From: Ronnie Smith, Vice Chancellor, Administration and Finance
Subject: Hurricane Katrina Recovery – Update #86
Posted: February 13, 2009

A new major hurricane recovery project is about to get underway. The roof of the Allied Health/Nursing Building was damaged by the high winds and uplift pressure generated by Katrina. As a result the entire roof must be replaced. The contract has been awarded and the initial preparations are underway. The contractor is required to install and use an exterior elevator/lift to move men, equipment and materials to the rooftop. The concrete base for the lift has been poured.

Bids have recently been opened for the project to replace the roof of the Resource Center. This project is also related to damage done by Katrina. We anticipate that a decision on the award of this contract should be made shortly. The contract documents are likely to take a month to be prepared and executed, so the beginning of actual work is still some time away.

Over at the Clinic Education Building, the work on the 4th Floor is substantially complete. New network drops have been installed and tested. The network wiring crew has moved to the 1st Floor. Furniture is being installed and arranged in 4th Floor offices and conference rooms. New fan coil units are being connected in various locations on the 2nd and 3rd Floors. The sprinkler pipe has been installed in the 2nd Floor lounge, and the crew has moved to the 1st Floor lounge.

The lab renovations on the 6th and 8th Floors of the Dental School Clinic Building are moving towards completion. The interior walls of all the 8th Floor spaces have been primed and painted. Door frames and doors have been installed and doors are being painted. The electricians are completing finish work; installing light fixtures, bulbs and cover plates for wall switches and receptacles. Damaged areas of the terrazzo flooring on the 8th Floor have been patched, honed and polished.

The most noticeable work being done at the Lions/LSU Clinic is the installation of the steel vertical and horizontal mullions on the exterior stairwell. The exterior skin of the stairwell will be attached to the mullions. Sprinkler pipe is also being installed in the stairwell. Inside the building, a lot of finish work is underway. Floor tiles have been installed and grouted. Partitions and mirrors are now in place in the Women’s restroom on the 6th Floor. Window frames have been installed in the 6th Floor simulation rooms. Drywall is being hung and floated in the 1st Floor elevator lobby. The mechanical subcontractor has started installing the diesel fuel lines that will supply the roof mounted emergency generator.

The Library Commons project is progressing. The walls in the multimedia rooms have been primed and painted. The composite walls in those spaces are being installed and floated. New carpet has been installed in the large multimedia room and in the large study area. The automatic doors that will serve as the main entrance to the Library have been installed. Security cameras have been mounted in key locations. Light fixtures have been installed above the coffee kiosk and the kiosk sink has been installed.

Old electrical conduit has been removed from the exposed ceiling portions of the MEB 2nd Floor lobby. The storefront wall under the window frames has been finished and the interior walkway door installed. Ceiling grid is going up on the Bolivar St. side of the lobby.

The concrete subfloor in MDL 6 has been prepped and VCT has been installed in the main lab space and the corner rooms. The installation of the new casework frames is well underway in the main lab. The gas lines for the new casework have been roughed in. Marker boards have been replaced and new electrical receptacles have been installed. The renovations to the Pharmacology labs are progressing well. New waste water drains have been installed. New drywall and insulation have been installed in the laboratory area. Drywall has also been hung in the administrative area. Conduit has been installed throughout the administrative area and light circuits are being pulled.

The lobby expansion project at the Residence Hall continues. The temporary wall has been removed. The door frame, the door and the sidelight glass on the walkway leading to the Residence Hall Lobby have been installed. The fur downs on the 2nd Floor and mezzanine have been dry walled and ceiling grid is being hung. Additional hard HVAC duct that serves the extended lobby areas has been installed. New roof drains have been put in place and connected.

The LSUHSC Facility Services landscape crew has been busy at the Resource Center. They planted shrubs in the planting beds on the Gravier St. side of the building. Landscape edging has been installed around the planting bed at the corner of Bolivar St. and Gravier St. They installed irrigation piping and sprinklers behind the Resource Center at the corner of S. Prieur St. and Gravier St.

The landscape work at the District Energy Garage has progressed nicely. The contractor placed concrete footers for the new fence at the corner of Gravier St. and S. Claiborne Ave. and placed a section of the new brick sidewalk by the District Energy Garage elevator entrance on Gravier St. New fence panels have been installed. Trees and shrubs have been planted and the planting area has been mulched. Sod has been laid and new benched have also been installed.

Here are highlights of work that has been accomplished during the past two weeks.

