UNews - Department of Facilities

Monumental task of snow removal looming for Grounds Maintenance team

trevor.kenney — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 17:34:28 +0000

We’ve all been through it — you’ve just finished clearing your driveway and front walk of snow and with a satisfied grunt you toss a last heavy load onto the pile — only to look back to the top of the driveway to realize you can start all over again. Now, imagine being responsible for clearing all campus roads, parking lots and 14 kilometres of pathways while the snow just keeps falling.

The small but mighty Grounds Maintenance team is responsible for clearing all campus roads, parking lots and 14 kilometres of pathways.

Such is the responsibility of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Grounds Maintenance team every time Mother Nature decides to blanket the sprawling Lethbridge campus with a fresh carpet of powder.

“Every year we receive a lot of questions about our snow clearing process and how we prioritize our work,” says Ed de Bruin, Director of Facility Operations & Maintenance. “We do the best we can with the people and the equipment we have available to us, always trying to make sure we create as safe an environment as possible for our campus community as they make their way around the grounds.”

For any snow event, de Bruin says Facilities has six to seven grounds staff available to clear the walkways, roads and parking areas. This includes two persons working the snow clearing gators, another two on the road and parking lot clearing machines and up to three people hand shovelling the various entrances around campus. And with an influx of employees and students hitting campus early in the morning, the crew’s staggered shifts can begin at 4:30 a.m., or even earlier in extreme weather scenarios.

“We have specific pre-planned routes that cover high traffic entrances and sidewalks first, before moving onto other areas,” he says. “Our intention is always to make one pass of the entire set of campus routes before we circle back to clear snow for a second time — if time permits.”

Of course, if it continues to snow, the crew is challenged with keeping up to what nature is throwing at them.

“There may be times in harsh weather events where snow begins to build back up in areas that have already been cleared. We really do the best we can, but with a small team for a large campus, it can be difficult to keep pace,” adds de Bruin.

Given we have all likely experienced that scenario at our own homes, a little patience and understanding from the campus community seems like a reasonable request.

If you notice a particularly icy or snow covered area, please contact the Facilities Service Desk (403-329-2602) facility.servicedesk@uleth.ca, or submit a work request through their online system: /facilities.

Library LED lighting upgrade enhances light, reduces carbon imprint and saves money

trevor.kenney — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 18:07:53 +0000

A major upgrade to lighting fixtures in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Library has significantly brightened the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s most utilized research and study spaces, decreased the environmental footprint of the building and enhanced sustainability efforts on campus.

A total of 3,518 dated fixtures were removed as part of the project and replaced with 1,969 new LED fixtures.

“This was a major project we undertook this past summer with the goal of improving the lighting in the building, all the while taking advantage of the latest in LED technology to really make an impact in terms of long-term electrical costs and our environmental footprint,” says Tal Meidinger, manager of the Electrical Department in Facilities. “Now that it’s done, we feel we’ve made a substantial improvement in all those areas.”

A total of 3,518 dated fixtures were removed as part of the project and replaced with 1,969 new LED fixtures — enhancing the lighting in the building an estimated 20 to 25 per cent. An additional 310 fixtures were upgraded, rather than being replaced. In all, Facilities estimates it will save 1.4 million kilowatt hours in lighting costs per year.

“That’s a savings of $155,000 per year on a project investment of $600,000, meaning we will realize a cost savings in just under four years,” says Meidinger. “Over the next 10 years, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ will save $1.5 million and significantly reduce its carbon imprint.”

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has long made environmental sustainability a central component of projects such as these, including renovations and new building design and construction. A key direction of the current Strategic Plan includes the enhancement of the environmental sustainability of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, including a focus in Facilities on environmental stewardship to reduce the consumption of non-renewable energy and water on campus.

“In addition to replacing all the old lighting with energy efficient LED fixtures, the entire project was approached from a sustainability perspective,” adds Meidinger. “All the metal from the removed fixtures was recycled, as well as all the cardboard and Styrofoam packaging from the new fixtures. We also found a way to reuse as many ceiling tiles as we could in other areas of the library.

