Sam
Peterson was happy to learn Skanska U.S.A. had won the bid to build
Providence Health System’s new medical center in Newberg.
A foreman for Skanska who has lived in Newberg all his life,
Peterson at the time was commuting about 45 minutes each way to the
elementary school he was helping build in Hillsboro.
Now, having worked about five months on the new medical center, he
is getting used to the shorter commute. He has also taken to picking
up his kids occasionally, and he’s gotten into the practice of
having lunch once or twice a week with his wife, Vicki, who works at
the Newberg High School Career Center.
“It’s kind of nice having a job in my home town,” Peterson said.
Not only for the short drive, he noted, but also because he’s
working on a structure that his community will utilize. The new
medical center is scheduled to open in early 2006.
To date, 270 men and women have put in time working on the new
medical center, according to Bill Melrose, Skanska site
superintendent. There is an average of 60 to 75 workers on site on
any given day, he said.
Peterson is among a handful of workers with the benefit of having a
construction project, a commercial one at that, close to home.
Others from Newberg include Steve LeMaster, an iron worker; Brian
Youngquist, a supervisor; and Dave Heikkinnen, a dirt work laborer.
Melrose said there are approximately 15 more from outlying areas
such as Carlton, Yamhill, McMinnville and Sherwood.
Peterson, 46, comes from a family of construction workers. He
himself has been on construction sites since high school. For the
past 20 years he’s worked for the same company, called Baugh
Construction when he started and bought out three years ago by
Skanska.
Peterson has spent the last 10 years as a general foreman whose
main job is overseeing concrete work. If you go to the site of the
new medical center and ask someone where “Sam the Concrete Guy” is,
he or she will more than likely know where to point you. On this
job, that would be to an office in one of the many construction
trailers.
Peterson said he doesn’t get to pick up his tools much any more,
spending much of his time supervising. On this job, being as large
and complicated as it is, Peterson figured he spends about 60
percent of his time in his office chair reviewing drawings and
figures to see that the different layers of construction line up.
Of all the jobs he’s worked, Peterson said this is the biggest. The
project will consume approximately 9,000 cubic yards of concrete,
including roughly 223,000 square foot of slab concrete. For
comparison, a foundation for a midsized house eats up about 20 to 25
cubic yards of concrete.
This is a point of pride for him. “Maybe someday I’ll bring my
grandchildren here,” he said.
Highlights of construction this month include:
– Steel erection continued when weather permits safe working
conditions.
– Mock-up framing has begun.
– Underground plumbing, vapor barrier and “re-bar” are complete in
the administration and conference center areas.
– 182.5 cubic yards of concrete has been poured. |
