From: Ronnie Smith, Vice Chancellor, Administration and Finance
Subject: Hurricane Katrina Recovery – Update #97
Posted: July 17, 2009

We have recently learned that the permanent repair and hazard mitigation proposals for the Allied Health/Nursing Building, the Student Residence Hall and the Resource Center have cleared the $ Million Queue in Washington, DC. Funds for all three proposals should be obligated at any time. The Office of Facility Planning and Control is working closely with the architects to insure that they complete the bid packages for these three buildings in the next few weeks. With the Federal funding in place, the contracts can be advertised and put out for bid as soon as the documents are ready.

The contract for the permanent repairs and mitigation at the Lions/LSU Clinic Building is substantially complete. The State Fire Marshall recently completed his review and granted us permission to occupy the renovated areas of the building contingent upon addressing some minor deficiencies. Conduit and electrical cable have been run for the MRI trailer. The flood gates for the 1st Floor entrances to the elevators are being installed.

The Library Commons officially opened on July 15th. The cash register and coffee maker have been installed at the coffee station and the coffee station is in operation. The restoration work has been completed on the frieze. The cove base has been installed throughout. The contractor completed the installation of the stairwell handrail and installed carpet at the main entry.

A new project has gotten underway that will renovate existing laboratory spaces used by Physiology on the 7th Floor of the MEB; Rooms 7221, 7241, 7244, and 7250. The contractor will replace the ceilings, light fixtures, flooring, casework, countertops and fume hoods.

The walk in cooler (Room 7207) will also be re-floored. The contractor has begun the demolition of the old casework, countertops, etc.

On Saturday, July 11th, we began a new project to replace the old exhaust fans on the roofs of the Dental School Clinic Building and the Power Plant. A crane was set up in the horseshoe to lift the fans onto the roof of the Clinic Building. The project plan calls for pairs of the old fans to be removed and immediately replaced with new fans to minimize the impact to building occupants. When all of the new fans are in place, the crane will remove all of the old fans from the building roofs. The schedule calls for the work to be completed by July 25th.

The contractor responsible for re-roofing the Resource Center is expected to be on site early in the month of August. The first step in the contract will be to erect and attach a temporary elevator/materials lift to the exterior of the building.

We continue to complete the final preparations for re-occupying the 1st and 2nd Floors of the Clinical Education Building. The 2nd Floor door locks and closers were adjusted. The 2nd Floor offices, restrooms and stairwells have been cleaned. Stained carpet tiles have been replaced on both floors. Furniture is being installed in 1st Floor offices. LSUHSC Facility Services is applying touch-up paint in the 1st and 2nd Floor offices and they installed cover-plates over the electrical floor boxes in the Auditorium. The network installers installed wiring for wireless services in the conference room on the 1st Floor. The new coffee kiosk in the 1st Floor lounge along the front of the building is due in the next week or two.

The contractor removed the existing fire alarm devices from the renovated MEB 2nd Floor lobby. The storefront doors have been installed for the Campus Office and Medical Center Stores locations. The meeting minder is being installed and the final connections have been made for the digital signage.　 We anticipate that the inspection by the State Fire Marshall will be scheduled shortly.

The renovations to MDL #3 are moving towards completion. The contractor connected the drain lines for the cabinet sinks. The remaining cantilever frame and countertops have been installed and the network contractor ran network wiring to the new casework. The A/V contractor installed the 65 inch LCD screens and the control boxes for the new audio/visual equipment.

Much of the work that remains to be completed in the Dental School Auditoriums A & B relate to the state of the art audio/visual upgrades. Wiring for the video cameras in Auditorium A has been pulled and the projector screen is in place. The auto-stack camera for the projectors in Auditorium A has been installed. The cameras and projection screen has been installed in Auditorium B. The contractor installed the document camera inside the podium of both Auditoriums and pulled wire for the touch screen panels in both rooms. Workers pulled network cables for the tables in Auditorium B and the network terminals have been installed in both auditoriums.

The contractor finished installing the wavy ceiling grid and tiles in the expanded lobby area at the Residence Hall. The sprinkler heads were adjusted to accommodate the new ceiling design. Electricians began installing the light fixtures below the wavy ceiling and roughed in the light fixtures for the suspended ceiling in the recreation room. Gypsum board was installed on the ceiling in the recreation room and the walls in the recreation room were taped and floated. The flooring contractor installed porcelain bases between the A, B & C Towers. The millwork contractor completed installation of the wood cladding around the mailboxes.

