December 2007

Images from the Demolition, Fall 2007

Quick Construction Alerts!

This note contains a few quick updates to the lengthy "advanced notice of work" that was sent out Monday, December 3rd.

1. Beginning today and through Tuesday the paths along the east side of MSOB will be closed to finish the bypass for the emergency power currently in the path of the loading dock.

2. Tomorrow, Tuesday the 11th, the footings will be removed under the west stair to the RAF. Most of the stair demolition has been completed with little noise and/or vibration. This last piece, to remove the footings, could be both noisy and cause some vibration but should be fairly quick.

3. Welch Rd will be closed to all through traffic (excluding the Marguerite at certain times of the day) from the MSOB parking lot entrance, south to Campus Drive. Whiting-Turner will be installing a manhole for the steam system located precisely in the middle of Welch Rd. During the hours of 3-6pm there will be traffic control officers guiding the Marguerite only through the area. Otherwise this small area will be closed to traffic for at least three-four days. All cars and trucks should use the "Stockfarm Road detour to Oak Road and back to Welch Road" that will be clearly marked.

4. Over the next several weeks we will putting up new and additional signs asking bicyclists to ride slowly and safely on our few remaining pathways. There have been several near injuries on the paths in the last few weeks. If you are a bicyclist and you know that you have been riding too fast through the congested areas in the School -- please slow down and be more careful. The alternatives to signs that ask for voluntary adherence to the rules are not desirable, but then, I am sure that none of us wants anyone to be injured either. If you are a pedestrian and know that you have been walking with two or three of your friends all together, please be mindful that it is hard to share a path with three people walking abreast. When pedestrians are met by a bicycle or other pedestrians, please walk in single file wherever possible until you pass the congested area.

Thank you.

Construction Work: Dec 3-10th

Good morning --

Please find below Whiting-Turner's advanced notice of work ahead for the Fairchild Auditorium Demolition project, the Utilities 1B project and the Dock & Tunnel project. I apologize for the delay in getting these to you -- the facilities office has spent the past few days moving our location to SMP (Stanford Menlo Park). I will still have some limited presence on campus in the Whiting-Turner construction trailer so any message may be left there, on my phone (8-4276) or in my e-mail (madaca@stanford.edu).

Tunnel

Starting the week of December 3, 2007, K-Rail and AC Berm will be installed along the South side of the tunnel for safety and drainage purposes. K-Rail you see along any highway that is under repair - it is the concrete strip that separates the lane from the construction. AC Berm is, as it sounds, an asphalt concrete berm installed primarily for drainage purposes.

Top Grade and Malcolm Drilling are continuing to excavate and install wood lagging/shoring for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th lift through the week of December 14, 2007. The tunnel is constructed in sections both in terms of depth and length -- through the 14th of December the work will be on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th sections.

The demolition of the existing tunnel to make room for the new tunnel entrance will begin the week of December 24, 2007. Be aware that noise will be a factor (jack hammering, saw-cutting).

Loading Dock

By December 7, 2007, the west construction entrance of the site will be in use and will conflict with street parking and a portion of the pedestrian walkway along Welch Road. Please be careful when making your way up Welch Road to Campus Drive.

Through the week of December 3, 2007, Top Grade will continue to demolish the abandoned utilities (steam, lake water, sewer, joint duct bank, etc.) along the south loading dock wall to allow Malcolm Drilling to drill and install permanent soldier piles (the steel beams that are cemented into the holes that are drilled).
Pending PG&E setting the meters, Top Grade is scheduled to begin excavation of the first 5-feet of the loading dock on December 12, 2007.

Demolition Project

Scaffolding has been erected outside the main Fairchild Science building door so that we can fix the exterior finishes. The scaffolding is bolted together and has a table top on the highest level so that it is perfectly safe for people to walk under and to prevent materials from dropping onto pedestrians below.

The concrete sidewalk demolition and most of the off-haul is complete. Whiting-Turner is beginning the excavation and demolition of the RAF west stair this morning. The RAF east stair has been opened for use. This work will take approximately 8-10 days. The new tunnel opening into the Beckman tunnel will take place at the same time. Please expect some vibration and noise from these activities although WT will be employing a different tool precisely to try to mitigate the noise and vibration.

Starting the week of the 17th we will begin to remove the existing underground utilities from the Li Ka Shing Center site. This should last for 5 to 8 days and should not cause much noise or vibration. The demolition of the Beckman bridge will begin on the 22nd and continue until the 2nd of January. This will cause a significant amount of noise and vibration to the Beckman building. Please make your holiday plans accordingly. Once the bridge is demolished the fencing under the bridge will be move closer to the Beckman building although still leaving a path for travel.

Utilities 1B Project

Potholing is the primary activity of the Utilities 1B project right now. Whiting Turner is trying to learn as much as possible about how the existing utilities lie underground before moving forward with modifications, additions and removals. Potholing at the CCSR Loading Dock area is happening December 3rd-5th. The parking lot where the potholing occurred last week will be patched. The potholing behind Beckman ought to be complete on Monday, Tuesday at the latest. We will shutdown the RAF fans briefly on Tuesday 12/4/07 - starting at 6:30 am -- for a short test.

Finally, the new bicycle path along Campus Drive north will be completed this week. If you are a bicyclist, please use this path when it is complete so that you are safer and we can relieve some of the congestion on the single lane of Campus Drive north. That is all for now. I hope that everyone is "hanging in" -- Please let me know if you have any new concerns.