You are the light of the world!

Dirty Jobs These concrete covers grant access to the septic tanks so that they can be serviced as needed. The tanks are located to the east of the church.

Main Entrance These steel beams will support the overhang above the front entrance into the church.

A Bend in the Road A change in the construction plans was recently made. It was decided to finish paving all the parking lots. So additional preparation work is being done to complete this easternmost section of the lower parking lot.

Pooch Pilgrimage Site? It is said that all dogs go to heaven. We hope they all don’t go here! In fact, this fire hydrant is located near the front entrance to ensure adequate emergency water service in the event of a fire.

12 October 2012

Lower Level. East End The lower level walls are being installed. The outlines of doorways and windows can be seen in this photo taken of the east end of the building.

Lower Level South Side This view of the south side of the lower level shows the outlines of the windows and doorways. The lower level will house the classrooms, fellowship hall, and parish offices.

Come on in, the Door’s Open! The outlines of the walkway from the parking lot to the lower level are traced by the gravel path. A sidewalk will be installed here later.

Looking from the Inside Out This is a view from the interior of the south doorway. The gravel path leads to the parking lot.

TJI Fridays These wooden floor joists are known as “TJIs. ” They provide support for the upper level floor.

Upper Level Flooring Plywood is being placed on the floor joists to serve as the base for the rest of the upper level flooring.

Future Kitchen The kitchen will eventually be installed in the northeast corner of the lower level, so this area was left open for the installation of the necessary equipment in the future. The pipes connecting to the future drains and sewers can just barely be seen.

My Friend, Go Up Higher!. . . But you’ll have to take the stairs! This square opening is the base of the shaft of the future elevator. It will be covered with a temporary floor at first; this floor section will then be removed when the elevator is installed.

A View from Above This photo shows the plywood being affixed to the top of the floor joists.

Main Ent; ry This photo shows the main entry of the church. The approximate level of the floor is now beginning to appear.

Let the Sun Shine In! It was a cloudy day for the Age of Aquarius. Nonetheless, by leaving the southwest corner of the flooring until last, workers were able to make use of natural illumination. A set of TJIs rests just inside the side entry from the north.

A Bump in the Road The concrete has been poured at the entry of the driveway. The asphalt paving of the rest of the drive should begin soon. In the meantime, traffic is entering from a temporary driveway on the east end of the frontage.

26 October 2012

Glulams Glulam is shorthand for Glued Laminated Timber. These are supporting elements that support the roof and upper walls of the church. A pair of the glulams are being installed here.

Glulams: A Closer Look Glulams are actually composite beams made of numerous wooden beams (approximately 1” x 4”) which are bent and then glued together and laminated.

Meeting in the Middle The glulams are erected in pairs. The two glulams are connected at top by several bolts which are run through these pre-drilled holes.

Making Connections The metal bracket at the base of this glulam is called a “shoe. ” The shoe joins the glulam base to the steel frame below.

Working in High Places Yes, those who work for the Church work in “high places, ” but we usually speak in figurative terms. Not so here! Due to the high of the glulams, scaffolding must be erected to enable workers to fasten the beams together at top.

Decking Once the glulams are in place, the wooden decking shown here (wrapped in protective plastic) will be ready to install. This decking will be fastened to the top of the glulams and will constitute the church ceiling.

Work in Progress Getting material into place for assembly is a job in itself! The orange forklift in front is used to lift the material from the ground to the floor of the church for assembly. The wooden frame for one of the dormers on the south side has just been installed in the center.

More Work in Progress Two cranes are used to raise the glulams into place. Wind has proved to be a significant challenge due to the high elevation of the site and the height of the glulams. The glulams are fastened to one another and also attached by cables to the floor for stability.

Handle with Care The protective plastic and other materials are used to shield the glulams from damage during assembly.

Shortening the Long and Winding Road The asphalt surfacing has made the trip up the driveway a little shorter, or at least, a bit smoother.

Parking Lot The asphalt has also been laid down on the parking lots.

Quite a Handful This orange instrument is used by a worker on the floor to steady the glulam while it is being hoisted by the crane.

Taking Shape This photo is taken from the vicinity of the future choir area in the north transept, looking into the main nave. It gives some idea of how the structure will appear when finished. Worshipers will not be required to wear hardhats!

Safety Railing Temporary safety railing is erected around the floor during construction to prevent workers and authorized visitors from falling off.

Holding It Together At this stage of construction, the glulams must be kept stable using cables attached to the floor as well as by fastening them to each other.

Dormers This is the wooden frame, partially assembled, for one of the dormers which run along the sides of the church. The frames are assembled on the floor and then raised into place along the walls.

Taking Shape— Main Entrance This photo from the west gives the viewer a sense of the how the outline of the east side of the church will appear. The steeple of the bell tower will rise slightly higher than the top of the crane on the right.

2 Nov 2012

Ridgebeam & Purlins : The glulams are now being connected to each other via the ridgebeam running along the top of the structure and the purlins which run horizontally from one glulam to another.

X Marks the Spot These diagonal beams in the bell tower denote shear walls. The shear walls help reinforce the structure against the stresses induced by high winds.

Narthex This pair of smaller glulams in the foreground gives the observer a sense of the narthex, that is, the gathering area at the front of the church. It has a lower roof that segregates it from the nave, that is, the main body of the church.

Taking Shape: This perspective lets one see the outline of the different sections of the church: the north transept on the left, the main body of the church in the center, and the narthex on the right.

It’s Beginning to Look a Bit Like Christmas. . . but not too much! This temporary lighting in the lower level allows work to continue downstairs even during inclement weather.

Gas Line This is the gas line coming from the east. Natural gas will be used to heat the church.

Some Assembly Required. . . Still This light pole still needs to be attached to its base on the edge of the upper parking lot.

As Ye Sow, Ye Shall Reap! The exposed earth in the background is a “swale”, an excavated channel that will conduct water to the detention basin on the south end of the campus. To prevent erosion, rye is being sown in the swale.

9 November 2012

Light Poles The light poles have now been erected. They provide illumination to the upper and lower parking lots.

Circuit Box This circuit box has been installed in the lower level. It contains the circuit breakers and power switches which regulate electricity coming into the building.

Glulams etc. : The glulams and other support elements have almost been completely installed now. The decking will begin to be installed next week. Some of the studs for the side walls in the upper level have also been put in.

Front Entrance: This updated photo of the front entrance shows the glulams and ridgebeam for the side entrance in profile. In subsequent construction, the north side of the structure will have a covered drive thru entrance for dropping off worshipers.

Safety Concerns Although the bright red fire hydrants are hard to miss, it can be done! So this long beam has been attached to one in a high traffic area to alert operators of man-lifts, forklifts, etc.