Campus Construction Update for Feb. 8

These are among the construction activities scheduled Feb. 8-14 at the University of Wyoming.

Snow Removal -- Physical Plant crews will remove snow as needed throughout the season. Watch for snow removal equipment, be careful and safe during snow events, and call the Service Desk, 766-6225, to report ice spots and problem areas.

Buildings Affected by the Winter Closure Freeze -- (Physical Plant is undergoing a thorough review of the cause of each freeze-up, including the use of outside consultants, to help address future issues.)

-- Cheney International Center (Student Health) -- Restoration process is complete, with the exception of the replacement of cove base touch-up.

-- Coe Library -- The basement and first-floor reading room restoration is complete. Work in the southwest stairwell will continue this week.

-- Coe Library (History Addition) -- Abatement and restoration work will continue in the north stairwell through February. Please use another stairwell for access. 

-- Education Annex (Belfor Inc.) -- Restoration is substantially complete. Final tasks are being completed.

-- Jacoby Club House -- Physical Plant will complete restoration by March 1.

-- State Veterinary Laboratory -- Restoration process is complete.

-- Visual Arts -- Restoration process is complete.

-- Washakie Dining Center -- Restoration process is complete.

-- White Hall (Arcon Inc., Laramie) -- Insulation replacement is complete. Insulated hatch replacement is ongoing. Relocation of the soffit louver is being evaluated by an outside structural engineer. Please use caution around work areas.

The UW Facilities Planning Office reports the following activities for the period:

Michael B. Enzi STEM Facility (General contractor AP Wyoming, Cheyenne; Lewis Street between 10th and 11th streets; scheduled completion May 2015) -- Please note that this project is being managed and administered by the State Construction Office. The intersection of 11th and Lewis is open for pedestrian and vehicle traffic. The sidewalk on the south side of Lewis is open. The fence has been relocated to provide access to the Earth Science EIC loading dock. Asphalt will not be available for patching until spring, and street repair work will be limited to gravel fill to match the elevation of the adjacent asphalt.

Construction activity in the building continues throughout as the building has been fully enclosed. Work in progress varies from the first floor, where drywall is being hung and finished, to the third floor, where wall framing is underway and mechanical, electrical and plumbing rough-ins are progressing. Installation of stairs will continue, and the installation of the elevators is underway. Major structural steel work is complete. Minor steel trim-out continues, including the installation of stairs and installation of the cornice at the top of the exterior walls. There will be numerous man lifts around the perimeter of the building to allow work to progress on the exterior building skin ahead of the masonry installation. The mason will continue to work on several areas of the exterior as the sheathing (yellow board) and air barrier (gray rolled-on membrane) are completed. The mason will work in tented and heated scaffolding to prevent freezing of the fresh mortar. Final exterior wall system shell enclosure is proceeding on the west, south and north with sheathing and masonry work. Roof membrane work is complete. Flashing and trim-out of roof is proceeding on the penthouse and lower roofs as weather permits. Installation of storefront and glass is proceeding on the west as weather and adjacent work permit. Installation of storefront and glazing will proceed ahead of the masonry on the east. Preparation for curtain wall and glass is underway. Installation of the curtain wall is underway as adjacent work and weather permit. Materials are stocked on site, and installation is waiting for glass fabrication. Temporary enclosure is complete around the building to facilitate interior work as the exterior wall systems are being constructed. Construction of interior wall framing is continuing on second and third floors in conjunction with the rough-in of mechanical and electrical systems. Work on the atrium enclosure and interior detail is underway. Watch for construction traffic on Lewis, 10th, 11th and Bradley streets. For safety, pedestrians should make eye contact with equipment operators and delivery drivers outside the fenced area so they are aware of their presence. There will be equipment moving materials from storage to site, along with ongoing delivery of materials to site from vendors. You can visit the webcam here.

Half Acre Gymnasium Addition and Renovation (General contractor Groathouse Construction Inc., Cody; scheduled completion of Phase 1, east reconstruction/addition, March 2015; Phase 2, historic west renovation, spring 2015) -- Full project information is available here. Construction progress can be observed via the project webcam here. Half Acre Gymnasium remains open and accessible via the west entrance. The day lot parking area and roadway immediately east of Half Acre Gymnasium are closed. Temporary day-use parking has been established in the lot east of the Wyoming Union.

