June 10, 2010 Meeting Minutes

Construction Junction
Construction Planning and Progress Meeting
105 South Kedzie Hall
June 10, 2010

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:

• Karen Zelt
  • Board of Trustees Action
• Ron Lacasse
  • Harrison Road Reconstruction
• Leisa Williams-Swedberg
  • Brody Hall Renovation
• Ken Dawson
  • Emmons Hall Renovation
• Andy Linebaugh
  • Brody Complex Utility Infrastructure Improvements – Phase II – 2010
  • Steam/Water Communication Distribution – Repairs and Improvements – Plant, Landscape Services, DPPS, Audio/Speech
• Erin Bowdell
  • Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum
• Nick Wilk
  • Facility for Rare Isotope Beams Utility Relocation Phase I/Plant Science Expansion

Project Updates:

Harrison Road Reconstruction by the City of East Lansing

• The traffic shift took place on Wednesday, June 9
  • Lanes were shifted as of 9 p.m.
• Water main work will begin as of June 10 from Kalamazoo to Marigold
  • Water main work will take most of June to complete
• Marigold and Lilac are closed at Harrison
  • Wilson is open at the intersection of Harrison, however Shaw Lane is closed 
  • Breslin’s west parking lot entrance is closed
• Construction for the summer of 2010 should end as of Aug. 20
• Commuters and visitors are advised to enter campus via Kalamazoo, and then take Birch
  • Wilson to Birch is another possible route
  • Sign and barricades will be changed to accommodate motorists and pedestrians as the need arises
    • The traffic signal at the intersection of Kalamazoo and Harrison has been formatted to work with the lane reductions
• Traffic that is stopped by a train on South Harrison Road can accumulate and cause a back-up at the intersection, which is reduced to one lane in each direction

Q: I noticed this morning that the traffic signal at the intersection of Harrison and Kalamazoo had the right turn arrow blinking red while the green light was on.  Is there something wrong with it?
A: When the light turns green, the left turn arrow also goes on. Everyone turns out of the same single lane. We have traffic engineers working on it this morning.
Q:  How long will pedestrians be able to cross Harrison at Wilson?
A:  During this summer’s construction, pedestrians shouldn’t experience problems crossing Harrison at Wilson. Next summer there will be no traffic and able-bodied pedestrians should be able to cross. However, handicapped pedestrians may have to cross at Trowbridge in 2011 because there will be work on the street curbs.

Brody Hall Renovation

•  Dining will be turned over to Residential and Hospitality Services (RHS) on July 19
•  Loading dock has been demolished and formwork for the new concrete dock is underway
•  Patio concrete in currently being installed; the north side is complete
•  The circular knee-wall to the south of the southeast entrance, which will be green space, was unable to be constructed as planned, with footings and foundation due to soil conditions so it has been modified to a rolled-curb construction
•  The installation of The Grotto’s Trespa panels, exterior finish, has begun
•  Brody’s architecture has some interesting optical illusions
  •  On the patio, the 2-feet strips of concrete are parallel, but they don’t seem like they are
  •  The grand staircase in the lobby also seems tilted; however it is completely level
•  The rocks surrounding The Grotto were procured at MSU Farms. The boulders were found during other excavations around campus.
  •   A few of the boulders came from the Brody site
•  The glass curtain wall still needs to be installed on north face of the building, where the transitional dining was located on first-floor north
•  Elevated dining will be covered with FRL (fiberglass reinforced laminate) panels; the installation is ongoing
•  Flooring on second floor is in, carpet is next
•  Food equipment is installed
  •  Met with Ingham County Health department
  •  Ciao! (pizza)
    •  Tile is on the front of the counter
    •  Grill hoods are exposed
  •  Dolce (desserts)
    •  Hanging custom-made booths have been installed
  •  Pangea (world foods)
    •  Ceramic tile has been installed on the counter
•  Cube seating area near Brimstone Grille will have mounted TVs
•  There will be a training room for employees
•  Only two major cooking areas are in the back of house kitchen
  •  Steam area
  •  Grill
•  Most cooking will be done at the individual restaurants in the dining area
•  194,824 trade hours have gone into this project, with an average of 142 trades people

