From: Ronnie Smith, Vice Chancellor, Administration and Finance
Subject: Hurricane Katrina Recovery – Update #87
Posted: February 27, 2009

It has been a while since we reported on the status of the multiple proposals for permanent building repairs and the related hazard mitigation that we have put forward to FEMA. After nearly a year of repeated requests for written determinations on the proposals, FEMA responded late last year; declaring the most substantive portions of each proposal to be ineligible. Their findings relied upon written guidance regarding limitations imposed on the height to which critical functions and building components could be elevated. Following this guidance would effectively place all of our critical functions and building equipment well below the water levels experienced during the post-Katrina period.

Their findings further relied upon interpretations of existing policies that we believe are fundamentally flawed. Finally, their determinations made representations about limitations in the use of 406 mitigation funds that are not set forth in the Stafford Act, the Code of Federal Regulations, or the applicable FEMA policy on implementing the 406 mitigation program. We have been able to identify multiple instances where 406 funds have been used for these very purposes in other disasters.

Shortly after receiving the written determinations, we drafted formal appeal letters for each project. These were forwarded to the Office of Facility Planning and Control for their review and comment. FP&C has recently filed the formal appeals with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. GOHSEP’s Appeal Group will review the appeals and package them to be sent to FEMA. The formal appeal process is time consuming and we can’t predict the outcome, but we remain cautiously optimistic. Recent changes within the local FEMA organization and in the national office may present new opportunities for meaningful conversations about our proposals and we will pursue any that arise.

Crews are busy at 1542 Tulane Ave. preparing the 3rd Floor for reoccupation. Offices are being painted and new door hardware is being installed. New fan coil units are being installed, piped in and connected to building power on both the 2nd and 3rd Floors. The light fixtures have been installed in the 3rd Floor lounge and the cabinets are being installed. The plumbers have started working in the 2^nd Floor lounge. A contractor was hired to prepare the parking garage for use. The old paint marking and concrete parking blocks were removed. The floor was power washed and new markings have been applied.

The contractor demolished the wing walls in the Dental School Auditoriums A and B. This was done to improve the sight lines based on the new configuration of the rooms. New lab casework is being installed in the renovated 8th Floor labs. The contractor installed the cabinet supports for the island casework in Rooms 8405A and 8405B and installed one side of base cabinets and countertops for the peninsula lab benches in Rooms 8405A and 8405B.

Work at the Lions/LSU Clinic Building continues on many fronts. The mechanical subcontractor is installing the diesel fuel lines that will supply the roof mounted emergency generator. The lines have been run up the pipe chase and pressure tested. The contractor is running the horizontal lines above the ceiling on the 9^th Floor. The roof mounted lines have been run and they are making the 1^st Floor connections.

The electricians are busy installing wire for light fixtures, switches and receptacles on the 6^th Floor. They have started to run power for the Stryker equipment that will be installed in the simulation labs. Disconnects for the fire pump and EMDP panel on the roof were mounted and wire was pulled to the VAV on the 6th Floor, Bolivar St. side. Cable tray was installed on the 6th Floor and they connected power to the rollup door on the 6th Floor. They installed pipe for the battery charger and water heater serving the generator engine on the roof.

The contractor continues working in multiple locations throughout the building. Crews are taping and floating new walls. Walls are then being primed and painted. Additional partitions and floor tile has been installed in restrooms. Ceiling grid continues to be installed on the 6^th Floor and window glass has been installed in one of the simulation labs.

The contractor completed the installation of the composite wall panels in the multi-media rooms located in the Library Commons and floated the walls. Electricians installed the spot lights in the study areas and along the window wall. Ceiling tiles have been installed in the café area and the study area. Black ceiling tiles have been installed in the multi-media rooms. The fur down above the coffee kiosk was patched and painted. Work is underway on installing the display case in the elevator lobby.

