Biweekly Facilities Update

From: Ronnie Smith, Vice Chancellor, Administration and Finance
Subject: Hurricane Katrina Recovery – Update #109
Posted: January 15, 2010

On Thursday, January 7th the mandatory pre-construction conferences were held for the three new permanent building repair and mitigation projects that are getting underway. These projects address the Allied Health/Nursing Building, the Student Residence Hall and the Resource Center. All three projects encompass the permanent repairs to the flood damaged 1st Floors and the elevation of critical mechanical, electrical and plumbing equipment to protect it from damage in the future. The project in the Allied Health/Nursing Building also includes LSUHSC funded enhancements on the 2nd Floor which will convert existing offices into a large lecture hall and relocate the faculty and staff offices to the 1st Floor. The demolition phase of work on the 1st Floor of the Allied Health/Nursing Building has recently begun. The projects at the Student Residence Hall and the Resource Center should get underway shortly.

The Resource Center roofing crews have completed the installation of the 3-ply roof and are now focused on completing the flashing and trim work. They installed the walkway pads and removed the caulk joints from the main penthouse. The metal flashing around the base of the atrium and mech./elec. equipment room penthouse was installed. The contractor completed the wall panel installation. Crews installed the counter-flashing around the atrium and on the parapet walls along Gravier St., S. Prieur St, and Tulane Ave. They installed the parapet wall cap on the Tulane Street stairwell penthouse. The contractor completed the parapet wall cap on the main elevator penthouse and continued installing the parapet wall cap and metal panels for the Tulane Ave. penthouse. Workers sealed the vertical glass panels on the sides of the atrium.

The MEB air handling replacement contractor completed the duct work, electrical piping, and insulation for AHU 2-B and the duct detectors for were installed. They completed installation of duct work for AHU 2-D. Crews installed isolator springs on the exhaust fans for AHU 2-B and AHU 4-A. The freeze-stats were relocated on the AHUs throughout the building to prevent false tripping. The subcontractor completed the control work on AHU 2-D.　

Facility Services relocated and installed the temporary air conditioning serving the cafeteria kitchen area. The contractor removed AHU 2-A and set the new housekeeping pads. They installed the new AHU 2-A, installed ductwork for AHU 2-A and demolished the old AHU 3-A. The contractor installed the new AHU 3-A components and ductwork. The chilled water, hot water and drain piping for AHUs 2-A and 3-A and sealed ductwork on AHU 2-A were completed. Workers continue the electrical and controls work on AHU 2-A and AHU 3-A.

The renovations to MDL #4 are nearing completion. The contractor finished installing lab furniture (casework) in the main MDL room and the countertops in the main MDL room and in Room 4210. New sinks were installed in the countertops and crews installed the cantilever arms and panels for the lab furniture. The contractor installed and connected the electrical receptacles, medical air/gas/vac lines and acid waste lines to the new lab furniture. Network cables were run to the new furniture and the contractor installed partition panels. Workers primed and applied the first and second coats of paint in Room 4210 and installed the new ceiling tiles and light fixtures.

The audio/visual subcontractor has completed most of his work in MDL #4. The speakers were installed in the main MDL room. Workers pulled A/V wiring in the main MDL room and the 42" and 65" LCD monitors were installed. They are programming the A/V equipment, installing the controllers and testing the system.

The contractor continued roughing in electrical conduit and boxes for lighting in the spaces being renovated on the 7th Floor of the Lions/LSU Clinic Building. They ran electrical conduit from the electrical room to the new lab area and above the ceiling in the adjacent lab (Room 795). Conduit was run from the Bolivar Street side electrical room to the new lab area. Crews ran new drain lines on the 6th Floor and the old waste lines were removed. They framed up the concrete curb for the ice machine and poured the base.　 Workers hung sheetrock in the lab and adjacent office spaces and installed a door frame in Room 796.　　 Crews taped and floated the interior walls.

The 8th Floor renovations in the Lions/LSU Clinic continue. The contractor continued running lighting conduit and pulling wires in the small conference room. They hung sheetrock on the curved wall, in the conference room and on the front fur down in the main conference room. Workers began hanging brackets for the large conference room lights and the electrical subcontractor ran conduit for the A/V equipment.

Work continues on the A/V upgrades to the 3rd Floor Seminar Rooms in the Medical Education Building. The contractor assembled and programmed the five new podiums. Podiums were installed in Seminar Rooms 4, 5, 6 and 10. Electrical conduit was installed in Seminar Room 4. The contractor continued patching the sheetrock wall in Seminar Room 4 and installed the ceiling tile and grid in Seminar Room 7/8.

The upgrades to the exhaust and HVAC systems supporting the MEB Autopsy room and Morgue continue. The embalming tank relief vent was connected to the building's acid vent piping. Workers installed lights and ceiling tiles in the Autopsy Room. They ran ductwork on the 1st Floor for the down-draft autopsy tables. The fire alarm junction box for the pull station by the stairwell was relocated. The spiral duct was connected to the exhaust duct by the stairwell chase. The contractor installed grilles in the Morgue and the Women’s restroom and secured the exhaust fan to the roof deck. Crews removed one autopsy table from the room in preparation for installing the new table and core drilled in the autopsy room for the plumbing and ductwork that will connect to the new table.

Other small projects continued around campus. The contractor installed the new exterior signage on the front of the Clinical Education Building. A bypass valve for the wet vacuum tank located in the School of Dentistry Clinic Building basement was installed. Work on that project is complete except for the installation of a timer. The fencing contractor installed swing gates along Florida Avenue and Castine Street. They installed light bollards near the Power Plant and laid the base block for four monumental fence columns along Moss Street. Crews completed the final grading for the new sod to be laid on both sides of the Residence Hall and laid new sod.

