New ideas could solve growth problems
Dear Editor,

It's time for Chesterfield to think "inside the box." Overcrowded schools in Chesterfield County have existed for over 25 years. It was a campaign theme during the 1991 Board of Supervisors election and will probably be repeated again this election cycle.

It is my opinion in order to break the cycle, we need to either change the personnel in charge or inject new ideas. We voted in 2004 for a $341 million dollar bond referendum for schools, fire stations, libraries and parks. But, because of escalating construction costs, we will probably not be able to fulfill our dream of completion by 2010.

I believe the major stumbling block is we still think of "brick and mortar construction." In my business, we have seen material costs increase 300 percent in the last two years. In order to cope, we looked at new materials to cut our costs. As we do in business, Chesterfield should consider a new approach.

One option would be to consider pre-cast modular construction versus brick and mortar construction. Pre-cast can come in two methods. One method is pre-cast concrete wall panels. People may be familiar with this type of construction. Most of your box stores [like] Wal-Mart, Lowe's and Home Depot are constructed in this manner. If they seem to pop-up overnight, it is because of this construction method.

The second type of modular construction consists of pre-cast boxes constructed in a factory and shipped to the job site for erection, much like building blocks. Some schools in the northeast United States have used this method for new construction and additions. They found cost savings in materials, controlled methods, and added savings in construction.

Since the "boxes" are made in a factory while the school site work is completed, the construction lead time can be cut in half. Time is money, and we have neither when it comes to school construction. We need to begin thinking "inside the box."
Bob Olsen
Midlothian