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Sturdy Schoolhouses for Louisiana12-11-06 | News

Sturdy Schoolhouses for Louisiana




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The new Louisiana schoolrooms are built of steel-reinforced concrete.


One-hundred and sixty-eight 768-square-foot new classrooms for five schools were built by Fibrebond Corp. in Minden, La.?EUR??,,????'??+just in time for the new school year. Schools in Plaquemine and Jefferson Parishes destroyed by the 2005 hurricanes were able to reopen using the new classrooms. Students had been forced to double up at area schools after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita destroyed their schools.

The new classrooms, constructed of Artcrete?EUR??,,????'???s Faux Brick??????oe stenciled concrete, measure 24 by 32 feet and are touted to be able to withstand a Category 5 hurricane. The concrete is steel-reinforced and the exterior walls are eight inches thick. These construction exteriors are one cost-effective alternative to brick, tile or stone. Each classroom is built in two pieces, each piece weighing 65,000 pounds. The classrooms, erected in about a third of the time of traditional construction, are expected to last 50 to 75 years.

The classrooms are factory-outfitted with carpeting, lighting, air conditioning and plumbing. After emergency needs have subsided the classrooms can be easily relocated.

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