Biweekly Facilities Update

From: Ronnie Smith, Vice Chancellor, Administration and Finance
Subject: Hurricane Katrina Recovery – Update #113
Posted: March 12, 2010

Next week, a contractor will begin construction of a new covered walkway connecting the South Claiborne Street entrance of the Gravier Street Garage with the Lakeside Lot entrance of the Clinical Education Building (1542 Tulane Avenue). The new walkway will provide a covered and lighted pathway between the Gravier Street Garage and the CEB. During construction, access through the construction zone will be blocked. Alternate pathways to and from the CEB will be provided and signage will be posted to aid in getting to the entrances that are to be used during construction. Pedestrians may gain access to the Clinical Education Building through the front doors on Tulane Avenue and through the rear doors in stairwell number one (by the rear elevator bank). The Lakeside Lot entrance will be closed during construction, and the front doors of the CEB will be accessible by ID card entry 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

The contractor continued demolition in Rooms 211, 212, 233 and 236 of the Allied Health/Nursing Building and began demolition in Room 244. The controls contractor demolished pneumatic tubing in the 1st Floor mechanical room and the metal ductwork was removed. Four holes needed for re-routed plumbing utilities were cored on the 2nd Floor. The contractor ran cast iron roof drain pipe on the 1st Floor. Crews are installing electrical conduit in the main corridor of the 1st Floor.

The two electrical transformers located on the 1st Floor of the Resource Center were raised to a height that will prevent damage from a future flood event. Crews installed conduit on the 1st Floor between the new switchgear location and the backup power tap box in Room 219 and for the new ATS room. Conduit was installed for the electrical receptacles on the 1st Floor. New isolation valves were installed for both of the restroom water risers and plumbing lines in the 1st Floor restrooms were capped. The plumbers raised the water lines for the new ADA toilets in the 1st Floor restrooms and installed new copper lines for the sump pump on the 1st Floor. Workers removed 4 granite pavers in the front of the elevators and 4 granite pavers by the old security desk location. Crews surveyed core locations for post tension cables in the 3rd-8th Floor electrical rooms. The new concrete masonry unit (CMU) walls were laid out on the 1st Floor.

The contractor delivered the wood piles to the Student Residence Hall construction site and began driving piles to support the new structure that will elevate and house critical mechanical and electrical equipment. They drove the 50 wood piles needed for the new structure and the pile driving rig was removed. Workers excavated in preparation for pouring four of eight concrete pile caps and wood forms for the four pile caps were erected.

Renovations on the 7th Floor of the Lions/LSU Clinic Building are continuing. The contractor installed studs and the the window storefront between the adjacent labs and the frames for the storefront system adjacent to the main corridor. One of the three storefronts was installed. Electricians pulled wire from the electrical room to the lab. The contractor relocated sprinkler heads in the renovated spaces. Sheetrock was installed underneath the storefront joining the two labs.

On the 8th Floor of the Lions/LSU Clinic Building, the contractor installed junction boxes for the large pendant light fixtures in the large conference room and the linear diffusers were installed. Crews started installing hangers for the ceiling grid in the large conference room. They installed the ceiling grid trim in the lobby area. The storefront system is being installed.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office completed their inspection of two recently completed projects. All four of the renovated Multi Disciplinary Labs located in the Medical Education Building passed as did the 2nd Floor Autopsy Exhaust system upgrade.

The project to replace the fire alarm system in the Student Residence Hall is substantially complete. Crews installed smoke detectors in the elevator penthouses, installed pull stations in the stairwells and installed relay modules for the roll-up doors in the garage. The old fire panel was removed from the 1st Floor University Police office. The contractor installed duct detectors for air handling units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. The inactive fire alarm wiring associated with the old fire alarm summary panel was removed. All of the new devices have been transferred to the new fire alarm summary panel and the panel has been activated. The contractor finished programming the new fire alarm panel and the new panel is fully operational. The contractor has begun testing the new system.

The contractor responsible for the fence replacement project around the Dental School formed up and poured the remaining monumental fence columns. All 25 monumental columns have now been formed up, poured and the forms removed. The crew completed installing all of the fence hats.

Facility Services completed placing and grading topsoil in the center island of the horseshoe drive at the School of Dentistry and finished grading the planting beds on the Administration and Clinic Building sides of the horseshoe. Crews planted shrubs in the beds on the Administration and Clinic Building sides of the horseshoe and installed plants by the Administration Building handicapped ramp. Two irrigation stations were connected to the controller and programmed. They installed landscape edging and spread mulch in the planting bed between the Clinic Building steps and the Administration Building steps. The center island was graded, landscape edging was installed and shrubs were planted in the center island.

