New Science Center - Update Archives
Monday, October 22, 2007
NSC Construction Update:
Week of October 22 – 26, 2007
Tree Replacement Process
As previously stated, the loss of any tree is regrettable. The sense of loss
may manifest itself in different ways with different people. To many it may be a
very difficult and emotional event that each individual must process in their
own way. In an effort to help begin the healing process we should now turn our
attention to the replacement trees we will use along the esplanade. The entire
campus and community are invited to participate in this project.
The proposed trees, as well as the entire campus should be thought of as a
legacy to be enjoyed and utilized by future generations. The trees chosen must
fit certain criteria and it is essential they be well suited to the planting
site. Beyond those constraints, a major portion of the tree’s value is
established purely on aesthetics. Based on that premise, no suggestion is wrong
or without merit. No tree is perfect since every choice will entail some degree
of compromise. Selecting these replacement trees is a very important decision
and should be given a great deal of thought; since the species chosen could
completely change the character of the campus.
Once suggestions are gathered, the pros and cons of each suggested species will
be researched. This data will be forwarded to a committee along with
recommendations. Those wishing to offer input should submit their
recommendations as soon as possible so the process can be expedited, while still
providing sufficient opportunity for research.
Most everyone has a favorite memory in some way connected with a tree.
Furthermore, many famous locations are associated with trees. Washington D.C.
has the Yoshino flowering cherries that attracts thousands of visitors each
spring to view their spectacular blooms. Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello has its
vast orchards and Los Angeles would not be complete without a drive along one of
the many palm lined streets.
Our campus also has a wonderful reputation, one that can be further enhanced
through this opportunity to shape our future surroundings. Your
suggestions or comments do matter in this regard; so please send them to me, via
the email address below.
Bob Audet
Director of Custodial & Grounds
Centralia College
(360) 736-9391 ext. 232
baudet@centralia.edu
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Wednesday, October 10, 2007
NSC Construction Update:
Week of October 8 – 12, 2007
During the October 3, 2007 weekly construction meeting for the new science center (NSC) project, the topic of the trees bordering the Aadland Esplanade surfaced as a critical concern requiring action. The trees lie within the construction zone and are considerably larger than estimated in architectural planning for the site (this involves not just height and diameter of each tree, but root diameter as well). Additionally, the ground conditions impacting the foundation of the new building warranted over-excavating the foundation site and shoring up the footings with additional concrete. This is necessary to ensure that a building of this size (three story, 70,000 square feet) is seismically stable and will last the 100 years the college uses as its standard. This expansion of the building’s “base” along with the size of these trees has created a situation in which the trees must be removed.
It was always the college’s intention to retain these trees. Their presence has been counted on since the original plan development for the NSC. Until just recently we were optimistic their retention would be feasible. However, as construction on the NSC progressed, contractors discovered the existence of multiple subterranean building foundations and drain fields along the portion of the construction site nearest the esplanade (a location, which was formerly a residential area on Walnut Street). These impediments were undetectable during plan development and as such were not accounted for during that time. Their presence heavily contributed to the unstable ground situation, which brought about the need for substantial concrete reinforcement. The end result is this reinforcement to the foundation will cut into the root systems of the trees, leading to their demise. An example of this would be the yew tree on the eastern side of Washington Hall (on Washington Street), which despite safeguards taken to preserve it during construction, is near the end of its life.
The trees that must be removed are called London Planes (Platanus x acerifolia) and are not indigenous to the Pacific Northwest. While the exact date they were planted is not known, aerial photos of the campus suggest it was in the mid 1970’s. Our assumption is they were selected for their ornamental value, adding fall colors to the campus scenery. However, the appropriateness of this species in confined areas is questionable.
Fortunately the college has been developing a tree master plan over the past several years. This plan is being developed by facilities staff and faculty. It includes a list of trees the college would like to have on campus to serve both educational and aesthetic interests. The first series of trees to be planted have been tentatively identified and are slated for planting this fall. In addition to this scheduled planting we now have the opportunity to select an appropriate replacement species to plant along the esplanade for future generations to learn from and enjoy. Bob Audet, Director of Custodial and Grounds will take the lead on this project. Bob is a certified Arborist through the International Society of Arboriculture, a Certified Professional Horticulturist and Certified Nursery Professional through the Washington State Nursery and Landscape Association, a Certified Integrated Pest Management Professional through Washington State University and a graduate of the Pacific Northwest Park Resource Management School. In addition to drawing upon his own expertise, Bob welcomes campus and community input on replacement tree selection. Please contact him via email or at extension 232 if you are interested in participating in this effort.
