ClarkDietrich Wins SFIA Award for Grand Junction High School, Grand Junction, Colorado

Featured image: Grand Junction High School, Grand Junction, Colorado, features cold-formed steel (CFS) framing. All images courtesy of ClarkDietrich.

The Grand Junction High School, Grand Junction, Colo., involved a partnership between SFIA members ClarkDietrich and ClarkDietrich Engineering Services and BG + Co. (Blythe Group). The job used structural steel framing for curtain walls and metal paneling for the facade, resulting in an efficient design and cost savings.

Construction began in June of 2022 at a price tag of $144.5 million, according to KKCO11News.com. The new high school “will have a 21st-century learning space, advanced mechanical systems, and great natural lighting, giving the school an energy-efficient environment,” the KKCO 11 report says.

ClarkDietrich, a member of the Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA), is the SFIA 2023 Industry Project Awards winner in the “Curtain Wall Project” category for Grand Junction High School. The SFIA Awards entry was submitted by Jenny Hull of ClarkDietrich.

ClarkDietrich was announced the winner at the 2023 SFIA Awards ceremony held recently online. The SFIA 2023 Industry Project Awards focus on CFS manufacturing and construction. Architects, engineers, manufacturers, distributors and contractors entered their projects in the competition.

The SFIA Awards, Curtain Wall Project, 2023 Winner: ClarkDietrich for Grand Junction High School.

Design Quality 

Did this project make efficient use of metal framing? 

The Grand Junction High School project was a replacement high school for the Mesa County Valley School District 51. ClarkDietrich Engineering Services designed the exterior wall framing as well as a couple of the more critical framing conditions on the interior. Much of the exterior was three story by-pass curtain wall framing, which used ClarkDietrich RedHeader Pro products to frame the door and window openings.

The project also had some “wing” wall features that cantilevered from the building. These features required some unique design and detailing. On the interior, ClarkDietrich Engineering Services designed 45-foot-tall walls with a backing brick veneer and also stadium-type seating platforms.

The job takeoff featured less common CFS member flange sizes such as 1-3/8 inches, reflecting the dedication to finding the most efficient member that can still withstand the loading demands. 

Grand Junction High School features exterior cold-formed steel (CFS) framing and cantilevered wing walls.

Conversion to Steel

How was conversion to metal framing achieved?

Lots of structural CFS framing was used for the curtain walls, which replaced the CMU block more commonly used for school projects. The architect also opted for metal paneling instead of brick for facade work due to steel framing’s superior lifespan and lower maintenance. 

Grand Junction High School is a replacement high school for the Mesa County Valley School District 51.

Overall Job Quality

How did the completed system turn out?

The partnership between the project team helped to ensure that the job was designed efficiently and that it saved the contractor and money on unnecessary framing. It also helped to ensure that no resources were wasted unnecessarily.

The “wing” wall features, which cantilever from the building, required special design and detailing.

ClarkDietrich Engineering Services employees involved in the project included:

• Andrew Shi, project engineer
• Donn Ebete, project engineer
• Jennifer Duhon, project manager
• Zi Zhong, project oversight
• Tammy Gleed, project oversight

Learn more about SFIA member ClarkDietrich.

Additional Resources

• SFIA Reveals 7 Winners of the 2023 Industry Project Awards in Online Ceremony
• Sorting Apples from Oranges — Comparing Evaluation Services with Third-Party Certification
• SFIA Releases Guide to the Performance-Based Nonstructural Partition Selection of Metal Framing