Change in Plans: Ceiling Work Will Progress to a Different Quadrant on the 3rd Floor

There has been a quick change in plans in the phasing of the installation of the fire suppression (sprinkler) system over the book shelves on the 3rd floor. Rather than move to the Phase 2 area, which is in the southwest quadrant of the floor that houses music books and scores, the installation has been shifted to the Phase 4 area that is located in the northeast quadrant of the building and more directly adjacent to the Phase 1 stacks area where the book shelves were first covered. Workers are already putting up plastic sheeting in this new Phase 4 quadrant and removing the plastic sheeting that was put up yesterday in the Phase 2 area.

The abrupt switch was made early this morning because the subcontractor handling the sprinkler system installation lacks all the pipe necessary in the Phase 2 area where actual conditions above the ceiling including plumbing and ductwork differ significantly from the construction plans, which were based on the original 1960s era plans for the building.  Conditions above the ceiling in the northeast quadrant of the building are much more standard and the pipe required there is onsite. The switch will help avoid delays in the work on the 3rd floor overall while the pipe with adjusted dimensions for Phase 2 can be obtained.

The switch does complicate the sprinkler pipe installation in the area in the area straddling Phases 1 and 2 that includes classrooms 309, 308 and some adjacent offices, and where there were already other complications. The sprinkler installation has now been completed in both classrooms, but the Innovative Learning Center (ILC) office area is in the Phase 2 area that has been delayed. Project managers and the contractor are working to identify some options for an alternate work scenario there that are least disruptive for staff in the ILC and their plans for the upcoming semester.

A new phasing schedule with the sequence adjustments described above is expected to issued soon, within the next day or so.

Library users will still be able to check out books from covered stacks areas by using the "Make a Request" feature in the online library catalog, with the standard 24-hour (weekdays) turnaround provided for access to materials in other restricted areas such as our off-site facility. These requests can also be made directly, in-person, at the Circulation Desk in the Learning Commons on the library's 1st floor.   Access to the covered books will be restricted to library staff.