From: Ronnie Smith, Vice Chancellor, Administration and Finance
Subject: Hurricane Katrina Recovery – Update #112
Posted: February 26, 2010

The proposal for permanent repairs and mitigation for the Medical Education Building recently cleared all of the local review queues and advanced to the $1 million queue in Washington, DC. All of the proposals that have been forwarded to DC recently are waiting for additional funding to be appropriated by Congress to the Disaster Assistance Fund before they can receive final approval and obligation. The permanent repair and mitigation proposal for the CSRB is also in Washington, DC.

Work continues on the permanent repair and mitigation project underway at the Allied Health/Nursing Building. The contractor removed the sheetrock, ceilings, carpet and floor tiles from Rooms 245 and 256. Walls, plumbing fixtures, lights and tiles were removed from 1st Floor bathrooms near the switchgear. Electrical conduit was installed in Rooms 2B2 and 2B4. Crews installed junction boxes and pulled wire for lighting on the 1st Floor Bolivar street side of the building. Valves were installed on the heating hot and chill water lines.

The contractor installed conduit near the Women’s restroom on the 1st Floor of the Resource Center. They installed conduit near the front doors and removed wires from the security desk. Conduit was installed for branch circuits to electrical outlets on the 1st Floor, Tulane Ave. side of the building. The contractor ran conduit on the 1st Floor from the new switchgear room to the new ATS room. The AHU controls on the 1st Floor were removed. Crews dismantled duct work for the AHU’s in the mechanical room on the 1st Floor and began removing wiring to the AHU motors. Workers began laying out the new walls in the mail processing area and prepared for the scheduled utility shutdown.

Beginning Monday, March 1st and continuing through Friday, March 5th, there will be pile driving in the rear parking lot of the Residence Hall at 1900 Perdido St. This will take place each day between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM. Pile driving may result in vibrations and/or hammering noise inside the Residence Hall and possibly extend to nearby buildings. These piles will support a new elevated building as part of the FEMA Mitigation project to house and protect critical mechanical and electrical equipment from potential future flood waters.

The contractor connected plumbing pipes to the new lab benches on the 7th Floor of the Lions/LSU Clinic Building. They pulled wires for lighting and receptacles in the renovated spaces. Workers spread a skim coat on the concrete subfloors to prepare them for the new flooring. On the 8th Floor, the contractor taped, floated, primed and painted the sheetrock in the large and small conference rooms and laboratory room 804. Crews taped, floated, primed and painted the sheetrock on the fur down in the elevator lobby. Sprinkler heads were installed in the large conference room. The contractor installed electrical boxes for the AV equipment in the large and small conference rooms while workers installed the ceiling grid in the lobby and reception area. Installation of the ceiling is underway.

The contractor powered up the exhaust fans on the roof that serve the 2nd Floor Autopsy Room in the MEB. The 2nd autopsy table has been installed and connected to all building systems. Crews continue working on the remaining punch list items. The project is substantially complete.

The fencing replacement project is proceeding. The contractor poured 8 of the 25 monumental columns. They removed the concrete forms when the concrete had cured. Workers set the concrete forms for the next 8 columns and poured the concrete.

The project to upgrade the fire alarm system and the Residence Hall continues. Workers completed transferring flow and tamper switches for all three towers to the new panel. The contractor installed fire relay modules for the elevator fire service primary and alternate recalls for all 3 elevator penthouses (Tower A, B, and C). They installed fire alarm system devices in the 1st Floor fire pump room. All devices have been installed in the elevator shafts for A, B and C tower. Crews are installing detectors in the air handling units. The contractor continued programming modules in the new fire alarm summary panel and began writing the programming for the new fire summary panel.

The additional flashing required by the expansion of the Residence Hall lobby is being installed. The contractor installed metal panels in the windows in apartment C34. Crews cut the exterior wall, installed new metal flashing in the apartment and installed the exterior metal panel in apartment C34. The contractor installed the exterior metal panel in apartment B31.

Facility Services completed installing pipe and sprinklers for the irrigation station in the Dental School’s horseshoe drive median that will cover the grass area and shrubs. They trenched and installed the irrigation station that will water the turf on the bayou side of the drive. The old vegetation was removed from the two planter sections in front of the Admin. Building, from the Clinic Building side of the horseshoe drive and from the center of the horseshoe. Crews trenched for the irrigation station on the Florida Avenue side of the Clinic Building and installed the irrigation piping. They completed installing five of nine irrigation stations on the Florida Avenue side of the Clinic Building. New topsoil has been installed and graded in the center island of the horseshoe drive. The sod and plants for the horseshoe drive area have been delivered.