Here are highlights of work that has been accomplished during the past two weeks.

RESOURCE CENTER ROOF REPLACEMENT:

The contractor installed the walkway pads, and touched up the flashing along the exterior of the building.
Workers removed the caulk joints from the main penthouse.
The metal flashing around the base of the atrium and mech./elec. equipment room penthouse was installed.
The contractor completed the wall panel installation except for sections near both roof penthouses.
Crews installed the counter-flashing around the atrium and started installing the counter-flashing along Gravier Street.
They installed the parapet wall cap on the Tulane Street stairwell penthouse.
The contractor installed the counter-flashing along the S. Prieur Street and the parapet wall near Tulane Avenue.
Workers sealed the vertical glass panels on the Perdido, Bolivar and Prieur Street sides of the atrium. This completes the sealing of the glass panels.
The contractor completed the parapet wall cap on the main elevator penthouse and continued installing the parapet wall cap and metal panels for the Tulane Ave. penthouse.

MEB AIR HANDLING UNIT REPLACEMENT:

The contractor completed duct work, electrical piping, and insulation for AHU 2-B and the duct detectors for were installed.
The contractor completed installation of duct work for AHU 2-D.
Crews installed isolator springs on the exhaust fans for AHU 4-A.
They continued installing isolator springs on the exhaust fan for AHU 2-B.
The contractor and control subcontractor relocated freeze-stats on units throughout the building to prevent false tripping.
The control subcontractor completed the control work on AHU 2-D.　
Facility Services relocated and installed the temporary air conditioning serving the cafeteria kitchen area.
The contractor removed AHU 2-A and set the new housekeeping pads.
They installed the new AHU 2-A, installed ductwork for AHU 2-A, demolished the old AHU 3-A
The contractor installed AHU 3-A components and ductwork.
The chilled water, hot water and drain piping for AHUs 2-A and 3-A and sealed ductwork on AHU 2-A were completed.
Workers continue the electrical and controls work on AHU 2-A and AHU 3-A.

MDL 4 RENOVATIONS:

The contractor finished installing lab furniture (casework) in the main MDL room.
The contractor installed countertops in the main MDL room and in Room 4210 and new sinks in the countertops.
The contractor installed cantilever arms and panels for the lab furniture.
They installed ceiling tiles and light fixtures in Room 4210.
The contractor completed installing the electrical receptacles and acid waste lines in the new lab furniture.
They completed connecting the medical air/gas/vac lines to the new lab furniture and the acid waste lines to the lab sinks.
Network cables were run to the new lab furniture.
The speakers were installed in the main MDL room.
Workers pulled A/V wiring in the main MDL room.
The 42" and 65" LCD monitors were installed.
They began programming A/V equipment, installing controllers and testing the system.
The contractor installed partition panels.
Workers primed and applied the first and second coats of paint in Room 4210.

LIONS/LSU CLINIC BLDG. 7th FLOOR LAB RENOVATIONS:

The contractor continued roughing in electrical conduit and boxes for lighting.
They installed electrical conduit from the electrical room to the new lab area and ran electrical conduit above the ceiling in the adjacent lab (Room 795).
Conduit was run from the Bolivar Street side electrical room to the new lab area.
Crews ran new drain lines on the 6th Floor and the old waste lines were removed.
They framed up the concrete curb for the ice machine and poured the base.　
Workers hung sheetrock in the lab and adjacent office spaces and installed a door frame in Room 796.　　
Crews taped and floated the interior walls.

LIONS/LSU CLINIC BLDG. 8th FLOOR RENOVATIONS:

The contractor continued running lighting conduit and pulling wires in the small conference room.
They hung sheetrock on the curved wall and began installing sheetrock in the conference room.
The contractor installed sheetrock on the front fur down in the main conference room.
Workers began hanging brackets for the large conference room lights.
The electrical contractor ran conduit for the A/V equipment.

MEB SEMINAR ROOM AV INSTALLATION:

The contractor installed the ceiling tile and grid in Seminar Room 7/8.
The contractor assembled and programmed the five new podiums. Podiums were installed in Seminar Rooms 4, 5, 6 and 10.
Electrical conduit was installed in Seminar Room 4.
The contractor continued patching the sheetrock wall in Seminar Room 4.

MEB AUTOPSY EXHAUST UPGRADE:

The contractor connected the embalming tank relief vent to the building's acid vent piping.
Workers installed lights and ceiling tiles in the Autopsy Room.
They ran ductwork on the 1st Floor for the down-draft autopsy tables.
The contractor insulated the HVAC duct in the Women’s bathroom.
The fire alarm junction box for the pull station by the stairwell was relocated.
The spiral duct was connected to the exhaust duct by the stairwell chase.
The contractor installed grilles in the Morgue and the Women’s restroom and secured the exhaust fan to the roof deck.
The contractor began installing the plaster ceiling in the Women’s bathroom.
Crews removed one autopsy table from the room in preparation for installing the new table.
The contractor core drilled in the autopsy room for the plumbing that will connect to the new table.

1542 TULANE AVE. EXTERIOR SIGNAGE:

The contractor installed the new exterior signage.

WET VACCUM TANK REPLACEMENT:

The contractor installed a bypass valve for the tank located in the School of Dentistry Clinic Building basement. Work is complete except for timer installation.

FENCE REPLACEMENT PROJECT:

The contractor installed swing gates along Florida Avenue and Castine Street.
They installed light bollards near the Power Plant.
Workers laid the base block for four monumental columns along Moss Street.

EXTERIOR/LANDSCAPING:

Crews completed the final grading for the new sod to be laid on both sides of the Residence Hall.
Facility Services laid sod along Bolivar and South Roman Streets adjacent to the Residence Hall.

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