The roofing contractor working on the Allied Health/Nursing Building is completing the remaining work. Workers finished installing the parapet wall cap around the perimeter of the roof. They installed PVC piping to drain the HVAC units on the penthouse. The flashing around the exhaust fans for the elevator penthouse was installed. Lightening protection rods were installed on the Stairwell C penthouse. The contractor installed aluminum flashing around the parapet wall on the Atrium.

The contractor completed the installation of piping, insulation, electrical and controls for MEB air handling unit 6C. Facility Services shifted the temporary AC units from the C quadrant on the 6th and 7th Floors to the B quadrant (corner of Perdido Street and South Roman Street). The contractor demolished and removed the old air handling units 6B and 7B and installed the new AHUs. Crews continue installing the new ductwork for AHU 6B and 7B. New air handling units 5-D and 4-D were delivered to the T-lot lay down area.

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

DENTAL SCHOOL EXHAUST FAN REPLACEMENT: A new project to replace the old exhaust fans on the Clinic Building and the Power Plant began on Saturday, July 11th. A crane was set up in the horseshoe to lift the fans onto the roof of the Clinic Building.

• As each fan is replaced, the fume hoods affected will be out of service. It is important that lab occupants take the necessary precautions with any chemicals since there will be no exhaust in the affected rooms during this work. The entire schedule is as follows:
  • July 13th: 8:00 AM thru 4:30 PM. Fans F13 and F14 will be replaced; affecting fume hoods in 7315 and 6313.
  • July 14th: 8:00 AM thru 4:30 PM. Fans F17 and F18 will be replaced; affecting fume hoods in 6329 and 6335.
  • July 15th: 8:00 AM thru 4:30 PM. Fans F20 and F22 will be replaced; affecting fume hoods in 7339 and 7333.
  • July 16th: 8:00 AM thru 4:30 PM. Fans F62 and F39 will be replaced; affecting fume hoods in 7325 and 7323.
  • July 17th: 8:00 AM thru 4:30 PM. Power House ventilator will be replaced; affecting the Power House.
  • July 20th: 8:00 AM thru 4:30 PM. Restrooms exhaust fans on 3rd Floor of the Clinic Building will be replaced.
  • July 25th: 8:00 AM thru 2:00 PM. The crane will be in the horseshoe to remove old fans from roof.

MEB 7th FLOOR PHYSIOLOGY LAB RENOVATIONS: This is a new project that will renovate existing laboratory spaces; Rooms 7221, 7241, 7244, and 7250. The walk in cooler (Room 7207) will also be re-floored. The contractor will replace the ceilings, light fixtures, flooring, casework, countertops and fume hoods.

• The contractor began the demolition work in Rooms 7221, 7241, 7244 and 7250.

Repair Work at 1542 Tulane Ave.:

• Facility Services custodial staff vacuumed the rooms along the main corridor on the 2nd Floor.
• Facility Services is applying touch-up paint in the 1st and 2nd Floor offices.
• The contractor completed cleaning all 2nd Floor offices, restrooms and stairwells.
• The furniture contractor installed furniture in the 1st Floor offices.
• The flooring contractor installed carpet squares near Room 235L.
• Facility Services installed cover-plates over the electrical floor boxes in the Auditorium.
• The network installers installed wiring for wireless services in the conference room on the 1st Floor.
• Facility Services adjusted locks and closers for the offices on the 2nd Floor.
• The flooring contractor installed cove base in the stairwells and replaced stained carpet tiles on the 1st and 2nd Floors.　

LIONS/LSU CLINIC PERMANENT REPAIRS AND MITIGATION:

• The contractor pulled network wires for the conference room along Bolivar Street and in the large lecture hall.
• The contractor pulled data wire for the classrooms on the S. Prieur St. side of the 6th Floor.
• Crews pulled electrical cables for the MRI trailer feed on the 1st Floor.
  • Conduit was run to the MRI trailer location.
• They drilled the holes for the flood gates in the 1st Floor elevator lobby.
  • The contractor finished installing the flood gates for Elevators 2 and 3.
• Workers installed breakers for the conference room tables on the 6th Floor.
• The Fire Marshal inspected the project and granted occupancy contingent on the correction of some minor deficiencies.