Repair Work at 1542 Tulane Ave.:

• Painting:
  • LSUHSC Facility Services completed painting offices and hallways on the 4th Floor.
  • They began painting hallways on the 3rd Floor.
• Lounge Areas:
  • The general contractor removed the old sprinkler piping from the 1st and 2nd Floor lounge areas.
  • They completed installing new sprinkler piping in the 2nd Floor lounge.
  • Crews have begun to install new sprinkler pipe in the 1st Floor lounge.

• Furniture:
  • The furniture vendor installed furniture in offices on the 4th Floor.
• Misc.:
  • The mechanical contractor continues piping new fan coil units on the 2nd and 3rd Floors.
  • The network wiring contractor completed installation of new network drops on the 4th Floor.
    • They continue to install new network wiring on the 1st Floor.
  • LSUHSC Facilities Services installed new doors on the freight elevator lobby and installed two exterior lights adjacent to the Shipping and Receiving entrance.

Dental School 6^th and 8^th Floor Lab Renovations:

• The contractor installed the remaining corner guards in Rooms 8405A - 8405K.
  • Cove base and plumbing utility access panels have been installed along the walls in Suites 8405A - 8405K.
  • They installed doors in Rooms 8405A, 8405B, 8405C, 8405E, 8405F, and 8405K.
  • The new ceiling tiles were installed on the 6th and 8th Floors.
• The electrical contractor installed light switches and duplex receptacles in Suite 8405A - 8405K, and installed light fixtures in Room 6335.
  • They installed bulbs for the new light fixtures and cover plates for light switches and duplex receptacles.
  • The electricians installed bulbs for the new light fixtures and cover plates for light switches and duplex receptacles in Rooms 6333 and 6335.
  • The contractor installed the power feed for the exhaust fan motor that will be installed on the roof.
• The painting contractor primed and applied the first and second of coats of paint on the door frames in Suite 8405A - 8405K.
  • They painted the interior rooms on the 8th Floor.
• The insulation contractor insulated the duct taps in Room 8405A.
• The mechanical contractor installed flex duct and supply diffusers in 8405A and 8405B.
• The flooring contractor installed the terrazzo floor patches in Rooms 8405A, 8405B, 8405C, 8405F, 8405G, 8405H, and 8405I.
  • They honed and polished the terrazzo floor patches in Suite 8405.

Lions/LSU Clinic Permanent Repairs and Mitigation:

• The mechanical subcontractor insulated heating hot and chill water lines in the mechanical room on the 6th Floor, Bolivar Street side.
  • They are installing the new fire dampers on the 2nd Floor.
  • They continue installing control wire for AHU 1-4 on the 1st Floor.
  • The mechanical subcontractor is installing the diesel fuel lines that will supply the roof mounted emergency generator in the east chase on Floors 2 through 9.
• The electrical subcontractor switched the power service for panel HDRB to the new switchgear.
  • Electricians pulled wire for the electrical outlets and switches on the 6th Floor, Gravier/Bolivar Street side and installed conduit to the generator in Room 908.
  • The contractor installed conduit in Rooms 908 and 910.
  • All the receptacles on the 6th Floor have been tested.
  • They and roughed in lights in the old lab area on the 6th Floor.
• The sprinkler subcontractor ran distribution lines to the new stairwell and at the new fire pump.
  • Crews installed sensor lines to the fire pump controller on the 2nd Floor, CSRB side.
  • They installed valves on the sprinkler pipe riser lines in the east and west stairwells.
• The contractor installed storefront glass located near the new stairwell on the 6th Floor.
  • They installed the mud bed for tile in the elevator lobby on the 6th Floor.
  • Sheetrock was hung in the 6th Floor elevator lobby.
  • The contractor installed doors and transoms on the 1st Floor, CSRB side.
  • They installed window frames in the 6th Floor simulation room on the Bolivar St./Gravier St. side of the floor.
  • The restroom partitions and mirrors were installed in the Women’s restroom on the 6th Floor, S. Prieur Street side.
  • Crews installed metal framing in the 6th Floor elevator lobby and reception area and angle supports on top of CMU walls on the 1st Floor, S. Prieur Street side.
  • They plastered the walls in the restrooms on the 1st Floor, Bolivar/CSRB side.
  • The contractor grouted the floor tile on the 1st Floor, S. Prieur Street side.
  • Crews are taping and floating the walls in the elevator lobby and cleaning the granite wall on the 1st Floor.
• The vertical steel has been installed on the 1st and 2nd Floors of the exterior stairwell.
  • The horizontal steel was installed on the 1st through 4th Floors of the new stairwell.
  • The contractor installed curtain wall mullions on the 2nd through the 4th Floors of the new stairwell.
  • Crews continue installing curtain wall mullions on the 5th and 6th Floors of the exterior stairwell.

