From: Ronnie Smith, Vice Chancellor, Administration and Finance
Subject: Hurricane Katrina Recovery – Update #44
Posted: June 8, 2007

The past two weeks have had contractors focusing on the many projects that have been underway for some time now.  The contractor completing the final environmental remediation and duct cleaning has made good progress in the Dental School Clinic Building and some of his crews have shifted over to the Administration Building.  At the same time, the crews working on the upgrade of the network infrastructure in the two Dental School buildings have been coordinating closely with the remediation crews to insure that their work doesn’t stop.  As a result, they have been making steady progress as well.

The new contracts for installing the new ceiling tile and grid in the Clinic and Administration Building and for restoring the Central Sterilization unit have both gotten underway.  The crews installing ceiling tiles and grids are also coordinating closely with the remediation teams.  The ceiling tile crew has completed the grid installation on the 2^nd floor of the Clinic Building and the sub-contractors are following behind installing the light fixtures and sprinkler heads.  The initial demolition needed for the Central Sterilization project has begun. 

The temporary repair work has also been steadily progressing at 1542 Tulane Ave.  We are hopeful that we will have a certified passenger elevator operating in the next week.  The power for the large building pumps is being connected and additional transformers have arrived and have been installed.  Cable is being pulled to the transformers at this time.

We are still waiting to hear back from FEMA on our various 406 Hazard Mitigation proposals.  We remain optimistic that the final proposal for the Lions/LSU Clinic will be approved.  The conceptual design of the 406 Mitigation proposal that addresses both the CSRB and the MEB is also under consideration and we believe that it will be well received.  We hope to get approval for a proposal to provide additional protection for the many building elevators throughout the downtown and Dental School campuses.

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

Project to Make Temporary Repairs to the Dental School:

• The final environmental remediation and duct cleaning contract is progressing smoothly.  The focus of the work has been within the Clinic Building and as that is completed, the crews are moving to the Administration Building.
  • When the contractor completes their duct cleaning or their remediation cleaning of an area, an independent environmental consultant must inspect the spaces and test a variety of samples to verify that the cleaning has been thorough and that the spaces are suitable for occupancy.  The requirement for some re-cleaning is common. 
• Remediation Status:
  • Clinic 1st Floor:
    • Duct work has been cleaned.
      • Test results are pending.
      • The interior insulation has been coated/encapsulated.
    • Interior spaces have been cleaned.
      • Clearances have been received.
      • The containment has been removed.
  • Clinic 2nd Floor:
    • Duct work has been cleaned.
      • Test results are pending.
      • The interior insulation has been coated/encapsulated.
    • Interior spaces have been cleaned.
      • Test results are clear.
      • The containment has been removed.
  • Clinic 3rd Floor:
    • Duct work has been cleaned.
      • Test results are pending.
      • The interior insulation has been coated/encapsulated.
    • Interior spaces have been cleaned.
      • Test results are clear.
      • The containment has been removed.
  • Clinic 4th Floor:
    • Duct work has been cleaned.
      • Test results are pending.
      • The interior insulation has been coated/encapsulated.
    • Interior spaces have been cleaned.
      • Test results are clear.
      • The containment has been removed.
  • Clinic 5th Floor:
    • Duct work has been cleaned.
      • Test results are pending.
      • The interior insulation has been coated/encapsulated.
    • Interior spaces have been cleaned.
      • Test results are clear.
      • The containment has been removed.
  • Clinic 6th Floor:
    • Duct work has been cleaned.
      • Test results are pending.
      • The interior insulation has been coated/encapsulated.
    • Interior spaces have been cleaned.
      • Test results are clear.
      • The containment has been removed.
  • Clinic 7th Floor:
    • Duct work has been cleaned.
      • Test results are pending.
      • The interior insulation has been coated/encapsulated.
    • Interior spaces have been cleaned.
      • Test results are clear.
      • The containment has been removed.
  • Clinic 8th Floor:
    • Duct work cleaning has not begun.
    • Interior spaces have not been cleaned.
  • Admin 2nd Floor:
    • Duct work cleaning is underway.
    • Interior spaces are being cleaned.
  • Admin 3rd Floor.
    • The A/C registers and flex duct is being removed from the 3rd floor of the Administration Building.

• The project to upgrade the network infrastructure has progressed.
  • Boe-Tel continued with the installation of the new network cables on the 6^th and 7^th floors.
    • They are making all the terminations on the 6^th floor.
  • They have been testing the new connections made on the 5^th floor and every connection tested has passed.
  • NV-I x-rayed the new network closet locations in the Clinic Building in preparation for core drilling. 
  • Boe-Tel is working in the ceiling of the porch area pulling cable outside the Clinic Building.
  • Boe-Tel resumed work on the 3^rd floor pulling network wire to each teaching bay in the Clinic Building through the Sealtite conduit previously installed.
  • Boe-Tel continues pulling network wiring on the 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th floors in the Clinic Building.

