Events & Photos 01/28/03, Classrooms Taking Shape
Click the photo above for a closer view (182KB file).
Significant progress has been made on the building exterior, particularly for sections D and C. In these sections, the
"rough-in" of windows, electrical, and drywall is nearly complete for levels 1 and 2. Ductwork for levels 1 and 2 is complete throughout the building. Fiber optic cable installation will begin next month.
Classrooms in section D are being fitted with 277 volt fluorescent dimming light fixtures with electronic ballast. The fixtures use a 4-prong bulb.
Taping drywall joints is an art not many of us have mastered. One of the workers of Burns & Park Painting offered these suggestions:
- Thin the "mud" (drywall compound) with 1 to 2 pints of water to every 5 gallons
- Apply a smooth coat, cover with tape and smooth again, then apply and smooth two more coats
- The mud over a joint is slightly built up and not flush with the original surface, feather the edges over several inches
Oil fired heaters (155,000 BTU) are placed in the hallways to accelerate the drying of the mud.
All mechanical connections to the university physical plant system for electrical, steam and chill water lines are complete. An additional underground connection near the bookstore is in process.
Exposed steel in the Penthouse and section D is covered with
"cementitious fireproofing." Large bags of dry gypsum plaster are mixed with water, at about 9 gallons per bag. A mixing machine feeds the wet material into a pumping system. The material
is combined with diluted aluminum sulfate and sprayed onto the exposed steel. One coat of the material dries in about 15 minutes. The thickness of the protective coating is governed by standards developed by Underwriters Laboratories Inc. Multiple coats of the material are used to attain the recommended thickness. It was noted the aluminum sulfate used in the process also works well for gardening tomatoes and for giving pickles their crunch.
The building is a few days behind schedule; some of the subcontractors will be working 10 hours a day, 6 days a week to catch up.
There have been 138 continuous days without a loss time accident. Approximately 147 workers are on site today:
- Acumen (ductwork insulation): 6 people
- Alpha Insulation: 5 people
- Baker Drywall (interior, exterior): 60 people
- Big D Metalworks (stainless steel railings): 2 (not on site today)
- Brandt Engineering (plumbing & ductwork): 45 people
- Burns & Park Painting (interior painting): 7 people
- CEI Roofing (all roofing): 6 people
- Centennial Moisture (damp proofing): 2 people
- Compass Steel (structural steel): 11 people
- Commercial Fireproofing: 5 people
- Copeland Concrete: not on site today
- Dee Brown Inc. (masonry) 28 people
- Dickey's Landscaping: 2 people
- Digital Southwest (audio/visual, projectors): not on site today
- Elite Fire Protection (sprinkler systems): 2 people
- Encompass (electrical): 27 people
- Hensel Phelps (office & field personnel): 13 people
- Jennings Glass (glaziers): 10 people
- Simplex Grinnell (fire alarm system): 2 people
- Southwest Construction Inc. (damp proofing, caulking and sealants) 6 people
- ThyssenKrupp Elevators: 4 people
- Universal Control: 2 people
