From: Ronnie Smith, Vice Chancellor, Administration and Finance
Subject: Hurricane Katrina Recovery – Update #59
Posted: January 4, 2008

The campus has been closed for the Christmas and New Years holidays since we published our last biweekly update. While the faculty, students and staff have been enjoying the season’s festivities, a number of contractors continued to work through the period.

Here are highlights of work that has been accomplished since our last update was posted two weeks ago.

Project to Make Temporary Repairs to 1542 Tulane Ave.:

• Fire Alarm System:
  • Siemens finished removing the old fire alarm wiring on the 2nd Floor during the holiday break.
  • The contractor is currently wiring the fire pump flow switches to the new fire alarm panel.
  • They are installing new fire alarm wires on the 8th, 9th and 10th　floors for the new fire alarm speakers and strobe boxes.
• Elevator Repairs:
  • Stratos Elevator installed lobby call boxes for Elevators #7 and #8 on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 8th floors.
  • The contractor is installing station cables for Elevators #7 and #8.
  • They are balancing Elevators #1 and #8.
  • The governor sheaves for Elevator #1 are being installed.
• Final Remediation and Duct Cleaning:
  • Duct Cleaning Status:
    • Zimmer-Eschette completed the duct cleaning on the 2nd Floor and coated the duct on the 8th Floor during the holiday break.
    • Duct samples were taken on the 4th Floor and the 3rd Floor.　
    • The contractor is now coating the ducts on the 7th Floor.
    • The ducts on the 2nd Floor passed the visual inspection and were sampled, as were some 1st Floor ducts in the old section of the building.
  • Carpet Removal:
    • The carpet removal on the 4th Floor is nearing completion. The remaining carpet will be removed with the floor tile.
  • Debris Removal:
    • Zimmer-Eschette removed the ACM countertops and lab benches on the 4th Floor.
    • The contractor is removing building debris from the 3rd Floor.
  • Final Remediation/Cleaning:
    • Zimmer finished re-cleaning on the 5th, 6th, and 7th floors during the holiday break.
    • The contractor finished removing the damaged sheetrock, and peeling paint on the 4th Floor during the same period.
    • The 5th, 6th, and 7th Floors were visually inspected on 12/27/2007.
      • The 5th and 7th Floors failed, while the 6th Floor passed.
        • Air samples were taken on the 6th Floor on 12/27/2007.
      • The 5th and 7th Floors were re-cleaned and visually re-inspected on 12/29/2007 and passed.
        • Air samples were also taken on the 5th and 7th Floors on 12/29/2007.
    • The contractor finished cleaning the 4th Floor wing of the building that fronts on Tulane Avenue and is extending the containment down the center corridor and removing damaged sheetrock.
  • Ceiling Tile Removal:
    • Ceiling tile removal is completed on the 4th Floor.
  • Floor Tile Removal:
    • The contractor finished removing the floor tile in Suite 123 and from the mezzanine on 12/31/2007.
      • Both areas passed visual inspection on 12/31/2007.
      • The TEM samples were taken in these areas.　
    • The crews are now working on the 8th Floor removing floor tile.
      • The contractor is mobilizing to the 7th floor and will be removing all of the floor tile with a night crew.
  • Sample Results:
    • Suites 115, 116, 117, 124, 125, 129, and 131 passed TEM clearance for floor tile removal on 12/27/2007.
    • The areas of the 8th Floor that failed the initial air sample tests for mold, passed clearance on 12/27/2007.
    • The 7th floor passed the air sample clearance.
• Misc. Electrical and Mechanical Repairs:
  • Ordes installed a short-block for the amp meter on sub-station PL-4 during the holiday break.
  • A second amp meter has been installed on sub-station PL-3 since we returned from the holidays.　
  • They continue to work on punch-list items.
    • They are installing a conductivity monitor on the surge tank.
    • They are installing 　the heating hot water pump disconnects and the overload protection in their starters.

Project to Make Temporary Repairs to the Dental School:

• Roof Replacement:
  • The contract to replace the roofs on the main Dental School buildings has been executed.
  • The Notice To Proceed has been issued for January 7, 2008.
  • A pre-construction meeting is scheduled for January 8, 2008.

• Temporary Bookstore:
  • Sherlock’s Construction installed the fire retardant dust partition and moved the antique dental display over to allow room for the work needed to build the vestibule for the book store.　
  • They broke out the block wall and removed the wood framing to create the opening for the entrance.　
  • They removed three of the slate wall panels in the breezeway where the new entrance to the temporary bookstore will be made.　
  • They also removed the interior wall panels to make the opening for the new entrance.
• Elevator Repairs:
  • Schindler finished wiring the car top for Elevator # 3.
    • They began adjusting the hatch doors.
    • The wiring of the interior panel in the car is underway.
  • They adjusted the doors and door operators for Elevator # 4.

• 4th Floor Dispensary Tile:
  • The quarry tile has been installed.　
  • The contractor finished grouting floors and cleaning the existing floors.
• Mechanical Room Asbestos Removal:
  • The contractors have finished the removal in the 2nd and 4th Floor mechanical rooms of the Administration Building and in the 2nd through 7th Floors of the Clinic Building.
  • They are re-cleaning the rooms on the Clinic Building 4th Floor and are working in the Penthouse.
  • The test results clearing the the 2nd and 4th Floors of the Admin Building came in.
  • We are waiting for the results for the Clinic Building.

Exterior Lighting Project:

• Work on the project to replace the bollard lights throughout the downtown campus has been completed.

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