New Tower
Inside the new tower construction continues at a rapid pace. Forklifts unload laboratory casework, insulation, and other construction materials continually, bringing them into the building where they can be moved up the elevators and installed. On the fifth floor much casework has already been installed and on the sixth and seventh floors casework has been delivered and is ready for installation. Laboratories are beginning to look like laboratories, and many other areas also are more readily identified as to their eventual purpose.
Workers are nearly done installing glass in the exterior envelope that encloses the east façade, along Mills Street. This side of the building now looks much more attractive than it did two weeks ago, before the skip hoist was dismantled. The ceiling above the portico leading to the main entrance at Mills and University is also much further along, though not yet finished. Installation of decorative terra cotta on the south elevations, east as well as west, is nearly complete. Our new building looks better every day!
Additional Construction: Mathews-Daniels Interface
Because the contractors misunderstood the work to be done, the fire-rated partitions at the Mathews / Daniels elevator lobby were not constructed properly. The contractors will return to these areas to complete their work, beginning Monday, January 25. As before, construction teams will be working on more than one floor at a time. To cross between the Mathews and Daniels wings, you might need to go up or down one or two floors to get through. These circumstances may disrupt the sequence of ‘up’ and ‘down’ stairwells. If you need to use a stairwell in the ‘wrong’ direction, step aside on a landing if you encounter another individual moving in the opposite direction.
Also note that construction of the fire-rated partition at the Mathews-Daniels building interface on the 7th floor is not yet complete and will resume in early February, with completion in early March.
Construction at the North End of Daniels Continues
The new tower will be connected to the existing Daniels wing at the fourth and fifth floors, as well as from the second floor down to the sub-basement. On Monday, January 4, 2021 construction began to reconfigure the corridors at the north end of the Daniels building and accommodate doorways to the new building.
3rd floor work involves the reconfiguration of rooms 3345 and 3351. This construction work is internal to these two rooms. It involves changes to ductwork to accommodate doorways to the new building on other floors. There will not be a connection to the new building on floor 3, but changes on floors 5 and 4 necessitate changes on floor 3.
4th floor work involves the reconfiguration of rooms 4343 and 4351 to connect the research floor of the tower with Daniels.
5th floor work involves the demolition of rooms 5341 and 5351. The fifth floor of the tower is level with the fifth floor of Daniels, and this work will open the doorway that connects them.
6th floor work is scheduled to begin on Friday, February 12. It involves blocking the windows in rooms 6341 and 6351. All construction work will be internal to these two rooms.
7th floor work is tentatively scheduled to begin on Thursday, February 25. This work involves blocking the windows in rooms 7341 and 7351. All construction work will be internal to these two rooms.
Construction activities will not affect access to labs, offices, or the stairwell. Dust and debris will be contained behind construction barriers. There will be occasional noise and vibration. The work is expected to be complete in early March.
Shutdowns of Daniels and Mathews Wings
Here is the current, but still tentative, schedule for the planned shutdowns:
Mar 12-29 Daniels – closed to all occupants (switchover to new supply air system)
Apr 13-28 Mathews – closed to all occupants (switchover to new exhaust system)
This information supersedes any approvals regarding building access that you may request or receive via the Marauder map (entry.chem.wisc.edu).
Heating, ventilation, and fume hood exhaust will be affected. There will be fluctuations in ambient room temperature. We do not expect electric power, process cooling loop, water, sewer, house nitrogen, or natural gas supply to be affected, but the construction activities are complex and extensive, so it is not possible to anticipate all eventualities. Instruments and equipment should be left in a condition that does not require monitoring during the period of the shutdown.
The schedule is not yet final, so we will provide further details as planning develops. There will be one-month’s advance notice of confirmed dates.
Graphic Schedule of Upcoming Events
Many different construction activities are simultaneously affecting our building complex. We summarize them graphically below.
This information is up to date as of Monday morning. Email bulletins will be provided as needed.
We thank Gerald David of Miron Construction and Jim Maynard for images in this newsletter issue.
John Moore and Bob McMahon