Pine Jog Elementary School

Pine Jog Elementary School, designed with sustainability and environmental education at its core, set a high bar as Florida’s first LEED Gold-certified school. Located on a 150-acre property shared with Florida Atlantic University’s Pine Jog Environmental Education Center, the school was designed to integrate sustainability and environmental education into its core mission. Pirtle Construction hired GCI Consultants to provide quality control consulting services, focusing on the glass and glazing, to verify proper system integration, durability, and performance under real-world conditions.

Scope of Work

To meet the rigorous standards of the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification, the building envelope — particularly the window and storefront glazing systems — needed to be installed with precision and thoroughly tested for performance. The challenge was in verifying airtight, watertight performance of these critical systems within the constraints of a public-school budget and a fast-paced construction schedule. As a result, our team delivered a full scope of new construction building envelope consulting services that included:

1. Submittal and Shop Drawing Review

GCI reviewed all glazing-related documents for compliance with contract requirements and industry best practices. Key observations included:

• Incomplete or conflicting product information between NOA documentation and submitted shop drawings.
• Missing details regarding the sealing of window frames to adapters.
• Recommendations for sealing perimeter anchors, flashing attachments, and ensuring end dam heights and continuity met performance expectations.

2. Pre-Installation Conferences

Two pre-installation meetings were held with all project stakeholders to align on project expectations, approved details, and site conditions. These meetings established the quality standards to be verified during construction.

3. ASTM E1105 Water Infiltration Testing

GCI conducted field water infiltration testing using the ASTM E1105 method. This simulates wind-driven rain conditions by creating a vacuum chamber inside the assembly while spraying water on the exterior face.

Testing was performed on seven unique glazing assemblies, including single hung windows with mullions and multi-lite storefront configurations. While the majority of systems passed on the first attempt, three specimens (three single hung windows with mullions and storefront systems) initially failed and required corrective action.

4. Ongoing Site Inspections

GCI performed progress inspections throughout installation to verify consistency with the approved details and the standard of quality established during testing.

Results: Verified Performance for a Sustainable Learning Environment

• All tested assemblies ultimately passed ASTM E1105 water infiltration testing.
• Identified and corrected critical installation deficiencies early in construction, avoiding costly rework and potential post-occupancy issues.
• Documented recommendations and field reports ensured consistent communication between trades and quality assurance at every stage.
• Contributed to the school’s successful LEED Gold-certification by verifying high-performance glazing systems.
• Supported the mission of Pine Jog Elementary School as a living example of sustainable design and environmental stewardship, providing students with a healthy, durable, and resilient learning environment.

Pine Jog Elementary School set the standard for green schools in Florida. GCI Consultants played a pivotal role in supporting that mission by verifying the building envelope met the demands of high-performance design and sustainable construction. Moreover, our quality control consulting services helped deliver a project that not only passed technical benchmarks — but also helped shape a learning environment designed to protect and inspire future generations.

This project highlights GCI’s expertise in delivering high-quality building envelope solutions for complex projects that prioritize sustainability and performance. Planning a high-performance, sustainability-focused project like Pine Jog Elementary? Contact us today to support those goals.