In the 2^nd Floor lobby of the MEB, the contractor framed the sheetrock ceiling between the two automatic doors on the Bolivar Street side. Sprinkler pipe has been relocated as necessary above the suspended ceiling and old sprinkler pipe has been removed and capped. The doors to the lecture rooms and the doors and frames for both stairwells were primed, as were the door frames for Rooms 2104, 2105A, 2106, and 2108.

The casework contractor working in MDL #6 installed eight cabinet sinks and the corresponding countertops. The center island pedestal frame was installed and the cabinet chases and countertops are in place. The general contractor connected medical air and vacuum lines for the casework and ran electrical wires for the casework receptacles. New speakers, LCD panels and mounts have been installed and the A/V contractor is pulling wire to connect the system. The network wiring contractor ran new network cable and terminated the data ports.

The Pharmacology lab renovations are proceeding. The contractor installed doorframes in the department head office and in the lab area. Corridor doorframes are in place for the lab area and three doorframes were installed in the administration area. The electrical contractor continues running lighting circuits in the lab area, while the contractor plumbed in water, vacuum, and gas lines underneath the administrative area. Ceiling grid was installed in the lab area and the contractor has begun taping and floating the walls in the administrative area.

The concrete floor for the expanded portion of the Residence Hall lobby was poured. The interior contractor installed sheetrock on the Perdido St. side. A crew furred out the sheetrock wall where the old mailboxes were located and framed the fur down in the expanded lobby area. The electrical subcontractor roughed in the floor boxes in the expanded lobby area. Ceiling grid is being installed in the back corner of Bolivar and Perdido Street side and in the expanded lobby area. The enclosure contractor installed break metal to cover the roof drain pipes on both sides of the walkway. Demolition of the ceiling and lighting in the back lobby on Perdido St. and S. Roman St. is in progress.

The roofing contractor who was awarded the contract to replace the roof of the Allied Health/Nursing Building has erected the temporary exterior elevator/lift that will be used to move workers and materials to the roof. We anticipate that the actual work will begin shortly. Unfortunately, we just learned that the bids for the contract to replace the roof of the Resource Center must be rejected due to technical flaws with all three bids. As a result the contract will have to be re-bid and the actual work will be delayed.

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

Repair Work at 1542 Tulane Ave.:

• Painting:
  • The painting contractor patched and primed walls for paint in offices on the 3rd Floor.
  • Crews are painting offices on the 3rd Floor.
• Lounge Areas:
  • The electrical contractor completed installing new light fixtures in the 3rd Floor lounge.
  • The furniture contractor began installing the new cabinetry in the 3rd Floor lounge.
  • The mechanical subcontractor started work on the plumbing for the 2nd Floor lounge.
• The mechanical contractor continues piping new fan coil units on the 2nd and 3rd Floors.
• Parking Garage:
  • The parking garage contractor utilized bead blasting to remove the existing pavement striping in the parking garage.
  • They removed the old wheel stops.
  • They pressure washed the parking garage floors.
  • The new pavement marking has been completed throughout the parking garage.

• Misc.:
  • LSUHSC Facility Services continues installing new door hardware on the 2nd and 3rd Floors.
  • Facility Services is connecting electrical service for new fan coil units.

DENTAL AUDITORIUMS A & B RENOVATIONS:

• The contractor demolished the wing walls in Auditoriums A and B.

DENTAL 6th & 8th FLOOR LAB RENOVATIONS:

• The contractor placed structural components of the laboratory casework in Room 8405A.
  • They installed the cabinet supports for the island casework in Rooms 8405A and 8405B.
  • Crews installed one side of base cabinets and countertops for the peninsula lab benches in Rooms 8405A and 8405B.
• The contractor touched-up the paint and prepped the floor for final cleaning and polishing in Suite 8405.
• The flooring contractor polished terrazzo floor patches in suite 8405A.
• The contractor fire-caulked the flooring and wall penetrations in Suite 8405.

