Ramtech Building Systems recently completed work on a 19,270 square foot two-story permanent modular building addition for Clary Sage College, one of the nation’s largest vocational schools of its kind located in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
After a careful review of several different construction alternatives and contractors, Clary Sage opted for the lower cost and faster timetable of Ramtech’s Accelerated Building System slab-on-grade construction approach. Using a design-build stipulated sum contract, the Type II non-combustible structure adds twelve 800 to 1,000 square foot vocational classrooms including computer, interior design, and fashion design labs, as well as administrative offices, a commercial display area, student union and break rooms. Using an EIFS synthetic stucco system for the exterior, all of the interior and exterior finishes were designed to provide a seamless transition from the existing building to the new addition including stained concrete floors on the first floor and architectural grade Centiva vinyl flooring on the second floor.
Developed by Ramtech, the Accelerated Building System utilizes the best of onsite and offsite construction by combining the speed and efficiency of prefabricated buildings with the quality and appearance of site applied interior and exterior finishes. Ramtech achieves this by employing simultaneous construction tracts. At the same time a site specific, engineered reinforced concrete slab foundation is constructed on the building site, the fabrication of the modular buildings are taking place in Ramtech’s manufacturing plant. When complete, the building sections are shipped to the project location, crane-set onto the concrete slab, then quickly weathered-in and finished-out on site.
This form of design-build construction results in a superior facility with lower design and construction costs, a faster project completion schedule, and superior quality over older site construction methods. According to Gary White, Ramtech’s Vice-President Technical Services, “When Clary Sage started the discussions on the addition with their previous contractor, they were looking at design and construction costs in excess of $215 per square foot. By using our Accelerated Building System, we were able to reduce the entire construction budget by over 33 percent.”
Founded in 1982, Clary Sage College is a licensed and accredited Cosmetology College and one of the largest schools of its kind in the United States. Clary Sage offers various degree-granting programs in Cosmetology, Esthetics, Nail Technician and Massage Therapy, and offers graduates the opportunity to pursue associate degrees through its main campus at Community Care College.