Library Commons Project:

• The contractor installed storefront at the stairs.
• LSUHSC personnel installed security cameras.
• The contractor sanded and primed walls and installed the new main automatic entrance doors to the Library.
• LSUHSC electricians installed light fixture supports and light fixtures above the coffee kiosk.
• The contractor painted the walls the main study area and primed and painted the walls in the multi-media rooms.
• The contractor painted the fire exit door near the stairs.
• LSUHSC plumbers installed the water fountain.
• The painting contractor is touching up conduit in the black ceiling area.
• LSUHSC plumbers connected the large kitchen sink for the coffee kiosk.
• The flooring contractor completed the subfloor prep for the installation of carpet.
  • They completed carpeting the large multi media room.
  • The carpet in the large study area has been laid.
• The contractor continues installing and floating the composite wall panels in the multi-media rooms.

MEB 2nd Floor Lobby Renovation:

• The contractor installed ceiling grid on the Bolivar Street side.
• Crews finished the storefront wall under the window frames.
• The contractor installed the interior storefront walkway door.
• The contractor floated the storefront wall under window frames.
• They installed the steel frame for the exterior sliding glass door on the Bolivar Street side.
• Crews painted the exposed sprinkler pipe and painted underneath the store front windows.
• The contractor removed electrical conduit from the exposed ceiling.

MEB MDL 6 RENOVATIONS:

• The contractor completed patching and leveling the concrete subfloor floor in the lab.
  • They installed new VCT tiles in the main MDL room and in the corner rooms.
• The contractor is installing the casework frame in the main MDL lab.
• They installed marker boards and replaced existing receptacle outlets with new ones.
• The contractor roughed in the gas line for the new casework.

MEB PHARMACOLOGY LAB RENOVATIONS:

• The mechanical contractor installed waste water pipes below the laboratory area.
• The general contractor completed the sheetrock installation and insulation in the laboratory area.
  • Crews hung sheetrock in the administrative area.
• The electrical contractor completed the installation of conduit in the administration area.
  • They began running lighting circuits in the administration area.

Residence Hall 2nd Floor Expansion:

• The enclosure contractor completed removing the temporary wall.
  • They installed the door frame, the door and the sidelight glass on the walkway leading to the Residence Hall Lobby.
  • The contractor installed break metal on the underside of the new, expanded storefront along the Perdido Street side.
• The interior contractor completed painting the fur down for the lobby and mezzanine level.
• The mechanical contractor installed hard duct for the diffusers in the extended lobby area.
  • They installed hard duct near Elevator B.
  • A crew ran roof drain pipes near the walkway.
• The interior contractor installed ceiling grid for the lobby between the A & B Towers and in the lobby.
• The flooring contractor is removing exterior brick pavers on the corner of Bolivar St. and Perdido St.

DENTAL SCHOOL BOILER INSTALLATION:

• A second temporary boiler has been purchased to provide the redundancy needed to support the clinical operations. The installation of the new boiler is beginning.
  • The contractor set up a construction fence for this project.

ALLIED HEALTH/NURSING ROOF REPLACEMENT:

• Preparations are underway by the contractor who will replace the storm-damaged roof on the Allied Health/Nursing Building.
• The contractor set forms for the concrete base that will support the temporary exterior elevator lift.
  • The concrete for the base has been poured.

CSRB AUTOMATIC WALKWAY INSTALLTION:

• The contractor installed the door framing.

EXTERIOR/LANDSCAPING:

• Facility Services planted shrubs in the planting beds on the Gravier St. side of the Resource Center.
  • Crews finished installing landscape edging around the Resource Center planting bed at the corner of Bolivar St. and Gravier St.
  • They installed irrigation piping and sprinklers and filled in the open trenches.
  • LSUHSC Facility Services installed irrigation piping and sprinklers behind the Resource Center at the corner of S. Prieur St. and Gravier St.
• Contractor placed concrete footers for the new fence at the corner of Gravier St. and S. Claiborne Ave. and placed a section of the new sidewalk by the District Energy Garage elevator entrance on Gravier St.
  • The contractor installed new fence panels and planted shrubs and trees at the corner of Gravier St. and S. Claiborne Ave.
  • The contractor continued planting trees and spreading mulch in the lot at the corner of Gravier St. and S. Claiborne Ave.
  • Contractor laid sod and installed new benches in the lot at the corner of Gravier St. and S. Claiborne Ave.
• Facility Services prepared the blue, brown and purple lots for use by University Hospital during Mardi Gras.

RESIDENCE HALL WALKWAY RESURFACING

• The contractor painted the final coat on the underside of the walkway.
• The project is now complete.

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