Would You Believe?
As construction gets underway on the new sanctuary for St. John Neumann Church, parishioners might be interested to learn a bit more about the scope of the project. Over the next ten months, considerable labor and materials will go into this major improvement for our parish. Just how much might surprise you!
Before construction can start, the grading and site preparation takes place. This stage generates quite a bit of dirt, broken concrete, asphalt, and tree debris—an estimated 3,500 cubic yards of materials to be hauled away. That’s enough to fill approximately 300 dump trucks.
To complete the site preparation, the contractor must lay the utility lines - water, sewer, electrical power, gas, etc. This stage not only involves preparing for the new worship space, but also includes the second phase of the project, converting the present sanctuary into a parish hall. Thus, the project will require the installation of 2,000 running feet of site utility piping and lines
After the site has been prepared, there are various areas where concrete is required for the foundation of the sanctuary and the piazza. How much concrete? Try 1,750 cubic yards, equal to 200 concrete truck loads. This concrete will go into 850 linear feet of retaining walls, which will be supported by 60 tons of rebar (strengthening rods inserted into the concrete pour to stabilize and strengthen the concrete base).
Next, the structure of the building is erected. A space the size of our new sanctuary calls for 175 tons of steel – about 350,000 pounds. Topping it off will be 6,300 square feet of flat roof and 10,000 square feet of sloped roof. Providing the facility with electricity will require 130,000 linear feet of electrical wiring, enough to help run the 20 heating and air conditioning units.
The next step, finishing the exterior and interior of the facility, will involve many different components. Among them are:
- approximately 16,000 square feet of weathered granite veneer
- 1,500 linear feet of pre-cast concrete stone
- 10,600 square feet of pre-finished tongue-and-groove wood decking in the sanctuary
- 450 light fixtures
- 70 doors
- 50 windows
- 10,000 square feet of concrete brick pavers
Then, at the end of approximately ten months, we will gather as a parish family in our new 30,800-square-foot sanctuary (500,000 cubic feet), with a comfortable seating capacity of 850, and topped with a cupola weighing approximately one ton and rising 35 feet above the courtyard.
Honestly now, did you have any idea of the scope of our project?
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