For in depth information on this situation and the factors involved in the decision making process, please read the following PDF document:
Aadland Esplanade Tree Information
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Thursday, September 27, 2007
NSC Construction Update:
Week of September 24 – 28, 2007
Activity
is rapidly picking up on the construction site for the New Science Center (NSC).
As indicated in the last update, concrete pours for the stem walls have
continued and are very near completion. Additionally, there will be a lot
happening today, when the contractor begins pouring the concrete for the floor
on the North side of the project.
This pour will take roughly six hours, which means there will be a considerable
amount of noise and activity (concrete trucks and heavy equipment at work) until
as late as 1:00 PM. If you have any questions about today’s activity please
contact
Gil Elder, Director of Facilities and Maintenance at ext. 434.
Here are a few extra photos from today's activity:
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Friday, September 14, 2007
NSC Construction Update:
Week of September 9 – 15, 2007
Since our last NSC update there has been a tremendous amount of activity on the
construction site. Throughout the fall, winter, and summer quarters we will do
our best to provide these updates on a weekly basis. If you have any questions
about what is going on at the construction site, please send an email to the
Director of Facilities and Maintenance,
Gil Elder.
While most faculty and quite a few staff were away over the summer months, most
of the footings have been poured and the building is rising out of the ground
where it is more visible. Ground work has moved from the north area towards the
south. The plumbers and electricians are installing their pipes before the floor
is poured the last week of September.
Some
have asked what the tall brown walls are and why they are only here and there.
These are called stem walls and they provide support for the second floor. In
between the stem walls will be framing for the glass windows. The brown wall
material is just the plywood concrete forms. They are treated with a coating to
prevent the concrete from sticking to them. Just like greasing a baking pan to
prevent sticking. Once filled with concrete, the forms will be removed in a few
days and reused in another part of the building for more walls.
The first Tower Crane used in the City of Centralia will arrive sometime in
October and will give the project a “big city look”. It should be in use for
most of the project and will be installed on the south west corner of the site.
Additionally, we now have our two live cams up and running. They will record the
construction process until completion and are accessible to you via the two
links on the top-left menu of this page. And once again, if you have any
questions about what is going on at the construction site, please send an email
to the Director of Facilities and Maintenance,
Gil Elder.
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Friday, June 29, 2007
Ground Breaking Ceremony For New Science Center
Groundbreaking ceremonies for Centralia College's $28 million New Science Center took place on Thursday, June 28. Members of the Centralia College Board of Trustees, Foundation, faculty and staff; as well as many state, county, and local dignitaries were present for the ceremony. In spite of rainy skies the event succesfully kicked off a critical project for the College and the community. Lewis County based general contractor Schwiesow Construction plans to begin construction on Monday, July 2nd. Estimates call for the construction process to take about 16 months to complete the three-story, nearly 70,000 square-foot facility. The New Science Center will house science laboratories, biology and botany areas, applied health sciences, a greenhouse for plant culture and evaluation, chemistry and physics halls, as well as classroom and office space.
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Monday, June 25, 2007
Live Fire Training at Ehret Successfully Completed
On Sunday, June 24, 2007 the Centralia / District #12 Fire Department
successfully completed weeklong live fire training exercises at the Ehret
Science Building. As with previous training at Batie, the conclusion of this
training resulted in the total demolition of Ehret. Now the process of debris
removal will begin. The demolition of Batie and Ehret paves the way for
construction to begin on the New Science Center, with ground breaking ceremonies
scheduled for Thursday, June 28, 2007 at 3:00 PM.
If you have any questions concerning the now-concluded Live Fire Training
Training at Ehret, please contact Gil Elder, Director of Maintenance &
Construction Projects at Centralia College at (360) 336-9391, ext. 434 or
Captain Scott Snyder of the Centralia / District #12 Fire Department at (360)
736-3975.
