ALPOLIC MCM Upgrades Richmond High School
Just outside Richmond, the new J.R. Tucker High School was a much-needed upgrade for Henrico County. The original structure, built in 1962, had not been renovated in decades and no longer served the students or staff. In its place now stands a $93 million remodel referred to by the board as a “High School of the Future”. 2023 LEED Gold-Certified and a winner of Outstanding Project by Learning by Design, Tucker High School is a triumph for the design and construction teams led by Moseley Architects and general contractor S.B. Ballard Construction.
45,000 square feet of 4mm ALPOLIC®/fr in AGT Grey wrap-around columns, fabricated by W.H. Stovall, encircle the school inside and out. Shop manager Gabriel Smith, explains why ALPOLIC is his first choice. “In my experience, working with ALPOLIC compared to others, it’s a more durable product, for sure.” Over a two-decade career, Smith has fabricated a variety of building products and can tell the difference when working with ALPOLIC metal composite material (MCM). When it comes to tight column wraps like those found at Tucker High School, a reliable product makes the job easier. “When we cut it, the core won’t fall out, it stays intact. When it bends up, it doesn’t break with the stress. The core allows us to work with the material, we have room to play.”
Photo: S.B. Ballard Construction
Smith attests the MCM holds up better during the fabrication process and when using precise machining equipment that he describes as “touchy,” he never has to worry. “With ALPOLIC, the majority of the time our radius comes out perfectly. With other materials, that’s more of a headache.” In addition to the durability of the product, Smith values the paint finish and the heavy protective film that does a better job of staving off dings and scratches during delivery and installation. “It’s an excellent product.”
Flexibility was key in the Tucker High School project. The new 265,000-square-foot high-tech facility was built alongside the original building to minimize disruption for the students and staff. Weeks before the new building was to have its grand opening, the old Tucker High was razed and turned into 15,000 square feet of athletic support for the school. A testament to the community and construction teams involved, the project was able to overcome the additional challenges brought on by the pandemic.
Video: S.B. Ballard Construction
High school projects will often take three years or more to bring together. Henrico County created an ambitious goal of redesigning two schools, Tucker and Highland Springs, on an accelerated timeline. With the target of opening for the start of the school year, the teams rallied around the hashtag #DoneIn21 and completed the builds in 24 months.
Smith remembers the tight deadlines with a chuckle. “We would be rolling. We were pushing. We were fabricating at least 100 to 150 panels a day. And you know, to be able to do that without any errors – just moving so fast to get it loaded and shipped, a lot can happen – and I just think that our guys did a great job with the whole project.”
Photo: S.B. Ballard Construction
Coming full circle, the successful Career and Technical Education (CTE) program at Tucker had some of its previous alumni come home to work on the new high school as tradesmen in construction, electrical, and engineering. In a true community effort, the teams came together to create a school built for collaboration and technology at the forefront of design. Filled with natural light, transitional spaces, an outdoor amphitheater, and a three-court gym large enough to hold the entire student body, the new home to the Tucker Tigers is built for the 21st century.
Stovall has been an esteemed fabrication company since 1927, advancing in technology over the decades to support the needs of architects, engineers, and construction clients. Based in Ashland, Virginia, they pride themselves on their engineering focus and personnel training program. Known for being proactive problem-solvers, they understand the end product is only as good as what is put into it. For Smith, the choice is simple. “There’s a couple of other brands out there. We’ve tried. But ALPOLIC is leading the pack.”