Summer construction scaled back

trevor.kenney — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:46:31 +0000

This summer, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's busy construction schedule will once again move forward, but not with the scope that was anticipated prior to the Mar. 7 provincial budget announcements.

The schedule has been altered in recent weeks in light of cuts made by the provincial government to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Campus Alberta operating grant, with projects slated to draw funding from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's general operating funds suspended until further notice.

"In order to stay true to our recently reaffirmed values, those capital projects that will draw on operating funds will be postponed until we have a better handle on our financial situation," says Vice-President (Finance & Administration) Nancy Walker.

Only those projects with funding specifically received under the Infrastructure Maintenance Program (IMP), or other restricted capital grants, will continue as previously scheduled.

The now postponed capital projects include Phase 2 of the far west parking lot project, including the rehabilitation of Lot E, which is rescheduled for summer 2014. Some maintenance work will continue in the west lots, including the repair of asphalt badly damaged by winter conditions, as well as the completion of some of last summer's preliminary work, but the bulk of the project is now on hold.

In addition, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Centre for the Arts North Patio Concrete Paver Replacement project has been postponed until further notice, as have the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall Gathering Space Rehabilitation project and the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience HVAC Assessment and Rehabilitation project.

Significant work will continue over the summer and people will see the completion of initiatives such as the renovation of food services spaces, the Physical Education Tunnel Rehabilitation and South Plaza Replacement, as well as the Library Roof Replacement, with all funding coming from either IMP or from specific capital grants earmarked for their completion.

"It is important to note that targeted capital funding received must be spent on the grant's designated capital projects and the funds cannot be used for other purposes or to supplement the operating budget," adds Walker.

The summer construction season is a very important time for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as the Department of Facilities works hard on a multitude of maintenance programs to keep the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's buildings and infrastructure in the best possible condition for students, faculty, staff and community users.

For continued updates on Facilities projects, visit their website.

Art that moves you

trevor.kenney — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:03:18 +0000

What was an ordinary walk to the washroom on Level 6 of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Centre for the Arts is now anything but mundane.

The wall flanking the entrance to the U of L Main Gallery used to house a bank of pay phones, but with the removal of this obsolete technology, a great opportunity was afforded.

"I think people can easily agree, the advent of the smart phone has been terrific for the promotion of events and cultural organizations," says Dr. Josephine Mills, director/curator of the U of L Art Gallery. "For the gallery, changes in technology have meant another less obvious boon to our visibility."

The gallery quickly called dibs on the now vacant space.

"We requested a renovation that included the gallery-standard drywall over three-quarter inch plywood backing so that the wall could support hanging objects in frames, and we had the foresight to build in electrical and Internet connections," explains Mills. "Spurred by successful student design projects I had seen around campus, I initiated a call for proposals from new media students and faculty to create something for the new wall to raise the profile of the main art gallery."

The interactive wall located just outside the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Art Gallery allows people to immerse themselves in the art.

She assumed she would get ideas that involved applying vinyl or other traditional options to the wall.

"Instead, new media faculty members Leanne Elias, Dana Cooley and Carl Spencer, delighted and surprised me with a fabulously innovative idea to install an interactive projection, which was then developed by BFA New Media major Brendan Matkin," says Mills.

The playful interactive installation grabs attention as anyone walking by accidently sets the letters projected onto the wall dancing.

"With this collaborative project we wanted to try something new and different," says Matkin. "We wanted to promote the gallery, motivate others to realize this is a creative opportunity and have some fun."

Several people were involved with the project.

"We started planning in December and the hard work started in January," says Matkin. "In addition to Leanne, Dana and Carl, fellow student Alyssa Buck was an advisor on the project."

Matkin did the actual project development and worked with the open source Processing environment.

"We used a short-throw projector and Xbox Kinect and were able to overcome a few technical glitches," he says with a smile. "It's been a terrific learning experience."

Explaining how it works to a layperson, Matkin says, "Each letter interacts with the others as well as the digital shadow of people coming into the field. Gravity is used to
attract the letters back to their home position; however, to make the letters behave in a convincing manner, I used about 500 times normal gravity. The physics engine is the same as for Angry Birds."

Leanne Elias is pleased with the results of the project and its future potential.

