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Construction and Renovation Updates
Updated: January 11, 2010

The Betty and Norman Levan Hall

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The concrete pour for the upper level of the building was successfully completed before the holiday break. Currently and through Friday 1/15, crews are building up the sides of the upper level walls with concrete blocks (jargon alert: these blocks are known as CMUs: Concrete Masonry Units). Also outside this week, the crane is returning on Wednesday 1/13 to help with the framing of the roof. Next week, two kinds of wood will be added that will be exposed from the interior, with the steel, when the building opens.

Also this week, the interior framing of offices continues on the first floor (the lower level framing is complete). Plumbing, electrical, and HVAC work is also taking place inside the building, with about 25-30 workers indoors. Crews on the inside are moving from floor to floor via ladder, though the steel frames for staircases will be going in this week. The base for the stairs will be poured in a few weeks, with temporary wooden treads going in until the building is ready for occupancy, at which point the permanent ones will be installed.

The plywood in the vestibule area is in preparation for Corten panels (steel panels that self-rust to a nice, permanent finish). These panels will also be going in the “bump out” area of the southwest seminar room on the top floor.

To properly accommodate the ramp from Weigle to the entrance of Levan Hall, that area will be re-surveyed this week. Next, there will be rough grading above and behind the fish pond, north of Levan. We don’t anticipate hitting rock during this grading, however it’s a possibility, in which case rock cutting can be quite noisy and jarring.

The backfilling north and west of the building was completed before the break, as was the stucco repair on Peterson and the Fine Arts Building. The PSC balcony needs to remain closed a little longer as the railing needs to be reinforced and a few more repairs are required. Wood forms for the balcony of Levan are being placed on its east side, facing Weigle. Once the concrete is poured, the forms will be removed.

Behind Weigle, a gutter had to be redone, postponing the paving, grading, and addition of gravel to the road there. Because the ground is now frozen, the paving, etc., won’t be able to take place until March.

The one-day electrical shut off for FAB and the Library has again been moved to a date to be determined in February. The open trench on the east side of the Levan site remains open while we await the arrival of a piece of equipment.