Elevator construction near
Ryan Tubongbanua
/ The Collegian
Construction will soon
begin on the elevator cart inside the already-completed elevator
shaft attached to the Psychology Building. |
By Inga Lukaviciute
The Collegian
The newly built elevator structure
on the Psychology Building will soon house its second half, the elevator
cart, as the process to finish this elevator is about to start.
The biding for a contractor to design and build the elevator cart will
start in the next few days and the elevator should be functioning by next
semester, said Gary Wilson, director of plant operations.
Originally the elevator was to be completed by May 2005, according to
the university Web site, but is currently only half-finished, Wilson said.
The contractor L.C. Nelson, who built the elevator structure, was contracted
to design and build the cart as well, but because of delay of the project,
it was decided to pull the elevator cart out of the contract so that other
landscaping projects in the area could be finished on time and the university
would not have to extend the original contract, Wilson said.
Rain was one of the major factors that delayed construction, as it was
difficult to drain the area. Another factor was utility lines, since more
were found when the excavating started than the drawings showed, Wilson
said. It was not a problem but the elevator structure had to be moved
up four feet. Instead of 20 feet wide it had to be redesigned to be 24
feet. Consequently, the elevator cart had to be redesigned as well.
At the end of the semester there were many other projects to finish and
the elevator did not get the time it needed, Wilson said.
The area around the elevator will become a construction zone once the
building starts, Wilson said. The exit by the elevator will be closed
and will only serve as an emergency exit. There will be no more digging
since the construction will take place inside the elevator building, Wilson
said.
There is a possibility the project may not start until a break, Wilson
said, if they receive complaints about the noise.
The construction of the elevator began in January 2005 along with the
remodeling of the second floor of the building.
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