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

ALLIED HEALTH/NURSING BLDG PERMANENT REPAIRS & MITIGATION:

The contractor continued demolition in Rooms 211, 212, 233 and 236.
Demolition began in Room 244.
The controls contractor demolished pneumatic tubing in the 1st Floor mechanical room.
Workers removed metal ductwork from mechanical room 1A.
Four holes needed for re-routed plumbing utilities were cored on the 2nd Floor.
Crews removed the sheetrock ceiling near the American flag on the 1st Floor.
The contractor ran cast iron roof drain pipe on the 1st Floor.
Crews are installing electrical conduit in the main corridor of the 1st Floor.

RESOURCE CENTER PERMANENT REPAIRS & MITIGATION:

The two electrical transformers located on the 1st Floor were raised to a height that will prevent damage from a future flood event.
Crews installed conduit on the 1st Floor between the new switchgear location and the backup power tap box in Room 219.
The contractor installed conduit for receptacles on the 1st Floor.
Workers continue to run conduit for the new ATS room.
New isolation valves were installed for both of the restroom water risers.
The plumbing lines in the 1st Floor restrooms for the toilets that are being removed were capped.
The contractor raised the water lines for the new ADA toilets in the 1st Floor restrooms.
They installed new copper lines for the sump pump on the 1st Floor.
New copper lines and hangers for the new domestic water lines were installed on the 1st Floor.
They removed 4 granite pavers in the front of the elevators and 4 granite pavers by the old security desk location.
The contractor surveyed core locations for post tension cables in the 3rd-8th Floor electrical rooms.
The new concrete masonry unit (CMU) walls were laid out on the 1st Floor.
Workers removed ceiling grid on the 1st Floor, Bolivar Street side.

RESIDENCE HALL PERMANENT REPAIRS & MITIGATION:

The contractor delivered the wood piles to the site and began driving piles to support the new structure that will elevate and house critical mechanical and electrical equipment.
They drove the 50 wood piles needed for the new raised structure and the pile driving rig was removed.
Workers excavated in preparation for pouring four of eight concrete pile caps
The contractor erected wooden forms for the four pile caps.

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

The contractor installed studs and the the window storefront between the adjacent labs.
Workers installed the frames for the storefront system adjacent to the main corridor.
Electricians pulled wire from the electrical room to the lab.
The contractor relocated sprinkler heads.
Sheetrock was installed underneath the storefront joining the two labs.
The contractor installed 1 of 3 storefronts adjacent to the center hallway.

LIONS/LSU CLINIC BLDG. 8th FLOOR RENOVATIONS:

The contractor installed junction boxes for the large pendant light fixtures in the large conference room.
They installed the ceiling grid trim in the lobby area.
The linear diffusers in the large conference room have been installed.
Crews started installing hangers for the ceiling grid in the large conference room.
The storefront system is being installed.

MEB MDL RENOVATIONS:

All four of the renovated Multi Disciplinary Labs passed the State Fire Marshal Inspection.

MEB 2ND FLOOR AUTOPSY EXHAUST UPGRADE:

The morgue passed the State Fire Marshal Inspection.

FENCE REPLACEMENT PROJECT:

The contractor formed up and poured 9 additional monumental columns.
All 25 monumental columns have now been formed up, poured and the forms removed.
The contractor completed installing all of the fence hats.

RESIDENCE HALL FIRE ALARM SYSTEM UPGRADE:

Crews installed smoke detectors in the elevator penthouses, installed pull stations in the stairwells and installed relay modules for the roll-up doors in the garage.
The old fire panel was removed from the 1st Floor University Police office.
The contractor installed duct detectors for air handling units 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6.
They installed duct detectors for air handling unit 3 and removed inactive fire alarm wiring associated with the old fire alarm summary panel.
The contractor finished programming the new fire alarm panel.
All of the new devices have been transferred to the new fire alarm summary panel and the panel has been activated.
The new fire alarm panel is fully operational and the contractor has begun testing the new system.

EXTERIOR/LANDSCAPING:

Facility Services completed placing and grading topsoil in the center island of the horseshoe.
They finished grading the planting beds on the Administration and Clinic Building sides of the horseshoe.
Crews planted shrubs in the beds on the Administration and Clinic Building sides of the horseshoe.
They installed plants by the Administration Building handicapped ramp.
Two irrigation stations were connected to the controller and programmed.
They spread mulch in the section to the right of the Administration Building steps and adjusted the sprinklers.
They installed landscape edging and spread mulch in the planting bed between the Clinic Building steps and the Administration Building steps.
Facility Services graded the center island, installed landscape edging and planted shrubs in the center island.

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