• The contract to replace the ceiling tiles and grid in the Clinic and Administration Building has been awarded and work has gotten underway.
  • Frischhertz (the electrical sub-contractor) is working the 3rd floor removing lights in the halls and raising lights in other areas.
  • MCC (the mechanical sub-contractor) surveyed the building for all the A/C drops to follow behind the ceiling installers.
  • Firetrol is working throughout the whole Clinic Building installing new sprinkler heads and re-positioning old ones as part of the project to replace ceiling tiles.
  • Landis started the lay out of the new ceiling tile grid on the 2nd floor of the Clinic Building. 
    • Frischhertz followed behind Landis installing the existing light fixtures into the newly installed grid.
    • MCC followed behind Frischhertz installing the replacement flex duct for the A/C vents. 
    • Landis has completed the 2^nd floor Clinic area ceiling grid installation. 
    • Light fixtures and ceiling tiles are now being installed on the larger side of the 2^nd floor.
  • Landis has moved a crew to the 8th floor to raise lights in preparation for the ceiling grid installation. 

• Schindler Elevator has been working on completing repairs in the Administration Building.
  • They have been repairing or replacing damaged elements in the elevator pits.
  • They are replacing the roller guides in the basement.
  • They are working on the governor cables in the elevator pits.

• BellSouth/AT&T installed a telephone line for the fire alarm service; running the line from the Room 5312 to Room 2315 where the fire alarm panel is located in the Clinic Building.
  • They have been working on making the connections to the new phone blocks.
  • AT&T spliced in the cable in the sub-basement that connects the telephone cables from the 5^th floor to the wires to the manhole outside the building.
  • A & A has completed core drilling 4" holes for the new network closets in Rooms 5312, 4329b, 3312g.
  • A & A has moved over to the Administration Building and are finished with the 3^rd floor core drilling. 

• The contract to restore the Central Sterilization function in a 3^rd floor space has been awarded and the preconstruction meeting held.
  • Frischhertz has begun demolition in preparation for the installation of the Central Sterilization unit.
  • Landis had the water to the Clinic Building shut down for work required in the new Central Sterilization area.

• York delivered the replacement motor for the 2^nd chiller and completed the installation. 
  • The unit is powered up but it needs additional work to repair a flow switch. 

Project to Make Temporary Repairs to 1542 Tulane Ave.:

• Stratos Elevator is working to complete the repairs to Elevator #3 in order to request the final inspection and certification by the State Elevator Inspector.
  • The communications cable for the elevator has been installed.
  • The safety cable has been installed.
  • The safety limit switches have been installed.
  • The safety brakes have been installed.
  • The controller on Elevator #3 that stops the car for each floor has been installed.
  • Final repairs and adjustments are being made.
  • The inspection will be scheduled for early next week.

• Ordes Electrical installed new breaker panels in the engine room for Floors 1 through 7.
  • They have completed the installation of the breaker panel that services the building pumps that require 480v.
  • They are installing disconnect panels for the condensation pumps and air driers in old engine room.
  • They have completed the installation of the additional transformers in the vault.
  • Ordes Electrical is now pulling additional cable to the new transformers.
• Arc Mechanical has continued with the installation of a new heat exchanger in the basement. 
• Arc Mechanical is running pipe to the condensation pumps in the old engine room.
• Arc Mechanical began installing the heating hot water pumps.

Downtown Campus Landscaping Project: 

• The irrigation valve wiring for the Lions/LSU Clinic and the CSRB has been completed and all of the valves installed. 
• The irrigation system serving the CSRB has been completed.
• The installation of the irrigation system that serves the front of the Lions/LSU Clinic Building is substantially complete.
• Two of the 'Natchez' (white) crepe myrtles were planted in the designated location behind CSRB.

MEB Cafeteria Project:

• The flooring contractor has completed the removal of the terrazzo floor.
• Significant portions of the new HVAC duct work has been fabricated and installed.

CSRB Temporary Vivarium Repairs:

• The contract to make temporary repairs to the Vivarium space on the 1^st floor of the CSRB has been awarded and the Notice To Proceed has been issued. 
  • The preconstruction conference is scheduled for June 14^th and work will begin shortly thereafter.

We encourage you to follow the details of our progress through the daily updates which are posted on the web site.