Emmons Hall Renovation

• Expected to be completed by May 2011
• First of six Brody residence halls to be renovated
• Life-safety equipment and fire alarm systems will be upgraded
•  Handicapped accessible
  •  Entrance ramps
  •  Accessible rooms and bathrooms
    • Bathrooms are being demolished and rebuilt and they will have new partitions and showers
  •  Freight elevator is being converted to a passenger elevator
•  Natural light brought in thorough areas like the stairwell
  •  Smart meters will measure energy savings for students to see
•  All windows will be replaced
•  Currently not air-conditioned, but will be cooled with natural air after renovation
• Will be a  LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified building
•  Buildings were built in the 1950s
  •  Asbestos is being removed carefully, visitors and workers are safe
•  Materials from demolition are being removed through the windows to approximately eight dumpsters
  •  Masonry and brick can be reused
  •  Light fixtures, anything that can be reused is salvaged
•  Currently, the neighborhood entrances near Emmons and Butterfield Halls are closed
  •  Until June 28, the only entrance is from Michigan Avenue on the north side of Brody Neighborhood
  •  The entrance near Butterfield Hall will be open in July

Brody Complex Utility Infrastructure Improvements

• The main goal of this project is to get Brody Neighborhood on East Lansing’s water system
  •  The project is currently on schedule
•  Currently East Lansing water is connected to
  •  Bryan Hall
  •  Armstrong Hall
  •  Bailey Hall
  •  Emmons Hall
  •  Brody Hall
•  EL water still needs to be connected to the Kellogg Center, Butterfield Hall, and Rather Hall
  •  Work is currently being done in Butterfield’s mechanical room
  •  Rather will be started soon and the water and steam to the building will be turned off
•  An MSU water main located in the southwest and southeast corners of Brody Neighborhood may be abandoned
•  Work may move to the median of Michigan Avenue again

Utility Repairs near Physical Plant

• Segment I - Work near Chestnut Road is almost complete
  •  One more topping of asphalt is needed
•  Segment II- The plan was to just maintain steam tunnel and fix any cracks, etc.
  •  Segment II is located between the Physical Plant and Landscape Services
  •  The tunnel is in such bad shape that it must be replaced, which will delay completion
  •  Work also includes installing communication and electrical duct banks
  •  Traffic shifts east of Landscape Services will occur soon
•  Segment IV – Located in and just west of the DPPS parking lot
  •  Work on domestic and raw water mains that go to MSU’s water treatment facility
  •  Lot is scheduled to be reopened as of Aug. 6

Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum

•  Putting down geotextile fabric and stone in the foundation, with 4-inch concrete on top of it
  •  This will help stabilize the ground
•  Excavation is 22 feet deep
•  East Circle Drive around site has been closed since May
  •  A portion of the road in front of the Student Services building had to be demolished for utility work
  •  New vault will be used for steam and utilities
•  Grand River Avenue lane closure was removed in time for the East Lansing Art Festival
  • There are no planned detours for Grand River Avenue at this time
• There is temporary paving in Berkey Hall's north lot
  • Permanent paving will replace this sometime next spring
•  Sloped concrete walls along the foundation will be put in beginning Aug. 30
•  Webcam is running with a perspective from the third floor of Student Services
•  Elevator pit is currently being put in
•  Site is currently below river level, coupled by heavy rainfall
  •  Sub pump pits are being used to dewater the site
  •  Mud mat is being used as an extra layer of protection

FRIB and Plant Science Utility Relocation

• In 2013, FRIB (Facility for Rare Isotope Beams) will start
  •   Utilities are being altered at the intersection of Wilson Road and Bogue Street to accommodate FRIB’s needs
•  Bogue will be open during the first half of July
•  Wilson will be open by fall 2010