LIONS/LSU CLINIC PERMANENT REPAIRS AND MITIGATION:

• The mechanical subcontractor installed 3/4" fuel lines in the Bolivar Street side chase.
  • Both fuel lines in the Bolivar St. pipe chase were pressure tested.
  • They installed fuel lines in the east hallway on the Bolivar St. side of the 9th Floor.
  • They installed fuel lines in the hallway on the 9th Floor.
  • The fuel lines were installed in Rooms 901, 908 and 910.
  • The roof mounted fuel lines have been run.
  • Crews began running the fuel line on the 1st Floor from the pipe chase.
• The electrical subcontractor installed conduit for the reception desk on the 6th Floor.
  • They installed wire to a VAV on the 6th Floor and installed brackets on the roof generator platform.
  • Disconnects for the fire pump and EMDP panel on the roof were mounted.
  • They installed wire to the VAV on the 6th Floor, Bolivar St. side.
  • Electricians installed lights in the middle simulation lab on the 6th Floor and installed the light panel on the 6th Floor, S. Prieur Street side.
  • They installed cable tray on the 6th Floor, provided power to the rollup door on the 6th Floor, and installed a junction box in Room 901 on the 9th floor.
  • The subcontractor installed pipe for the battery charger and water heater serving the generator engine on the roof.
  • They installed wire for light fixtures on the 6^th Floor in the computer lounge area on the Gravier Street side.
  • They ran conduit through the roof on the 9th Floor, CSRB side.
  • They installed wire for lights and outlets on the Gravier and Bolivar Street side of the 6th Floor.
  • Electricians installed wire for Stryker equipment on the CSRB side of the 6th Floor.
• The contractor painted the hallway on the Gravier St. side of the 6th Floor.
  • The contractor primed the walls of the simulation room on the Bolivar St. side of the 6th Floor.
  • They painted the lounge area on the 6th Floor, Gravier St. side.
  • The contractor painted the passenger elevator lobby on the 6th Floor.
  • A crew stripped and primed door frames on the 1st Floor, S. Prieur Street side.
  • The contractor painted the fur down in the computer lounge on the 6th Floor.
  • A crew painted door frames on the 1st Floor, CSRB/S. Prieur Street side.
• The contractor installed floor tile in the elevator lobby and computer lounge on the 6th Floor.
  • They installed tile floors in the restrooms on the Bolivar St. side of the 1st Floor.
• Crews taped and floated the simulation room on the Bolivar St. side of the 6th Floor.
  • They taped and floated the walls of the hallway on the Bolivar St. side of the 6th Floor and taped and floated the fur down in the old lab area on the 6th Floor.
• A crew installed bathroom partitions in the restrooms on the Prieur St. side of the 1st Floor.
  • They installed wall tile in restrooms on the 1st Floor Bolivar/CSRB side.
• Misc.:
  • The contractor installed metal studs for the new stairwell wall on the 6th Floor, Gravier Street side.
  • The granite floor on the 1st Floor, Gravier/Bolivar St. side was cleaned.
  • Crews installed the fire wall on the 5th Floor, Gravier Street side.
  • They installed laminate on the fur down on the Gravier St./Bolivar St. side of the 6th Floor.
  • Mullions and corners are being installed on the 1st through the 6th Floors of the new exterior stairwell.
  • Plywood for the parapet wall was hung on the stair tower roof.
  • Glass was fitted in the door/window frames on the Gravier St. side of the 6th Floor.
  • Transoms are being installed above doors on the 1st Floor, Bolivar Street side and above doors and closers on the 1st Floor, CSRB side.
  • Ceiling grid was installed on the 6th Floor, Gravier/Bolivar Street side and in a simulation lab on the 6th Floor.
  • Crews patched the ceiling on the 1st Floor, S. Prieur Street.
  • A crew installed closers and kick plates for new doors on the 1st Floor, CSRB/S. Prieur Street side.
  • The sprinkler contractor installed sprinklers in the passenger elevator lobby on the 6th Floor.