Construction and staging areas north, south and east of the existing building have been established and are closed to all vehicular and pedestrian traffic, except that which is construction related. Access to Prexy’s Pasture from the east Wyoming Union parking lot between Half Acre and the Wyoming Union is closed until further notice. Please use alternate routes through the Wyoming Union or between the Union and Coe Library. Heavy truck traffic, including construction materials transport, concrete trucks and other haulers, will be frequent on Willett Drive west of 15th Street and along the perimeter of the Wyoming Union parking lot. Temporary traffic controls and signs are either in place or will be established as needed by specific site activities.

Phase 1 east reconstruction/addition construction continues to proceed toward completion. Interior activities remain focused on finishes in all areas. Drywall finishing, specialty plaster, priming and painting, ceiling systems, tile and specialty flooring, casework and building specialties, and building systems work is progressing on all floors. Exterior building finish work -- primarily stone and brick masonry -- is nearing completion on the north elevation. Specialty building equipment, including climbing wall/pinnacle components, is in process toward final installation. Building HVAC and specialty systems are in varying stages of start-up, testing and verification.

Pedestrian pathways north of Half Acre Gymnasium between Prexy’s Pasture and Willett Drive remain open; however, the continuing construction in this vicinity will result in increased congestion. Willett Drive, west of 15th Street and south of Wyoming Hall, has reopened to normal traffic. Site improvement work along the south perimeter of Willett Drive will continue. Site improvement work will impact portions of the parking lot east of the Wyoming Union through early March. Normal vehicular access to the parking lot will remain open; however, construction work along the north perimeter of this lot will require some temporary detours in that area. Temporary traffic controls and signs will be established as needed by specific site activities. Please observe all posted traffic control, construction signs and temporary flagging in the affected areas.

Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center:

-- Exhibits (Designer: Ozark Museum of Natural History, Cedar Creek, Mo.) -- Installation of museum-style exhibits throughout the building is scheduled to begin in February. Minor modifications required to accommodate the exhibits are underway within the building.

-- Sculpture Installation (Artist: Walczak & Heiss, Brooklyn, N.Y.) -- Installation consists of cast metal sculptures of animals placed around the building site and interior. Each sculpture will have an internal mechanism for viewing unique video-based content. Current activities involve site preparation, including installation of exterior buried conduit. Placement of sculptures and video components will not occur until spring 2015.

Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts (General contractor Sampson Construction, Cheyenne; Fine Arts Building renovation and expansion; scheduled completion March 2015) -- The parking lot on the east side of the Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts is closed and is being used for construction staging. Building visitors should use the parking lot on the north side of the building. Those entering the Performing Arts Center must now enter through the doors on the building’s west side. This will be the entrance for all building operations, including classes, ticket purchases and performances, until construction is complete.

The parking lot south of the Performing Arts Center will be partially closed on the east for storm sewer pipe installation. Masonry stone work is complete. Exterior glazing will continue on the east side for the next two to three weeks. Interior framing/drywall/taping, rough-in plumbing, duct work and electrical work are ongoing on the south side of the addition. Interior painting, flooring/wall tile, ceiling grids, electrical trim-out and plumbing trim-out installations are ongoing in the north side of the addition. The box office has moved to a temporary location just southeast of the existing box office. The Department of Theatre and Dance northwest office addition is complete, and offices are now occupied. Punch lists are nearly complete. Work in the existing building is ongoing, with display boards, curtains, acoustic wall panels, AV, carpeting and duct cleaning ongoing. Commissioning of AV systems is scheduled Feb. 7-8. Duct cleaning in the Department of Music area is scheduled Feb. 7. Heavy truck traffic will be frequent near War Memorial Fieldhouse, 22nd Street and Willett Drive, and along the road west of the College of Law Building.

Biological Sciences Building Mechanical Modifications (General contractor Independent Heating and Sheet Metal, Laramie) -- Roof installation is nearly complete, with final roofing occurring on different days through the next three weeks. Please be aware of hammer drilling noise occurring at times. Staging at ground level will be on the southeast corner of the building. Exercise caution around the equipment and activities in the staging area.