"We are wildly excited about this project because it points towards new directions in interactive media," she says. "And the fact that this was a student-driven project makes it just that much more exciting."

She adds that several students, including Matkin, are going with her to the SXSW International Conference.

"Going to this interactive conference exposes our students to things we can't even imagine – truly cutting-edge technology."

Mills is excited about the future of the wall.

"Brendan created a superb inaugural project and, with the system in place, we are looking forward to further proposals for ideas to promote the gallery and our exhibitions and programs," she says.

The Art Gallery would like to thank the experts in the U of L Department of Facilities (Jim Vanderzee, Bill Hudains, Mick Nutley, Al Mueller, Paul Peterson) for their work in renovating the wall and installing the technology.

This story first appeared in the March 2013 issue of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Moving forward brings change

trevor.kenney — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 21:20:23 +0000

It's been said that the only constant in the world is change. That's certainly the case when it comes to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. With 40-year-old infrastructure that is starting to show its age, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has been slowly upgrading the Lethbridge campus's physical attributes.

The Department of Facilities is working to create more modern spaces in a more sustainable environment, making the U of L a destination to be desired with better access, enhanced food services and state-of-the-art research facilities.

Unfortunately, you can't have change without, well, change. Renovations to existing structures and new construction can be noisy, messy and just plain inconvenient. That's why the department arranges to do the majority of its construction when classes are not in session.

While there are less people on campus during the summer months, the U of L is still buzzing with activity during this time and every effort is made to minimize the inconvenience to those who remain.

Most projects are completed between May and September, but some factors, such as Mother Nature (who likes to keep contractors on their toes) or unforeseen construction obstacles, can delay projects well into the fall semester. Some projects are so big that they will extend even further into the year. The impending PE Tunnel Rehabilitation and South Plaza Replacement is one of them.

Replacing the concrete in the south plaza presents a unique challenge as the PE Tunnel sits directly below and no more than 10,000 lbs. of weight can be placed on top of the tunnel at any time. Removing the concrete slabs above the tunnel will therefore require some creative manoeuvring.

The PE Tunnel restoration includes leak repairs, the installation of new air handling units to enhance air quality and the addition of new lighting. The tunnel will be closed throughout the duration of the project.

From May to possibly the end of the year, the outdoor area from the PE Building along the Students' Union Building up to the rotunda near the Library will also be closed to allow heavy equipment to move easily within the construction site. The closure also includes the bus loop, and the Department of Facilities has been working with the City of Lethbridge to establish a new, temporary bus route – the details of which will be released once they have been finalized.

Library roof

Nearby, the roof of the Library will undergo work as crews replace the roofing membrane that has been lifted by the area's notorious winds. As long as Mother Nature cooperates, the project will last from about May to mid-July. During this time the south entrance to the Library will be closed.

West parking lots

The second phase of the parking lot redevelopment project will see Lots E and G undergo substantial work. In addition to repaving the lots, a storm water management and drainage system along with new trees and landscaping, windbreaks, concrete curbing and sidewalks, and new lighting will enhance the area. As a gateway to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, this parking area is one of the first areas of campus that people see. The project will help create a sense of place and welcoming to new and returning guests.

UCA North Patio

The wood and concrete flooring on the North Patio off the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Centre for the Arts (UCA) building will be replaced this summer. The entrance into the patio area at the bottom of the pathway will be closed, but pedestrians should still be able to access the path by alternate means.

Food Services

Now that the U of L has a new food vendor coming on board, work to update the food services area in UCA will get underway this summer.

In addition to these major projects, several others are already occurring in less obtrusive areas such as the Prairie Quad north of Markin Hall, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall Breezeway infrastructure upgrades, elevator upgrades in UCA, Students' Union Building and Turcotte Hall, and various flooring replacement and building control upgrade projects that will take place on evenings and weekends.

More information on these and other upcoming projects will be communicated to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community as details emerge. The facilities department would like to thank everyone in advance for their patience during the busy construction season ahead.

Jamie Woodford is the project assistant, communications, for the Department of Facilities

This story first appeared in the Febraury 2013 edition of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Summer campus projects give new look

trevor.kenney — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 17:26:01 +0000

As another academic year gets underway, new and returning students, staff and faculty will see some significant changes to the U of L's physical campus.