LIBRARY COMMONS PROJECT:

• The contractor completed the installation of the composite wall panels in the multi-media rooms and floated the walls.
• LSUHSC electricians installed the spot lights in the study areas.
  • They began installing the feature lights.
  • They installed light fixtures along the window wall. 
• The painting contractor touched up conduit in the black ceiling area.
• The contractor installed ceiling tiles in the café area and the study area.
• A crew patched and painted the fur down above the coffee kiosk.
• The contractor installed the black ceiling tiles in the multi-media rooms and primed the walls for wallpaper.
• The contractor began installing the display case in the elevator lobby.
  • The base of the display case was framed up.

MEB 2nd FLOOR LOBBY RENOVATIONS:

• The contractor framed the sheetrock ceiling between the two automatic doors on the Bolivar Street side.
• The contractor moved sprinkler pipe above the suspended ceiling.
• They removed and capped the old sprinkler pipe on the Bolivar Street side.
• They rerouted a plumbing waste line.
• The contractor primed the doors to Lecture Halls A and B and the doors and frames for both stairwells.
• They primed the door frames for Rooms 2104, 2105A, 2106, and 2108 and installed break metal around the elevator doors.

MEB MDL 6 RENOVATIONS:

• The casework contractor installed eight cabinet sinks.
  • They installed the countertops for the cabinet sinks.
  • The pedestal frames for the center island were installed.
  • Their crew installed cabinet chases and countertops for the casework frame.
• The general contractor connected medical air and vacuum lines for the casework and ran electrical wires for the casework receptacles.
• The A/V contractor installed speakers and LCD mounts.
  • The A/V contractor installed new LCD panels.
  • They are running wires that will connect the new A/V equipment.
• The network wiring contractor ran new network cable and terminated the data ports.
• The electrical contractor roughed in the lab furniture receptacles.
  • They continued installing light switches and receptacles.

MEB PHARMACOLOGY LAB RENOVATIONS:

• The contractor installed doorframes in the department head office and in the lab area.
  • They installed the corridor doorframes in the lab area and three doorframes in the administration area.
  • The contractor demolished a portion of the exterior corridor wall in order to install a doorframe in the lab area.
• The electrical contractor continued running lighting circuits in the lab area.
• The contractor plumbed in water, vacuum, and gas lines underneath the administrative area.
• Ceiling grid was installed in the lab area.
• The contractor began taping and floating the walls in the administrative area.
  • They contractor primed and patched the walls in the laboratory area.

RESIDENCE HALL LOBBY EXPANSION:

• The interior contractor installed sheetrock on the Perdido St. side.
  • A crew furred out the sheetrock wall where the old mailboxes were located.
  • They framed the fur down in the expanded lobby area
• The electrical subcontractor roughed in the floor boxes in the expanded lobby area.
  • Electricians continued to rough-in the light fixtures between the Elevator A and B lobbies.
• The interior contractor is installing ceiling grid in the back corner of Bolivar and Perdido Street side and in the expanded lobby area.
• The enclosure contractor installed break metal to cover the roof drain pipes on both sides of the walkway.
• The contractor poured the concrete for the floor in the expanded portion of the lobby. 
• Demolition of the ceiling and lighting in the back lobby on Perdido St. and S. Roman St. is in progress.

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 installed pipe hangers and piping for the gas, steam, and water supply.

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 installed the temporary exterior elevator/lift.

EXTERIOR/LANDSCAPING:

• Facility Services laid sod in front of 1542 Tulane Avenue and behind the Resource Center.
  • They laid sod on the Gravier St. side of the Resource Center.
  • Crews installed irrigation piping beside the Resource Center visitor parking lot.
  • They removed gravel and old vegetation in the rear of the Resource Center in preparation for planting.
• The contractor laid sod in the lot at the corner of Gravier St. and S. Claiborne Ave. and along S. Claiborne Ave. adjacent to the Gravier St. garage.

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