Archive for August, 2007
Crane on Tracks Arrives
Friday, August 31st, 2007
A new crane has arrived on the scene. It’s a big production. First it had to be disassembled at the new Tyler site, moved to the Alter site, and reassembled. A similar tractor crane is being assembled on the Liacouras side of Alter Hall. Unlike the hydraulic cranes that have been on-site until now, the crane sections on this unit are fixed while the whole unit moves on tracks. I am told the new lighter but longer units are as fast as the old cranes were strong. Two stories worth of steel is on its way and should arrive next Tuesday. Then watch the building take off!
Fall Term Begins
Tuesday, August 28th, 2007
The fall semester began yesterday, August 27. Many faculty and students expressed some disappointment at not seeing more floors of steel rising above ground … usually accompanied by a reference to the dramatic progress being made at the Tyler and School of Medicine sites. Well all I can say is the steel is coming later this week, along with the cranes to lift them in place next week. In the meantime, those silver strips you see above are decking for the first floor. You will soon see a carpet of silver steel stretching from 13th Street to Liacouras Walk.
They’re Baaack!
Wednesday, August 22nd, 2007
Remember back on August 10, I asked if anyone could identify the unusual shape defined by steel laid that day? Now you have a much clearer picture of what it is. Give it a shot. A Fox School cosmetics/electronics bag to the one who comes closest.
We have a winner. Track the 8 comments below to find the answer and the person who got it.
Rainy Week Slows Progress
Monday, August 20th, 2007Needless to say there will be no steel acrobatics today … and maybe tomorrow if rain continues. In the meantime, we will continue tracking progress in Speakman Hall where contractors are racing to complete 1st and 2nd floor hallways in time for the beginning of fall semester. Here is the 2nd floor south corridor looking toward the MIS Suite. New lighting is installed and the dropped ceiling nearly completed
Back to Speakman
Wednesday, August 15th, 2007While we await two new cranes at the Alter site and workmen are busy securing nuts and bolts on the steel infrastructure, attention turns to Speakman Hall where carpenters are working right behind the pipefitters to close the ceiling and add new lighting. Here you can see one of the new soffits added outside the MIS offices.
Inside the classrooms pipefitters have installed a totally new sprinkler system with sprinkler heads. While the piping is exposed at present, it will eventually be hidden above a new ceiling to be added later as part of ongoing renovation to Speakman Hall classrooms.
Crane Prepares to Leave
Monday, August 13th, 2007
The mighty Thackray crane in the foreground … here since July 16 … is about to leave the site. Having completed most of the lower level steel infrastucture (only small portions of the Auditorium are left), two new track-based cranes will move in later this week. Then the steel framing will leap frog three floors in one shot.
Can You Identify This Space?
Friday, August 10th, 2007Since no one guessed the mystery space, does putting it in context help? Click on the image below to locate the shape within the larger structure, then click on the bottom image for a closeup.
Speakman Renovations Continue
Friday, August 10th, 2007
(L) Exposed ceilings at the 1st floor entrance to Undergraduate Admissions offices.
(R) Water main in entrance stairwell.
Having removed all of the ceilings on the second floor of Speakman Hall, construction crews have now begun removing hallway ceilings on the first floor. The intent is to install piping for a new sprinkler system necessitated by the Alter Hall addition. The University and College are using this opportunity to upgrade some finishes in Speakman to more closely match the finishes in Alter Hall. Hallway ceilings … at least ones on the 1st and 2nd floors .. are expected to be completed by the time fall semester begins.
Working Their Way East
Wednesday, August 8th, 2007
On one of the hottest days of summer, the steel crew just keeps on rolling along. By mid-day they had nearly completed lower level steel installation on the northeast side of Alter Hall.
New View
Tuesday, August 7th, 2007Up until now, most of the photos and movies I’ve taken of Alter construction have been from inside Speakman Hall, and occasionally from Liacouras Walk looking east. Now that steel has risen above ground, I need to seek other vantage points to show progress more dramatically than from the inside looking out … plus the Speakman windows may go “dark” sometime soon. So today I walked to the upper floors of Tuttleman Learning Center and discovered a pretty good view of the site. Plus, you can get a sense of how Alter will fit with its surroundings.Â
This is a view looking toward Broad Street, with glimpses of the 1810 Liacouras Walk, as well as Klein, Conwell, Carnell, and Wachman Halls. Note there are now two cranes on-site to accelerate the pace of steel construction.
John DeAngelo