Construction Junction

Construction Planning and Progress Meeting
B122 Wells Hall
January 12, 2011

Overview:

Construction Junctions are the Physical Plant’s monthly public meeting designed to update/inform the public of various projects currently in design, nearing construction and under construction. Agenda items included:

• Amr  Abdel-Azim
  • McDonel Hall – River Trail Neighborhood Engagement Center
• Scott Gardner
  • Steam Distribution – West Circle Steam Loop – 2012
• Todd Wilson
  • Library – Chiller Replacement
• Josh Pittsley
  • Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum
• Andy Linebaugh
  • Plant Science Expansion
• Ken Dawson
  • Bott Building for Nursing Education and Research
• Tony Rhodes
  • Wells Hall Addition No. 2
  • Case Hall Renovations

McDonel Hall – River Trail Neighborhood Engagement Center

• The residence halls are being divided into neighborhoods.
• The River Trail Neighborhood will have an engagement center to provide activities and services to students.
• The engagement center will bring counseling, advising, health services, meeting rooms and computer centers to students
• The project will include renovations to ceilings, flooring and lighting.
• High-tech classrooms will be added:
  •  Students can work in small groups at work stations in the classroom or project their work from their station to the class.
• Construction will start in May and end before school resumes in August.

Steam Distribution – West Circle Steam Loop - 2012

• The project will replace the steam tunnels on north campus.
• The existing tunnels are up to 100 years old.
• Construction will start in February and end in August.
• Road closures will not start until May 7, but there may be some lane closures.
• Water, communications, electrical and steam lines run underneath the road.
• Some parking spaces will be removed to make it safer for pedestrians.
• Crosswalks will be made safer and barrier-free.
• The West Circle and Beal Street intersection will be changed to a T-shape.
• A bike lane will be added on the right side of the road.
• A new bike and pedestrian sidewalk will be added.
• From February to April 20, the red areas of diagram in the presentation will be under construction.
• There will be pedestrian detours around the construction areas.
• Abbot Road to Beal Street will be closed from May 7 to June.
• Temporary access to Cowels House will be available from May 25 to July.
• Between Mid-July and Aug. 17, Abbot Road and Beal Street will be open.
• On Aug. 17, all site work will be complete except for landscaping and some building work.
• Olin Health Center will be able to be accessed from Grand River Avenue for emergency vehicles.
  • Regular customers can use Ramp 6.
• Boiler operations will be one of the first tasks completed during the project.
• There will be additional outreach meetings about the West Circle steam project on the following dates:
  • Jan. 27, at 8:30 a.m. in the MSU Union Building, Parlor A
  • Feb. 16, at 5:30 p.m. in Old Horticulture Building, room 206
  • March 29, at 1:30 p.m. in the MSU Union Building, Parlor A

Q: In the double left turn by Yakeley Hall, could you add some signage to help guide people through the area?
A: Yes, we have that in our signage plan.

Q: Will I be able to get to the Union from Abbott Road?
A: We are removing some trees that are diseased in that area, but we are going to put a temporary drive in place to allow access at all times.

Q: What are you doing in Morrill Hall?
A: We are putting a temporary vacuum pump in the tunnel that goes to the building, but we do not have much additional work planned because it is going to be demolished.

Q: Will pedestrian traffic be affected by this project?
A: We will have four passageways for pedestrians during the project, but some will be shifted to accommodate construction.

Q: Is the width of the existing roadway going to be expanded?
A: In the Circle Drive area, it will be expanded about a foot to a foot-and-a-half.

Q: Will the bike lane be five feet wide?
A: On most portions it will be five feet, but in some areas it will be four feet because we are pinched by the river, vegetation and sidewalks.

Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum

• There will be a lane closure on East Circle Drive starting at the end of January and lasting two months.
• Eastbound traffic on north lane will be closed to finish site work.
• There will be a detour onto Grand River Avenue to Farm Lane.
• Access to Lot 8 will be maintained.
• The application of exterior steel started on the northeast side and worked its way around the building.
• A glass wall is being installed on the northwest side.
• The roof was completed in early December and has been waterproofed.
• Skylights are being installed above the feature stairway.
• The northwest gallery has an overlook on the second floor that looks down on the first floor.
• The ceiling and drywall are being put into place.
• Dry walling is almost complete in the northwest gallery.
• The northeast gallery is the closest to completion.
  • Light fixtures are being installed.
• The southwest gallery walls are up, and the ceiling framing is being installed.
• The feature stairway is self-supporting, so it is not putting weight on the architectural walls.
• The public restrooms on first floor are being installed.
  • The concrete has been poured.
• The elevator is in place.
  • It will be used for freight on one side and passengers on the other.
• Trucks will be able to back into the building to unload deliveries in the loading dock area.
• The Benefactors Gallery has been framed.
• Much of the concrete has been poured.
• The communication room is being installed to establish lines of communication.
• Air handlers are being installed.
• Check out the Broad’s progress on its web cam.

Q: Where are we going to put the signage for the detour?
A: The current plan is to put signs on West and East Circle Drive.

Q: Should we put some by Olin Health Center too?
A: We will look into that.

Q: Will pedestrian sidewalks be open?
A: Yes, all pedestrian sidewalks will be open. We are only closing the north lane, and there is no sidewalk on the side in front of the Broad.

Q: Is April 21 still the opening date?
A: Yes. UPDATE (as of 1/18/12): The opening will be delayed until fall 2012.

