Parking Garage Construction

[HelmutVII]

According to a recent article in The Advertiser, it will be a 6 story garage with space for 1150 vehicles and completion in April.

The advertiser article was in error. (imagine that) They are scheduled to have the parking garage finished by the fall. A portion of the first floor is supposed to have some class room space. I don't think they will be ready for fall. I think the April time frame was to have asbestos abatement finished in Stokes A and B finished. Then Stokes will be demolished.

[ULGrad@HOU]

The advertiser article was in error. (imagine that) They are scheduled to have the parking garage finished by the fall. A portion of the first floor is supposed to have some class room space. I don't think they will be ready for fall. I think the April time frame was to have asbestos abatement finished in Stokes A and B finished. Then Stokes will be demolished.

Ha, yeah they were extremely hopeful with an April date. You are on it, like usual Helmut!

[ULGrad@HOU]

This thread is "ON CAMPUS" but shows up under RAGE PAGE clicking, just for info.

[HelmutVII]

Looks like they have accelerated the test schedule for the test piles. The test were run this weekend. Typically the piles have to set about 28 days. These test piles were installed week before last so it is a little over a week and they have already run the test.

This is a photo of the test rig on the tension test pile. The cylinder on the top of the large beam is a hydraulic jack. The large rod running through the cylinder is a threaded rod. A plate with a large nut fastens the threaded rod to the top of the jack. The jack pushes up on the rod in an attempt to lift the pile. They take deflection readings on the pile as they increase the load.



This is a photo of the compression pile. The cylinder on the top of the pile is a compression jack. They place a similar setup as the photo above but the reaction piles have an all thread rod that ties the rig to the piles. The jack pushes down on the pile to load it. (a reverse of the tension test above). The tabs on the side of the pile are the reference tabs that they use to measure deflection. Sometimes the pile will rebound after unloading indicating the pile was compressed and the earth did not fail. They have tested this pile already because the hydraulic oil has leaked on to the pile.



While waiting n the test pile they continued to do some rod busting for the pile cages. Literally tons of steel will have to be tied.



Anything they can do to make things easier is welcomed for the rod busters. They tie a cage and roll it off. The top of the cage is to the right because the rods are an "L" shape. These rods will tie to the steel in the footings.



Continuous "Ladder" auger to be used to install the auger cast pile. Each section of the lead is 20 feet long (you can see the foot marks on the back side of the lead). The auger is about 95 feet long. They auger into the ground and soil is removed. As they pull the auger out they inject structural grout through the middle of the auger. They don't pull the auger out completely until they get a return of grout on the outside of the auger.



Getting ready for foundation work.

[Boomer]

Looks like they have accelerated the test schedule for the test piles. The test were run this weekend. Typically the piles have to set about 28 days. These test piles were installed week before last so it is a little over a week and they have already run the test.

This is a photo of the test rig on the tension test pile. The cylinder on the top of the large beam is a hydraulic jack. The large rod running through the cylinder is a threaded rod. A plate with a large nut fastens the threaded rod to the top of the jack. The jack pushes up on the rod in an attempt to lift the pile. They take deflection readings on the pile as they increase the load.



This is a photo of the compression pile. The cylinder on the top of the pile is a compression jack. They place a similar setup as the photo above but the reaction piles have an all thread rod that ties the rig to the piles. The jack pushes down on the pile to load it. (a reverse of the tension test above). The tabs on the side of the pile are the reference tabs that they use to measure deflection. Sometimes the pile will rebound after unloading indicating the pile was compressed and the earth did not fail. They have tested this pile already because the hydraulic oil has leaked on to the pile.



While waiting n the test pile they continued to do some rod busting for the pile cages. Literally tons of steel will have to be tied.



Anything they can do to make things easier is welcomed for the rod busters. They tie a cage and roll it off. The top of the cage is to the right because the rods are an "L" shape. These rods will tie to the steel in the footings.



Continuous "Ladder" auger to be used to install the auger cast pile. Each section of the lead is 20 feet long (you can see the foot marks on the back side of the lead). The auger is about 95 feet long. They auger into the ground and soil is removed. As they pull the auger out they inject structural grout through the middle of the auger. They don't pull the auger out completely until they get a return of grout on the outside of the auger.



Getting ready for foundation work.

--------Helm --thanks again for your work---I read a story or dreamed it (LOL) that the construction of the campus over what has been just completed say going back to the IPF and to what will soon (I HOPE) go up is over a Billion dollars--that is correct --correct???

[HelmutVII]

I don't think 1 Billion is correct. 1 Billion is 1000 million. They could rebuild the entire campus for that.

[BeauCajun]

I don't think 1 Billion is correct. 1 Billion is 1000 million. They could rebuild the entire campus for that.

Millions, billion. What's the difference except a few zeroes?

Boomer, you definitely were dreaming.

[Boomer]

Millions, billion. What's the difference except a few zeroes?

Boomer, you definitely were dreaming.

---OVER one half Billion???

[CajunEXPRESS]

So you were only puffing by 500 million Boomer. You fit right in there with Farmer, Blanco, T-Jo and the Fossil, 'if the facts don't support you simply change the perception of what is a fact'.

[Boomer]

So you were only puffing by 500 million Boomer. You fit right in there with Farmer, Blanco, T-Jo and the Fossil, 'if the facts don't support you simply change the perception of what is a fact'.

----Whoa man----I was bragging on the construction efforts of this university and I thought I saw or heard that the numbers were one Billion----That Is why I asked----when I was told I was way off I asked would it be half of that----And No sir I promptly admitted I was off and that was the reason for suggesting another parameter----What the hell gives with this Farmer, Blanco, T-Joe, D Ray------I don't know who you are but I assure you that you are way off base with your thoughts on my associations with these people---had many arguments with them through out the years with huge ideological differences ----Ask them!!!! Ask my wife!!!! And I still would like to put an adding machine to my miscalculation to see just what the real figures are----It is a hell of a lot of finished, present, and future work that will be done!!!