Campus Construction

[moorecajun]

I was facinated by the Lapeyre Stairs ... I can't wait to walk up and down a set to see the difference; maybe it is somewhat like a stair master?

[HelmutVII]

I was facinated by the Lapeyre Stairs ... I can't wait to walk up and down a set to see the difference; maybe it is somewhat like a stair master?

Lapeyer was a genius, He had patents out the wazoo. The stair is a cross between a ladder and a stair. He put powder on his socks and walked down a flight of stairs. Turned around and realized that any one time you use a stair you only use half of the tread. The light bulb went off and the rest is history.

On another note, they started placing the last concrete for foundation and slab last night (12/27) about 8:30 P.M on the second Rose Garden Building. They finished placing the last bit of concrete mid morning today (12/28). They will complete the finishing today. A long night by the workers but I'm thinking they will have a long New Years weekend. This is the last foundation concrete on the entire project and they are officially "out of the mud". I'm thinking they will be smoking after the first of the year.

[Boomer]

Any projected time for the finishing of the latest dorm area???? What about some sketches of the Village area and the student union------How cool ---get on your bike and go to Work out at Bourgeois Hall going along the bike trail---finish up and bike back to the dorm and walk on over to the Union for whatever in the different restaurants, cafes, and coffee houses or bars I guess!!!! We need to have a Massive recruiting effort this Spring for all high school, JUCO, and even college transfers----its gonna be nice!!!!

[locoguano]

Time for me to quit teaching and go back to school!

[HelmutVII]

Finishing touches on Huger Hall are done furniture is moved in and waiting for Students to move in for the spring Semester. Landscaping continues along with construction of the common area.

View of Huger from Taft Tulane intersection. Landscaping along Taft and Tulane is finished.



Common area construction. Baker is on the right Hamilton Hall is to the rear.




More Common area construction. Huger is to the left, Hamilton is to the rear.



Orphaned PhD.



Typical Aluminum downspout on Huger Hall



Typical ALL COPPER DOWNSPOUT on Hamilton Hall. If the average person knew this was copper it wouldn't be there long. Copper was the typical gutter and downspout material when the WPA buildings were built.

[HelmutVII]

Some examples of waterproofing in new construction.

This is how they are waterproof the below grade foundation of the new buildings. The bricks will be placed on a brick ledge at the bottom of the black membrane. The membrane is continuous up the wall an on to the bottom of the OSB sheeting of the exterior wall. Any water that may penetrate the brick does not go into the foundation and then into the wall. Any trade that needs to penetrate the exterior wall needs to do it above the black membrane. I saw a guy cutting the material and applying it today Jan 1, 2012. The red pipe to the left is a fire line Post Indicator Valve for the fire sprinkler system. It indicates open or closed and should never be closed unless the fire line is being tested or maintained. (It's connected to a fire alarm and the alarm should go off it it's closed)



This is a weep hole above a typical Window on Huger Hall. Any moisture that accumulates between the brick and the wood stud wall has a chance to evaporate through this hole.



Caulking, below sill weep hole and below sill flashing under a window on Huger Hall. Any water or moisture that enters the wall around the window is forced to exit at the weep hole by the flashing (the white material showing at the first brick course below the window sill). The sill is a one piece precast element as apposed to a brick rowlock.



An at grade weep hole in the brick wall of Huger. There are hundreds of these around the building and should be at or about the level of the high point of the black membrane shown in the first photo above.

[HelmutVII]

Second floor framing continues on the first Rose Garden residence Hall. The concrete slab and foundation of the second Rose Garden residence hall can be seen in the foreground.



First floor framing of the second Rose Garden residence Hall has started.



Concrete slab and foundation of the second Rose Garden residence hall was placed on the evening of December 27 into the morning of December 28.




A "pull gap" for the post tension concrete foundation. The short rods are standard No 4 rebar while the long rods are not rods but steel cable. They will attach a hydraulic jack to the cable and pull them tight to force the concrete into compression. The tension is placed in the cable "post concrete placement" hence a "Post tensioned concrete slab and foundation". They have to have a pull gap because the foundation is too big.

[Turbine]

HelmutVII you are the best.

Thanks

[njustice]

I love reading this thread. It's fascinating!

[CajunAmos]

I can follow most of your descriptions, but what's the purpose of putting tension on the concrete slab?