ESCo Project (Long Energy Solutions, Casper) -- Engineering air distribution and control work are complete, with air/water balancing 95 percent complete. Exhaust upgrades are complete. Punch lists have been issued.

The UW Physical Plant has 304 projects in progress valued at more than $44.2 million. Following is a list of ongoing construction activities in areas of campus that may impact you:

Centennial Complex (Marshall Contracting, August 2015) -- Renovations will begin Feb. 9 in the existing kitchen and dining areas on the first floor of the complex. These areas will be renovated to be used as a classroom and studio to support the Art Museum’s K-12 programs and other education initiatives. The construction is mostly contained within the existing kitchen and dining areas. Please use caution around crews and equipment in the area.

Classroom Building (Mullen’s Heating, Laramie, February 2015) -- Energy-efficiency and air-quality upgrades to the air-handling system will begin the week of Feb. 9. Building occupants may notice periodic interruptions to air flow within the building.

Energy Innovation Center (Mullen’s Heating, Laramie, February 2015) -- Energy-efficiency and air-quality upgrades to the air-handling units are scheduled to begin Feb. 5. Building occupants may notice periodic interruptions to air flow within the building.

Knight Hall (Physical Plant and Arcon Inc., Laramie, February 2015) -- Construction of the ADA ramp is in progress. The corridor adjacent to the ramp construction will remain closed through Feb. 13 for the finishing of new oak floors. Signs for pedestrian detours will be posted. Please use caution around crews and equipment in the area.

Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts (Voltech Electric, Laramie, January 2015) -- The main lobby is reopened. Installation of lighting will resume following final design work.

Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts (Mighty Ducts, Cheyenne, January 2015) -- Cleaning of the ductwork and air-handling unit will occur throughout the building. Building occupants may notice periodic interruptions to air flow within the building. Please use caution near workers and equipment.

Engineering (Mullen’s Heating, Laramie, January 2015) -- Energy-efficiency and air-quality upgrades to the air-handling system will be ongoing. Building occupants may notice periodic interruptions to air flow within the building.

Classroom Upgrades Project (Marshall Contracting, Spiegelberg Lumber & Building, Arcon Inc., Laramie, February 2015) -- Construction is underway on the first three classrooms to receive upgrades as part of this project. Work will be ongoing in Law School Room 191, Ross Hall Rooms 108/109, Arts and Sciences Room 209, and Engineering Room 1044. Please be aware of crews and equipment in the area of these classrooms.

Visual Arts (UW Physical Plant) -- Investigation of a cold draft will continue on the southwest end of the second floor. Please use caution near workers and equipment in this area. 

Education Annex West Stairwell (General contractor Arcon Inc., Laramie, scheduled completion Feb. 15, 2015) -- The west stairwell will be remodeled to match the east stairwell, including an upgrade to energy-efficient lighting. Painting is complete, and installation of the handrail is ongoing. The west stairwell will be closed except for emergency exiting. Please be aware of crews and equipment in the area.

Pharmacy (UW Physical Plant, February 2015) -- Work will be ongoing to repaint the restroom stalls. Affected bathrooms will be closed during painting operations. Please use caution in these areas.

Information Technology Center (Encore Electric, Englewood, June 2015) -- Improvements to the UPS System are underway. Work will be mainly above the ceiling space on the first floor, east side of the building. Local coordination will be via Jerome Lindsey. Please use caution near crews and equipment.

1217 Lewis St. Apartments (Summit Trucking and House Moving, May 2015) -- The apartments at 1217 Lewis St. are being deconstructed. Please use caution near this site.

Health Sciences Building (Stonehouse Inc., Laramie) -- All entryways to the Classroom Building and Health Sciences have been restored. Base prep and concrete placement will begin when weather allows. Please use caution when exiting the Health Sciences Building on the southeast side. A temporary earthen walkway will be in place until concrete can be restored.

Health Sciences (UW Physical Plant, January 2015) -- Work will continue through March to renovate Room 483 to create three additional rooms. Construction of walls, electrical and plumbing work will be ongoing. Please use caution near work areas.

Spanish Walk, River Village and Landmark Apartments (UW Physical Plant, January 2015) -- Maintenance work is complete.

Knight Hall (Laramie Heating & Sheet Metal Inc., Laramie, February 2015) -- Installation of a cooling system for the University Testing Center, Room 4, is complete.