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Monday, June 11, 2007
Live Fire Training at Batie Successfully Completed
On Saturday, June 9, 2007 from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, the Centralia / District
#12 Fire Department successfully completed Live Fire Training at the Batie
Science Center. The conclusion of this training resulted in the total demolition
of Batie. There was one smoldering tree root on the demolition site, which had to
be removed. Its removal is complete and now the process of debris removal will
begin.
If you have any questions concerning the now-concluded Live Fire Training at
Batie or the upcoming training at Ehret, please contact Gil Elder, Director of
Maintenance & Construction Projects at Centralia College at (360) 336-9391, ext.
434 or Captain Scott Snyder of the Centralia / District #12 Fire Department at
(360) 736-3975.
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Friday, June 8, 2007
PowerPoint Presentation On The Factors Leading To The Upcoming Demolition of Batie and Ehret Buildings
Click Here to access the May 24, 2007 PowerPoint presentation concerning the Live Fire Training Exercises being used to demolish the Batie and Ehret Buildings to make way for the New Science Center. The PowerPoint presentation explains why the decision to remove the buildings via Live Fire Training was made and also explains how the decision ties into the overall capital/funding issues related to the New Science Center. Once again, Click Here for access to the presentation. (You must have the ability to view PowerPoint presentations to access this content.)
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Friday June 8, 2007
Live Fire Training Exercises Planned At Centralia College
Between June 9, 2007 and June 24, 2007 the Centralia / District #12 Fire
Department will be conducting a series of Live Fire Training exercises at
Centralia College located at 600 West Centralia College Boulevard. These
Training Exercises are subject to schedule changes as directed by the Centralia
/ District #12 Fire Department, but unless otherwise noted will proceed as
follows:
Saturday, June 9, 2007
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
The Fire Department will be conducting Live Fire Training at the Batie Science
Center. Centralia College Boulevard will be closed between Washington and Oak
Streets starting at 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM to allow for staging of fire
apparatus, live fire training, and de-staging of fire apparatus. This training
will allow firefighters to hone their skills on such things as search and rescue
and fire extinguishment.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007 thru Friday, June 15, 2007
1:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Tuesday thru Thursday)
10:30 AM – 1:30 PM (Friday, June 15th)
These training exercises will involve techniques learned from the classroom and
applied in the field. Holes will be sawed or cut in roof of different sizes.
These drills will not involve real fire. Additionally, the training on Friday,
June 15th will be completely finished well before Graduation Ceremonies.
Monday, June 18, 2007 & Tuesday, June 19, 2007
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (each day):
Additional Live Fire Training will take place at the Ehret Science Center.
Centralia College Boulevard will be closed between Washington and Oak Streets
starting at 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM to allow for staging of fire apparatus, live
fire training, and de-staging of fire apparatus. Firefighters will be performing
important training in the extinguishment of small-scale fires, working in
simulated smoke environments, and various other drills.
Saturday, June 23, 2007 & Sunday, June 24, 2007
8:00 AM – Until full extinguishment on Sunday, June 24, 2007
This final training to take place at Centralia College will be a full demolition
burn of the Ehret Science Center. During this time period, West College
Boulevard will be closed between Washington Street and College Boulevard. It
will also be closed between South Rock Street and College Boulevard.
Firefighters will be performing critical training functions during this time,
which are only possible in a real-time environment.
* An additional benefit of these training exercises is the opportunity it
provides firefighters to observe fire behavior in a safe, controlled
environment. The Fire Department is required to provide live fire training to
its members on an annual basis. Such exercises provide them with realistic
training scenarios and Centralia College is pleased to assist the community in
this way. The demolition of the Batie and Ehret Science Buildings will also make
way for Centralia College’s New Science Center with the preliminary phase of
construction beginning soon after the debris from the Live Fire Training has
been removed.
If you have any health issues for which these exercises may be a concern, please
contact Gil Elder, Director of Maintenance & Construction Projects at Centralia
College at (360) 336-9391, ext. 434 or Captain Scott Snyder of the Centralia /
District #12 Fire Department at (360) 736-3975.