The Department of Facilities and its Project Management Office have been working diligently to create and renovate a variety of new and improved spaces.

This past summer was one of the largest building seasons the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has ever seen – about $30 million worth – making our campus the busiest building site south of Calgary. While construction crews have been working around the clock and most projects are near completion, not all are finished.

The new quad area north of Markin Hall promises to give the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ another parkland setting, complete with rolling hills and well-lit walking paths.

The Facilities department appreciates everyone's patience as crews wrap up the remaining construction, and ask that all posted signs be obeyed to ensure everyone's safety.

The second and final phase of the mechanical upgrades to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Centre for the Arts should be done by early September. A typical break-in period of new equipment is expected to follow. The project will not only improve air quality but also create a more energy efficient building operation.

Several areas of the PE Building are also wrapping up construction, including the finishing touches on the south plaza entrance as well as the indoor PE staircase, both of which should be open by October.

The newly renovated day-use change rooms in the Max Bell Regional Aquatic Centre should also be operational by early October. The nearby underground Physical Education Tunnel re-opened just prior to the first day of classes.

The new sports medicine clinic in PE100, the area below the south end of the running track, is on schedule to open by the end of September. Once complete, the clinic will feature physiotherapy and exam rooms, treatment areas and doctor's offices.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Quad north of Markin Hall, featuring a core open space surrounded by small rolling hills, well-lit sidewalks and landscaping should be ready for use by October.

The final details of the parking lot redevelopment will also conclude later this month. The lots have been redesigned to offer more practical parking and improve pedestrian safety. Phase 2 of the parking lot project will get underway in spring 2013.

Perhaps the biggest project on campus, the ongoing construction of the 259-bed Aperture Park residence is on schedule and set to open July 2013.

Off campus, the downtown Penny Building will undergo renovations starting mid-September.

Details on these projects can be found at www.uleth.ca/facilities.

For more information on any of these projects, contact Brian Sullivan at 403-329-2592.

This story first appeared in the September 2012 issue of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Quad construction beginning

trevor.kenney — Tue, 01 May 2012 22:14:03 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ quadrangles, better known as quads, are visible expressions of a university community and can enhance the quality of student, staff and visitor experiences on campus.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge recognizes the importance of preserving public green space, and the Department of Facilities is embarking on the construction of a vibrant and unique outdoor gathering space that should be ready to use by fall 2012.

Construction on the quad will begin in early June with completion expected late August to early September.

Located just north of Markin Hall, at the site of the former track, the new trapezium-shaped courtyard will feature a core open space surrounded on three sides by small rolling hills to accommodate comfortable sitting and lounging, as well as connecting, well-lit sidewalks bordered by trees and plants. Development this summer will include grading and landscaping of the site and installation of sidewalks and lighting. Carl Granzow's Suitcase sculptures will be placed at the southeast section of the quad. The sculptures were once displayed on the south patio on Level 6 of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Centre for the Arts.

The proposed quad that will be constructed this summer on the area north of Markin Hall and east of Anderson Hall.

Future construction will include a continuous bench that will frame the perimeter of the core and offer a variety of seating areas.

The quad will function mainly as an open, casual gathering space with the ability to support various activities throughout the year. Its design allows the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to maintain its commitment to sustainable development while creating an iconic destination on campus. It also incorporates a storm water management system where low areas can capture and use storm water from the site and adjacent areas. These areas will contain a limited amount of maintained grass to allow more natural vegetation to grow.

Wind protection has also been considered for the site, which opens the door for collaboration with the art community to incorporate functional art as a wind shelter.

For more information on this project contact Dick Lutwick at 403-329-2640 or lutwick@uleth.ca.

UNews - Department of Facilities

Monumental task of snow removal looming for Grounds Maintenance team

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Library LED lighting upgrade enhances light, reduces carbon imprint and saves money

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Summer construction scaled back

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Art that moves you

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Moving forward brings change

Library roof

West parking lots

UCA North Patio

Food Services

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Summer campus projects give new look

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Quad construction beginning

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