LIBRARY COMMONS PROJECT:

• The contractor installed wallpaper on the center wall of the stairwell.
• The installation of the cove base is finished.
• The contractor completed the installation of the stairwell handrail and installed carpet at the main entry.
• LSUHSC installed the cash register and coffee maker.
• Facility Services cleaned the Commons in preparation for opening.
• The Commons area opened on Wednesday, July 15th.

MEB 2nd FLOOR LOBBY RENOVATIONS:

• The contractor removed existing fire alarm devices.
• The contractor installed the storefront doors at the Campus Office and Medical Center Stores locations.
• The AV Contractor began installing the meeting minder.
• IT made the final connections for the digital signage.　

MDL #3 RENOVATIONS:

• The contractor connected drain lines for the cabinet sinks.
• The casework contractor completed installing the remaining cantilever frame and countertops.
• The network contractor ran network wiring to the new casework.
• The A/V contractor installed the 65 inch LCD screens.
  • They installed control boxes for the audio/visual equipment.
• The network contractor terminated end connectors for network cables in the new casework.

DENTAL AUDITORIUMS A & B RENOVATIONS:

• The A/V contractor pulled wiring for the video cameras in Auditorium A and installed the projector screen.
  • They set the podium in Auditorium B and pulled fiber from the rack room to both auditoriums.
  • Workers installed the auto-stack camera for the projectors in Auditorium A.
  • The contractor installed speaker grilles in Auditoriums A and B and wired the components in Auditorium B.
  • The cameras and projection screen has been installed in Auditorium B.
  • The A/V contractor installed the document camera inside the podium of Auditoriums A and B.
• The general contractor continued pulling wires and touched up paint in Auditorium A.
• The electrical installed electrical outlets for the podiums.
  • Workers pulled network cables for the tables in Auditorium B.
  • The contractor installed network terminals in both auditoriums.
• The contractor also connected wiring for the touch-screen panels at the podium in both auditoriums.
• The contractor installed the painted return-air grilles above the mechanical and electrical rooms.　

RESIDENCE HALL LOBBY EXPANSION:

• The contractor finished installing the wavy ceiling grid in the expanded lobby area.
  • Crews installed the wavy ceiling tile in the grid.
  • The contractor adjusted the sprinkler heads in the special ceiling system.

• Electricians began installing the light fixtures below the wavy ceiling.
  • Crews roughed in the light fixtures for the suspended ceiling in the recreation room.
• Gypsum board was installed on the ceiling in the recreation room.
• Workers taped and floated the new walls in the recreation room.
• The contractor taped and floated walls in the corner lobby area of the C Tower.
• The flooring contractor installed porcelain bases between the A, B & C Towers.

• The contractor trimmed out the electrical floor boxes at both ends of the lobby.

• The contractor sanded the new walls and ceiling in the recreation room.
• The millwork contractor completed installation of the wood cladding around the mailboxes.

ALLIED HEALTH/NURSING ROOF REPLACEMENT:

• The contractor finished installing the parapet wall cap around the perimeter of the roof.
• The roofers installed PVC piping to drain the HVAC units on the penthouse.
• The contractor installed flashing around the exhaust fans for the elevator penthouse.
• Lighting protection rods were installed on the Stairwell C penthouse.
• The contractor installed aluminum flashing around the parapet wall on the Atrium.

MEB AIR HANDLING UNIT REPLACEMENT:

• The contractor completed the installation of piping, insulation, electrical and controls for AHU 6C.
• Facility Services shifted the temporary AC units from the C quadrant on the 6th and 7th Floors to the B quadrant (corner of Perdido Street and South Roman Street).
• The contractor demolished and removed the old air handling units 6B and 7B.
• They installed the new air handling units; 6B and 7B.
• Crews continue installing new ductwork for air handling units 6B and 7B.
• New air handling units 5-D and 4-D were delivered to the T-lot lay down area.

EXTERIOR/LANDSCAPING:

• Facility Services installed sprinkler station #1 on the Tulane Ave. side of the Roman St. Garage.
• Facility Services replanted the beds in front of the Allied Health/Nursing Building following the repair of a leaking water line on Saturday, July 11.

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