MADISON - It's been a lot of work, but the end result will be meaningful to a lot of people.Saying he spends about 90 percent of his work hours on it, Monroe's Frank Meier is entering the home stretch as the project leader for an elaborate stone monument that will serve as a memorial for fallen Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) police officer Sean Collier.
Collier, 27, was killed April 19, 2013, by the accused terrorists who were behind the bombings at the Boston Marathon.
Meier's role began in late November, and work is slated to wrap up late this month with an April 15 unveiling slated on the MIT campus. April 15 is the two-year anniversary of the bombings, which killed three people and injured more than 250 others.
"This is by far our most difficult project, especially with the tight deadline," said Meier, who works at Madison's Quarra Stone, a supplier and fabricator of architectural and dimensional cut stone materials. "And it's a high-profile monument. We've been told some very important people will be there for its presentation."
It's a company whose work has been in the limelight before, both nationally and locally, including restoration work on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. and work at the University of Wisconsin's Memorial Union and School of Business.
In this case, it's the design that creates the challenge, as Meier will be dealing with square blocks as heavy as 20,000 pounds which must be shaped and put together by pins.
When done, the five-pronged monument will symbolize an open hand and will be 14 feet in height.
"People will be able to walk under it," Meier said. "It's a lot of weight, in many pieces, suspended in the air. That's where the challenge comes in."
As do the insurance companies, who got involved due to concerns about safety, Meier said. Then there's the software program Meier's company got from Italy but required some programming tweaks in order to guide the stone-cutting blades. The reprogramming is among Meier's tasks.
"We're talking about something very precise," he said. "It can't be off by even millimeters if this is all to come together properly.
"There's a lot of geometry needed. These are some difficult shapes."
It's been so far, so good, Meier said.
"A consultant from Germany was here and told us we were one of one or two companies in the world that could do this," Meier said. "That meant a lot."
When done, it will also mean a lot to thousands of Bostonians.
"This is very important to them," Meier said. "Many there feel the events around the bombings happened to the whole city. This will help bring closure."
Collier, 27, was killed April 19, 2013, by the accused terrorists who were behind the bombings at the Boston Marathon.
Meier's role began in late November, and work is slated to wrap up late this month with an April 15 unveiling slated on the MIT campus. April 15 is the two-year anniversary of the bombings, which killed three people and injured more than 250 others.
"This is by far our most difficult project, especially with the tight deadline," said Meier, who works at Madison's Quarra Stone, a supplier and fabricator of architectural and dimensional cut stone materials. "And it's a high-profile monument. We've been told some very important people will be there for its presentation."
It's a company whose work has been in the limelight before, both nationally and locally, including restoration work on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. and work at the University of Wisconsin's Memorial Union and School of Business.
In this case, it's the design that creates the challenge, as Meier will be dealing with square blocks as heavy as 20,000 pounds which must be shaped and put together by pins.
When done, the five-pronged monument will symbolize an open hand and will be 14 feet in height.
"People will be able to walk under it," Meier said. "It's a lot of weight, in many pieces, suspended in the air. That's where the challenge comes in."
As do the insurance companies, who got involved due to concerns about safety, Meier said. Then there's the software program Meier's company got from Italy but required some programming tweaks in order to guide the stone-cutting blades. The reprogramming is among Meier's tasks.
"We're talking about something very precise," he said. "It can't be off by even millimeters if this is all to come together properly.
"There's a lot of geometry needed. These are some difficult shapes."
It's been so far, so good, Meier said.
"A consultant from Germany was here and told us we were one of one or two companies in the world that could do this," Meier said. "That meant a lot."
When done, it will also mean a lot to thousands of Bostonians.
"This is very important to them," Meier said. "Many there feel the events around the bombings happened to the whole city. This will help bring closure."