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

ALLIED HEALTH/NURSING BLDG PERMANENT REPAIRS & MITIGATION:

• The contractor removed the sheetrock and ceilings in Rooms 245 and 256.
• Workers removed carpet and floor tiles from Rooms 245 and 246.
• They installed electrical conduit in Rooms 2B2 and 2B4.
• The contractor installed junction boxes and pulled wire for lighting on the 1st Floor Bolivar street side of the building.
• Walls, plumbing fixtures, lights and tiles were removed from 1st Floor bathrooms near the switchgear.
• The contractor installed valves on the heating hot and chill water lines.

RESOURCE CENTER PERMANENT REPAIRS & MITIGATION:

• The contractor installed conduit near the Women’s restroom on the 1st Floor.
• They installed conduit near the front doors and removed wires from the security desk.
• Conduit for branch circuits to electrical outlets on the 1st Floor, Tulane Ave. side of the building was installed.
• The contractor ran conduit on the 1st Floor from the new switchgear room to the new ATS room.
• The AHU controls on the 1st Floor were removed.
• Crews dismantled duct work for the AHU’s in the mechanical room on the 1st Floor and began removing wiring to the AHU motors.
• Workers began laying out the new walls in the mail processing area.
• Workers prepared for the scheduled utility shutdown.

RESIDENCE HALL PERMANENT REPAIRS & MITIGATION:

• The contractor surveyed and marked the parking area in preparation for the pile driving.
• Pile driving will begin on Monday, March 1st.

LIONS/LSU CLINIC BLDG. 7th FLOOR LAB RENOVATIONS:

• The contractor connected plumbing pipes to the lab benches.
• They pulled wires for lighting and receptacles in the renovated spaces.
• Workers spread a skim coat on the concrete subfloors to prepare them for the new flooring.

LIONS/LSU CLINIC BLDG. 8th FLOOR RENOVATIONS:

• The contractor taped, floated, primed and painted the sheetrock in the large and small conference rooms and laboratory room 804.
• Crews taped, floated, primed and painted the sheetrock on the fur down in the elevator lobby.
• Workers installed sprinkler heads in the large conference room.
• Workers installed the ceiling grid in the lobby and reception area. Installation of the ceiling is underway.
• The contractor installed electrical boxes for the AV equipment in the large and small conference rooms.

MEB 2ND FLOOR AUTOPSY EXHAUST UPGRADE:

• The contractor powered the exhaust fans on the roof.
• They continue working on punch list items.
• The project is substantially complete.

FENCE REPLACEMENT PROJECT:

• The contractor poured 8 of the 25 monumental columns.
• The contractor removed the concrete forms from the 8 monumental columns that were poured and allowed to cure.
• Workers set the concrete forms for the next 8 columns and poured the concrete.

RESIDENCE HALL FIRE ALARM SYSTEM UPGRADE:

• Workers completed transferring flow and tamper switches for all three towers to the new panel.
• The contractor installed fire relay modules for the elevator fire service primary and alternate recalls for all 3 elevator penthouses (Tower A, B, and C).
• Contractor installed fire alarm system devices in the 1st Floor fire pump room.
• They installed all devices in the elevator shafts for A, B and C tower.
• Crews began installing air handling unit duct detectors.
• The contractor continued programming modules in the new fire alarm summary panel.
• They began writing the programming for the new fire summary panel.

RESIDENCE HALL LOBBY ROOF FLASHING:

• The contractor installed metal panels in the windows in apartment C34.
• The contractor cut the exterior wall and installed metal flashing in apartment C34.
• The contractor completed installing metal flashing and installed the exterior metal panel in apartment C34.
• The contractor installed the exterior metal panel in apartment B31.

EXTERIOR/LANDSCAPING:

• Facility Services completed installing pipe and sprinklers for the irrigation station in the horseshoe drive median that will cover the grass area,
• They marked the ground for the planting bed area pipe and sprinkler locations.
• Facility Services completed installing the irrigation station for shrubs in the center section of the horseshoe drive and graded the area.
• They trenched and installed the irrigation station that will water the turf on the bayou side of the drive.
• The old vegetation was removed from the two planter sections in front of the Admin. Building, from the Clinic Building side of the horseshoe drive and from the center of the horseshoe.
• Crews trenched for the next irrigation station on the Florida Avenue side of the Clinic Building, installed the irrigation piping and continued installing valve boxes.
• They completed installing five of nine irrigation stations on the Florida Avenue side of the Clinic Building.
• Sod and plants for the horseshoe drive area have been delivered.
• New topsoil has been installed and graded in the center island of the horseshoe drive.

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