Skanska, a leading global development and construction firm, recently reached a milestone by “topping out” George Mason University’s new Life Sciences and Engineering Building at the school’s Prince William County Science and Technology (SciTech) Campus.
The $83.6 million,132,000-square-foot Life Sciences and Engineering Building will support students enrolled in STEM-H majors, such as kinesiology, materials science, forensic science, bioengineering and mechanical engineering. The state-of-the-art facility will also include specialized instructional labs, classrooms, experiential learning laboratories and faculty and administrative offices to support growing student and faculty communities on the SciTech Campus.
The topping-out ceremony, a tradition passed down for generations throughout the construction industry, honors the construction team’s hard work and signals a time of celebration for the progress made on a project. The effort to achieve the topping out milestone is highlighted by:
• Pouring more than 6,278 cubic yards of concrete which is enough to fill two Olympic swimming pools.
• Laying more than 700 tons of rebar weighing more than 1.3 million pounds.
• Working more than 50,000 man hours to date.
“For more than 25 years, George Mason’s SciTech campus has been a transformational presence and a magnet in advancing innovation and driving economic growth in Prince William County,” said Elias Bezabhe, Project Executive, Skanska, “Our team has done an outstanding job to achieve this milestone and Skanska is honored to be part of this exceptional higher education project.”
When completed, the building will be used by the College of Engineering and Computing, the College of Science, the College of Education and Human Development, and the College of Visual and Performing Arts. It will also be an integral part of the university’s Innovation Town Center, which will provide students at the SciTech Campus with a residential campus experience from their freshman year through their post-graduate work.
Mason’s SciTech Campus provides convenient university access for residents of Prince William, Fauquier, and western Fairfax counties; the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park; and adjoining areas to the west and south.
