Santa Rita Ranch Elementary School features 105,000 square feet of an open-space concept with tall walls and sloping roof lines. This project utilized Fox Blocks ICF cores ranging from 6 inches to 10 inches, in conjunction with structural steel as the bones of the building. The majority of the steel connections to the Fox Blocks wall system consisted of either shear connections (that is, beam/joist to vertical weld plates) or bearing connections/beam pockets (that is, beam/joist on horizontal weld plates). For Santa Rita Ranch, there were 500+ embeds, 30+ integral pilasters, 150+ door/window openings and 35+ corners throughout the building, all with ranging wall heights of 32 feet to 40 feet, with stepped or sloped top-of-wall conditions to marry up with the architectural vision of the building.

In order to coordinate the intricacies of the structural detailing for the school, the general contractor partnered with a structural engineering firm to fully model the ICF walls for coordination with the steel fabricator and MEP trades. This collaboration led to the creation of true “For Construction” shop drawings, and, ultimately, an exceptional level of precision and craftsmanship.

Utilizing Fox Blocks enabled a fast and efficient build to achieve the design concept with energy-efficiency benchmarks required by the design team and owners. The interior tall walls also provided excellent sound attenuation between the activity rooms.

This project utilized an energy-efficient geothermal system in conjunction with the insulating properties of the ICF walls to create a more sustainable building operation. This successful completion of this project continues the theme of using ICF in LHISD’s elementary schools, showing the district’s dedication to a sustainable building operation approach.

Project Stats

Location: Liberty Hill, Texas
Industry: Education
Type: Elementary School
Size: 105,000 sq. ft. (floor)
ICF Use: 70,775 sq. ft.
Cost: $27.2 million
Total Construction: 60 weeks
ICF Installation: 115 days

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