UNews - Jamie Woodford

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.

Grounds crew sustains ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's beauty

trevor.kenney — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 17:45:34 +0000

By JAMIE WOODFORD

In the dead of winter, they keep the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's sidewalks safe by shovelling snow and spreading sand. In the spring, they sweep the gravel, mow the grass and replenish the planters. They are the Grounds crew and their role at the U of L is essential for creating both a vibrant and safe campus, all the while supporting the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's recruitment, retention and sustainability efforts.

"First impressions are important," says manager Phil Dyck.

Grounds staffers come from a variety of backgrounds. Some have formal training in landscaping while others have experience in lawn maintenance and other aspects of the job. What they have in common is an enthusiasm and dedication to their trade, reflected by the group continually attending seminars and taking courses for licencing and certifications to the industry's latest standards.

Summer student employee Alanna Kolesar plants flowers at the entrance to the U of L campus.

The crew consists of just seven full-time employees with an additional seven students over the summer months, meaning a premium is placed on running an efficient and sustainable operation. One of the department's most significant ventures is maintaining its own greenhouse.

"We have a top-of-the-line greenhouse that we utilize throughout the entire year," says Dyck.

Flowers and plants are seeded at the beginning of the year and grown in the greenhouse until they are ready to be planted in the spring. In the fall, perennial plants such as geraniums are harvested and maintained in the greenhouse over the winter for planting again in the spring. In total, more than 8,000 plants were seeded this past year.

"Most of what we grow is pretty typical," says Dyck. "We pick those plants on purpose because we're looking for what is low in maintenance and what is going to survive."

Maintaining plants in a greenhouse presents its own challenges. Last year, the department had to deal with an aphid outbreak. The tiny, destructive insects rapidly multiply and go to work sucking the sap out of plants.

"You could leave on a Friday afternoon when everything looks fine and come back Monday morning and see that your plants are under extreme stress," says Dyck. "When we had the aphid outbreak, we were spraying every other day with a mostly soap-based insecticide. It's a lot of work and unfortunately it's not terribly effective, but we had to do it to keep those plants alive."

A little ingenuity from an unexpected source ended up saving the day. Hundreds of ladybugs, collected by a Grounds employee's young daughter, were released in the greenhouse and they went to work, eating the offending aphids.

"This spring, as soon as she found ladybugs she caught them again, and we never found a single aphid in the greenhouse this year," he says.

The department's other great challenge is Lethbridge's unpredictable weather. From sizzling summer heat to bone-chilling winter winds, sprinkled with random rain and hailstorms, the crew has seen it all. In the growing season, sudden changes from hot to cold or dry to wet can put great strain on plants.

"We can be proactive to some degree but more often than not, we need to be responsive," says Dyck. "With outdoor plants, trees and grass, any kind of sudden change in the weather will put a lot of stress on the plants. If it goes from really cool to 35 degrees the next day, it might not be apparent to most people, but a trained eye will see that stress."

Proper irrigation techniques play an important role in maintaining vegetation in southern Alberta's semi-arid climate. Dyck notes that, with the exception of the river valley areas of campus, there were no trees on the U of L property before planting began. Generally, the area does not get enough rain to sustain trees, grasses and plants that have been introduced. That's why you will sometimes see staff watering trees even during a rainfall event, to help the moisture penetrate into the root zone.

"If we get a really dry year, we're going to be hand watering out there to keep the trees alive," he says.

Sustainability is always at the forefront of the department's thinking. One initiative involved saving a cluster of elm trees from becoming firewood. Construction for the new residence building in Aperture Park required the removal of about 80 elm trees, but rather than chop them down, Grounds worked with the Project Management Office to remove and transplant the trees around campus. They'll then be relocated back to the site once the new residence is complete.

"Some of those elms were very mature, they were good trees and worth saving," says Dyck. "We saved as many as we could."

For more information on Grounds or its operations call 403-329-2602 or e-mail facility.servicedesk@uleth.ca