Structure is new job trailer for Construction Training Center
Lifting a 20,000-pound prefabricated modular unit is all in a day’s work for The Boldt Company, but it will be a new experience for students of the Fox Valley Technical College Construction Management Technology (CMT) program. The college’s new project trailer for the Construction Training Center (CTC) has been under construction at Boldt’s prefabrication facility and now it’s time to lift it in place on campus.
On Monday, May 13, crews will transport and lift the job trailer into place. The project trailer is 13’6” x 30’ by 11’ and teams estimate it weighs just over 20,000 pounds. Boldt teams have planned the lift, reviewed the weight bearing capacity, and are sending a 100-ton crane to the Construction Training Center for the lift and setting. Crews anticipate the lift will take place at about 8 a.m. at 4233 Waupun Rd., Oshkosh.
For Boldt technical crews, it’s common to lift massive air handling units or structural steel—and even prefabricated structures such as this project trailer.
“It’s all in a day’s work,” said James Farrell, Boldt project manager. “The lift goes quickly and efficiently because our team is really dialed in on the details. There’s a lot of pre-planning involved, which allows the process to go smoothly.”
The modular unit is also unique because FVTC students have been working at Boldt’s modular construction center to build the unit. The hands-on experience gives them a real-world example of the future of modular construction. In “modular” or “manufactured” construction, structures are built in a controlled indoor environment decreasing the effects of weather, and increasing safety, quality, and efficiency.
“Boldt was an early leader in prefabricated construction during the pandemic with our STAAT MOD® units,” said Ben Bruns, executive vice president and leader of the company’s modular operations. “Since then, we have seen massive potential in industrialized construction which also impacts how we train and mentor our next generation of skilled labor.”
For FVTC, the relationship with Boldt has been key to developing the school’s construction management program.
“Above the benefits of the working relationship, the students are experiencing the fabricated, modular, side of the commercial construction industry,” said Rich Cass, department chair of FVTC’s CMT program. “This is a rising process in the industry that none of our students have experienced before,” he said.
For the students, the project has been an opportunity to work side by side with professionals in their field.
“It was nice to be able to work so closely with the people in the field at Boldt. I felt comfortable asking questions and learning so many new things,” said FVTC student Elizabeth O’bday.
“Partnering with Boldt to build our field office was a great experience. I learned a lot from looking at plan sheets to actually putting it all together while getting a better understanding of the different components and materials used,” said FVTC student Jalon Parker.
Boldt and several other regional firms are donating labor and materials to include:
- Faith Electric
- Tweet Garot
- Crafts Roofing
- Midwest Construction Materials
- Muza Metals
- MathFab
- L&W
- HJ Martin
- Quick Transport
The job trailer is part of a $1.4 million outdoor job site lab that will include a 5,000-square-foot building to store reusable materials and equipment and site storage typically seen on a commercial construction site. It is located on about 2.6 acres of college-owned property on Waupun Road in Oshkosh.
About The Boldt Company
The Boldt Company is one of the leading construction management firms in the United States. The firm is a nationally recognized leader in Integrated Lean Project Delivery® within various markets, including healthcare, industrial, commercial, and energy and power. Boldt is headquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin, and has 18 offices nationwide. For more information www.boldt.com.
About FVTC
Fox Valley Technical College, part of the Wisconsin Technical College System, offers more than 250 associate degree, technical diploma and other certificate programs. It serves more than 45,000 individuals annually — more than any other technical college in the state.
