From: Ronnie Smith, Vice Chancellor, Administration and Finance
Subject: Hurricane Katrina Recovery – Update #30
Posted: November 28, 2006

Additional repair work has been identified at 1542 Tulane Ave. and the architects have begun to request new cost proposals for those tasks. The contractor continues to trace all of the main electrical circuits in the building to insure that power will be available to all the portions of the building that we hope to reoccupy. Electrical power has been restored to a key bank of elevators and the elevator contractor may now resume work on the modernization contract that had been started prior to the storm. Repaired building systems continue to be energized, started up and tested. Where repairs are still necessary, those are being addressed by the contractor.

The focus on addressing the mold issues in the Dental School Clinic and Administration building by the architects, engineers, the Office of Facility Planning & Control and the LSUHSC staff has continued. The remaining sources of outside (humid) air have been closed or sealed. New, high tech dehumidifiers have been installed and are now in operation. These will force very dry air (35% relative humidity) into the building. The inspections of the air handling units are complete and the necessary repairs and maintenance items have been identified. Damaged thermostats are being replaced and the manufacturer has been on site to make preparations to get the new chillers started and into operation.

The project to improve the lighting at the Student Parking lots on the downtown campus has continued over the past two weeks. Work in Student Lot #3 is largely complete. Delays in the availability of concrete to be used in creating the light pole bases have pushed back the completion of the work in Student Lot #2 to an extent, but the contractor projects to be finished in both lots by the end of next weekend.

Here are highlights of work that has been accomplished since our last update was posted two weeks ago.

Project to Make Temporary Repairs to 1542 Tulane Ave.:

• The domestic water pumps were energized and tested out at 90 PSI. A new transformer was installed to allow both domestic water pumps to operate at the same time.
  
• The chilled water pump was energized tested. A leak was discovered on the 4th floor center hall, which was later repaired.
  
• The mechanical sub-contractor continued to repair various leaks as they were discovered in the basement.
  • The sub-contractor located and repaired a leak in the chilled water line located in the 1st floor pipe chase.
  • They have also been working on removing and disposing of the abandoned pipes located in the basement.
  • A drain line was discovered to be backing up on the first floor and was cleared.
• The contractor ran another electrical line to power up the city water pumps because the line they initially ran could only power one pump at a time.
  
• Electrical service has been restored to the bank of elevators that had been under contract for modernization prior to the hurricane. The availability of power means that the contract can now be restarted and when the repairs are completed, the elevators can put back into service.
  
• Power has been restored to the 1st floor print shop.
  
• The contractor cleaned out the vault under the lakeside lot which will be used for a future electrical riser.
  
• The contractor has removed an old electrical panel out of the basement in order to install a new transformer which is needed as an additional power source for the building.
  

• The factory representative from the company that provided the temporary chillers has been onsite to oversee the start up of the new equipment.
  
• Initially, neither of the two chillers would start and the technician spent a considerable amount of time checking the electrical wiring because both chillers seem to have the same problem.
  
• Two parts (one for each chiller) were immediately ordered. Delivery of the required parts was delayed, so the planned start up of the chillers could not be completed.
  
• The parts arrived on 11/22, but the manufacturer was unable to complete the repairs and start the chillers. They will not be working over the Thanksgiving holiday.
  
• The contractor and their pump specialists checked all of the new and rebuilt pumps and pump motors.
  
  • Some of the units were vibrating badly and the inspection revealed that the pump rotation was wrong on those units. The pumps were re-wired so that the rotation was corrected and the pumps operated smoothly.
    
  • Loop pump #1 was aligned and is now within tolerances.
    
  • Condenser water pump #2 has bad packing and leaks. Repairs are being made as required.
    
  • The design team engineer showed the mechanical sub-contractor the leaks that have been discovered on the loop pump, the condenser pump, and over the de-aerator tank. Repairs are being made.
    
• A contract was issued to secure new, temporary dehumidification equipment that is designed to reduce humidity levels inside the buildings to approximately 35%. This will rapidly dry out any moisture that has entered into building materials and fabrics; interrupting any further mold growth.
  
  • The new equipment has been delivered and installed.
    
  • The necessary electrical connections to building power have been made.
    
  • The units were started up on November 21st.
    
  • The environmental remediation contractor has removed the dehumidification units and filtering units that he had provided as a temporary, stop gap measure.
    
  • All of the fresh air louvers that allow outside air to enter the building have been sealed so that little additional moisture can enter the buildings.
    
• Environmental Measurements Services with Service Master and AQM Consultants surveyed the air handling units and duct systems on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors of the Clinic and the Administration Buildings to assess the potential for the presence of mold.
  
• The contractor has completed the inspection and assessment of the air handling units throughout the Clinic and Administration Buildings.
  
  • They are preparing lists of all the necessary and recommended repairs and/or maintenance items that should be addressed.
    
  • Over 110 thermostats and actuators were discovered to be damaged and in need or repair or replacement. The repair and replacement work is well underway.
    
  • The mechanical sub-contractor has been successful in modifying a number of the damper units that LSUHSC purchased before the storm, so that they can be used as needed.
    
• The heaters in the basement have been started up.
  
• LSU A&M trustees were on site to cut and clear the areas on the grounds near the back campus.
  

• Student Lot #2:
  
  • The contractor built and installed the steel cages that are used to reinforce the concrete bases for the new light poles.
    
  • The concrete forms for the light pole bases have been built and installed.
    
  • The new electrical panel was installed and the last of the wiring has been pulled.
    
    • The plans to pour the concrete bases over the weekend of 11/18 were cancelled when the concrete was not available; however the bases were successfully poured on 11/27.
      
• Student Lot #3:
  
  • All of the concrete bases for the light poles have been poured.
    
  • Forms have been removed and the holes around the concrete bases for the light poles have been backfilled.
    
  • The area around the entrance/exit was cleaned up.
    
  • All of the holes in the entire lot have been backfilled. All of the trenches have been compacted.
    
  • The areas around all the new light pole locations were compacted and cleaned up.
    
  • The new concrete light pole bases were given a finished look with a thin coat of concrete sand mix.
    
  • The new light poles have been installed on the concrete bases.
    
  • The new lighting fixtures that will be mounted on the poles arrived at the site.
    
  • The contractor is projecting to complete all the work by the end of the upcoming weekend.
    

• The automatic transfer switch serving the emergency generator at Stanislaus Hall was repaired and successfully tested. It is ready for inspection by the State Fire Marshall.
  
• The contractor making storm-related repairs to various parking lot control systems completed work on five gates with the installation of the automatic closers.
• The electrical contractor who won the bid to make the repairs to the electrical feeds to the parking lots has been sent the contract documents for signature.