Harmonious Partnership Creates Opportunities for High School Students to Participate in Habitat for Humanity

By Cayden Wemple.  

GCP Applied Technologies has partnered with the Weitz Construction Academy at a Florida high school to create an opportunity for high schoolers to learn construction skills. 

For five years strong, GCP Applied Technologies has worked with the Weitz Construction Academy at Seminole Ridge High School in Loxahatchee, Florida to advance the skills of students who want to earn experience in the construction field. In 2019 and 2020, using products GCP donated, the Weitz Construction Academy students were tasked with building two new homes for Habitat for Humanity. These homes were 1,206 square feet with three bedrooms and two baths. 

Challenges 

Transportation, scheduling and creating a classroom environment on-site incurred time and expenses, but it was also crucial to ensure student safety at the build site. Tasks had to be finished at each job site, leaving exposed sections vulnerable during transportation. In addition to all of this, Florida's changing weather, with intensified tropical storms and hurricanes, caused delays and emphasized the need for houses that withstand severe weather conditions. 

To tackle these obstacles, the Weitz Construction Academy adopted modular construction methods for the project. Students built modular sections in their workshop, then transported them to jobsites for final assembly. By using this method, the students avoided weather delays as well as the dangers of the jobsite itself. To protect their work during transportation, they utilized GCP Applied Technologies' self-adhered weather barrier products. 

Solutions 

GCP's VYCOR® enV-S™ weather barrier addressed the transportation challenge in modular construction. Without siding, the homes had to endure highway speed winds during transport from the workshop to the Habitat job sites. The fully adhered VYCOR® enV-S™ weather barrier sealed to the substrate, resisting damage and passed the highway wind test. 

The donation of GCP's GRACE ICE & WATER SHIELD® self-adhered roofing underlayment also played a vital role. Applied in the workshop, it served as temporary roof covering, ensuring premium weather barrier protection for the modular houses' roofing systems. It sealed to itself, the roof deck, and around fasteners, preventing water leakage even in Florida's rainy and windy climate.