Construction to continue
Construction on project ST-2, a new utility tunnel running from the new heating plant to central campus, is continuing on budget and ahead of schedule.
Darrell Hart, assistant vice provost for construction, said they have nearly completed the two-year project in a little over one year.
“We’ve had very few problems,” Hart said.
Stanley Kane, director of Facilities design and construction said they are a year ahead of where the legislature expected them to be and are 90 percent finished with the project which will improve the heating and cooling of all the buildings on campus.
“It’s gone very well. We’ve had our challenges with underground utilities that were uncharted, which we discovered and unfortunately sometimes interrupted. But Whittaker [the contractor] was very responsive so people wouldn’t have to be out too long,” Kane said.
Costs for the project are more than $20 million over the past two years, Kane said, and more than 100 people have been involved.
According to the facilities construction update website at http://fac.usu.edu/constructionupdate.htm, tunnels throughout campus will be 10 feet high and 10 feet wide to allow for steam pipes as well as other utilities such as chilled water, culinary water, power, communications and natural gas.
The new utility tunnels primarily follow the same route as the old steam tunnels to preserve vegetation and existing connections to buildings, according to the facilities information regarding tree replacement.
Putting other utilities in the same tunnel as the steam pipes also allows for easy access for maintenance.
Construction of the actual tunnels and walkways should be completed by July 6, Kane said, and Hart said the rest of the project will be complete before school starts in the fall.
In the spring, they hope to begin the process of in-house landscaping, Hart said.
Along with the tunneling project is a new design for the central walkway which will include an increased variety of vegetation, gathering areas, vistas to the mountains and outdoor sculpture areas, according to the website.
The entire project is being done in response to environmental and energy issues involving air quality and water use.
According to the website, converting from coal as a major power source will significantly improve the local air quality, and replacing worn out steam lines will prevent the loss of 30,000 gallons of treated water every day.
Current construction is occurring behind the education building, with sections near the Taggart Student Center being completed.
Within the next two to three years, Kane said facilities will begin work on a project to create a central chilled water system similar to the steam system which will further improve the air conditioning of buildings by providing year-round reliability.
Kane said construction will use the same tunnels but will not be as disruptive to the campus community.