Q: When will staff be moving in?
A: In late March, the staff and the art work will be moved in.

Q: On one of the interior walls, I didn’t see any insulation. Is there interior insulation?
A: There is exterior insulation and interior insulation under the plywood.

Bott Building for Nursing Research and Education

• The Bott Building is the first building on campus to be heated and cooled by geothermal field.
• In is funded, in part, by stimulus money.
• Typically, buildings are enclosed by December to keep snow out, but due to delays it will not be enclosed until January.
  • This is not a problem due to the mild winter.
• A glass wall is being installed.
• The masonry has been installed on the exterior.
• The atrium area connects the existing building with the new building.
  • It will have a glass wall and a large seminar room.
• The third floor has been enclosed and framed.
  • It can start to be heated.
• The building is going to have a silver or gold LEED rating.
• Spray foam is going up on the outside of the building, and masonry will go on top.
  • The cellulose material on the inside of the building is insulation.
• The lack of snow has been good for the project.
• Bouge Street is open, and pedestrian access has been maintained.
• You can check out progress on the Bott Building web cam.

Q: When will we bring the artist to look at the space?
A: An artist wants to visualize the piece she is creating for building. We are discussing when she can come in look at the space at a meeting later today.

Plant Science Expansion

• The project reached substantial completion on Jan. 13.
• A few finishing touches are occurring on the fourth floor and in the elevator machine room.
• The plaza areas are done, and the bike loops are installed.
• Seeding and planting will be done in the spring.
• There are kitchenette/break room areas in the office areas.
• Benches with donor plaques are in place in the plaza.
• A new auditorium for classes has been built.
• The chairs spin around to collaborate with the people behind you.
• The auditorium was barrier-free access.
• There are three screens and three projectors.
• Albert Paley artwork is in the gathering space.
• People can have weddings in the gardens.
• Open lab space has been created for researchers.
• Offices have been added on the north side of the building.
• A pedestrian bridge connects the Plant Biology Building to the Plant and Soil Sciences Building on the second floor.
  • The bridge is made of bamboo.
• There is a green roof over the gathering space.
• The first-floor classrooms are in use.

Q: Are there a lot of window coverings in the offices?
A: There are retractable shades.

Library – Chiller Replacement

• The project was primarily mechanical, but there are renovations to the south plaza and entrance.
• There is a new electric vault under the building with a terrace seating area on top.
• The stairs are gone, so the south entrance is now completely barrier-free.
• There will be a barrier-free ramp and stairs to the terrace.
• Old absorption machines have been removed and replaced.
• The machines weigh 50,000 lbs., so a crane was used.
• A hole was dug and a portion of the wall was removed to move the machines into the electrical vault.
• Two new absorption machines are in place.
• On the roof, steel has been added to support the cooling towers that have been installed.
• Absorption machines gather heat in the basement and send the heat to cooling towers on the roof to expel heat.
• The new towers are taller than the old tower and can be seen from the parking area.
• Part of the parking lot is closed, but barrier-free parking is still available.
• The south entrance is still open to pedestrians, and it will only close for short a period in the spring while the stairs are being removed.

Q: Has there been additional bike loops added?
A: We added additional bike loops on the north side and removed the loops on the south side. When the weather gets warm, we may add more temporary loops on the south side.

Wells Hall Addition No. 2

• About 70 micropiles have been added in Wells Hall.
  • Micropiles are columns that helps support the addition.
• Students cannot hear the construction from the auditoriums.
• More glass is being added to the presentation space area.
• All stone and brick has been installed.
• Some work is still being done to the roof, but it is waterproof.
• Bamboo will be in the second floor corridors.
• Recycling cabinets have been installed on the second floor.
• The mail room has been installed on the second floor.
• Artwork will be installed on the third floor.
• A data room is being installed.
• People can move into the offices in August.
• The fourth floor is not as complete as the others.

Q: You mentioned a coffee shop on the third floor?
A: No, it is only on the first floor. It is a Starbucks.

Q: Does the building have a green roof?
A: Yes, we have four-inch trays that will allow it to be able to go four rainless weeks without needing water.

Q: How do you water it?
A: We have a hose on the roof to water it.

Q: Who maintains it?
A: The purpose of the green roof is to be maintenance-free. As long as we use the four-inch tray, we only need to water it about once a year, and it doesn’t need to be weeded. If it needs to be it watered, it will be taken care of by the Physical Plant's Landscape Services and Roof Maintenance crews.

Q: Does it need to be cut?
A: No, it does not grow high. There are very short plants that do not require much water, so no need to mow or cut.

Case Hall Renovations

• Case Dining Hall is now open to students.
• On the opening day 6,700 meals were served.
• The MSU Alumni Association made a virtual tour.
• South Pointe includes the stations Ciao, Brimstone, S2, Great Lakes Plate and Bliss.
• There is a new space for tray drop-off.
• New seating has been added.
• There are timber beams in the ceiling.
• Bliss will include crepes served every day.
• The kitchen has been renovated.
• There is a new dishwashing area.
• Sparty’s has been  expanded and is now one of the biggest on campus.
• There are over 650 seats.
• The doors in the transformer room are from Mayo Hall in 1931. They are at the north end at the Great Hall.

Q: Are the in use or are they just art?
A: They are encased in steel and can slide, but they don’t swing open.

Q: Are there plaques on the doors?
A: Not yet, but we are discussing that.

Q: Is the lighting LED?
A: Most of it, but the driftwood chandeliers are not.