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Late last week, an owner came to his INLINE Construction project manager requesting a last-second change. Asphalt in small batches was virtually unavailable given the frigid conditions gripping Portland. Concrete, on the other hand, the owner already had on hand.

Rather than risk a weekslong wait for asphalt, INLINE poured a concrete apron, against what’s in the plans. It’s one of countless complications that builders have had to contend with as the construction ecosystem abides a historic snowfall.

It’s difficult to find a builder not impacted. Trygve Berge, vice president of INLINE, estimates all of his company’s 55 active projects are affected somehow 鈥� by labor reductions, material unavailability or unsafe conditions.

鈥淭his will affect the bottom line; there’s no doubt,鈥� Berge said. 鈥淲hen you push the schedule out, every day it goes on, it adds to the general conditions that weren’t figured into the project alone.鈥�

After a snowstorm slammed Portland on Jan. 10, dropping around a foot all around the metro area, many project owners joined public agencies in closing shop Wednesday. Many took Thursday and Friday off as well.

With a federal holiday on Monday added to the mix, builders have struggled to dig out and restart. Freight was delayed as drivers slowed or stayed off roads completely, leaving projects without doors, lighting and hardware. With the ground frozen, earthwork has all but ceased.

Perlo Construction‘s Jeff Perala said closing the office last week was an unpleasant choice, but an easy one to make.

鈥淚t’s almost easier when it’s really bad like this,鈥� he said.

Bremik Construction has been trying to melt the ice on the deck of the second level of the Canopy Hotel project at Northwest Ninth Avenue and Glisan Street by sealing off the lower levels and pumping in hot air day and night. The company paid employees to trek to the jobsite every 12 hours Saturday and Sunday to refuel the gas-powered generators.

The process has helped get rid of about 60 percent of the ice, estimated project manager Josh Ring.

鈥淲e’re just trying to get some production done, at a very slow pace,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut it’s better than nothing.

鈥淵ou do expect some sort of impact, given the fact that it’s January, but the impacts here don’t typically last days on end, that’s for sure. This particular storm cycle has left us fairly crippled over the past week.鈥�

P&C Construction ceased foundation work on the Lake Oswego Public Works and Parks Maintenance Facility. Pathways have been cleared and orange cones are alerting to icy spots.

鈥淭he earth is going to shift, so we’re waiting until all that’s done,鈥� P&C spokeswoman Sabrina Henkhaus said.

Crews working on Portland Public Schools bond projects have largely been indoors 鈥� though at diminished capacity. The project at Faubion School has proceeded with about 80 percent of its crew, while workers at Roosevelt and Franklin high schools have been at about half their regular numbers.

A number of construction executives report being asked by project owners to help clear snow from roofs to prevent cave-ins.

Lease Crutcher Lewis project executive Jeff Ganz said he got a thank-you note from Roosevelt’s head custodian after his employees cleared snow from some of the school’s parking lots.

鈥淚t’s fun to do a little extra to help the school,鈥� said Ganz, who added that the company’s backhoes and graders with plow attachments were better than what the school had available.

Ken Fisher, project manager with HEERY, which provides PPS with construction and project management services, is already thinking about how the impact of the snowstorm might still be felt this summer.

鈥淲e typically have 63 summer days to work in, and this is going to take a week away from us,鈥� he said.

The district board has so far approved adding two school days to the calendar in the summer to make up for the snow days, with more expected to follow.

Fisher said crews will have to work to make up the lost time, but he’s confident all bond-funded school projects will open to students as scheduled.

Jim Link, vice president of Skanska‘s Portland office, said projects with less work remaining will be hit hardest.

鈥淚f you’ve got 12 months left in your schedule, you can put a good plan together,鈥� he said.

With notice ahead of Tuesday’s expected arrival of freezing rain, Skanska was able to pre-deliver needed material, and the company’s crews worked Monday night to clear ice to lay down rebar ahead of the storm.

Erik Timmons of Yorke & Curtis said progress had slowed at all of the firm’s projects over the past few weeks. Even if weather improves later this week, 鈥渉undreds鈥� of man-hours will be needed just to clear off jobsites in order to start work again.

鈥淭he key for us as GCs is to set clear expectations for owners and to be open and honest about the impacts ahead of time, updating them daily of the impacts,鈥� Timmons said. 鈥淭hen the entire team is on the same page, and once we are out from underneath the snow we can all hit the ground running.鈥