Over the past summer, the College gave itself a facelift, bringing several buildings and its pipes system up to date.
The main attraction of the summer was the completion of the new Education Building, but the College’s pipes system as well as Centennial, Decker, Travers, Wolfe and Cromwell Halls also went under construction to improve their current condition before the fall 2012 semester.
The College’s Steam and Sanitary Pipes Replacement project is currently under construction on the ABE lawn and Metzger Drive and is designed to “replace major building components and utility infrastructure based on expected life spans of equipment, materials and systems,” according to Matthew Golden, associate vice president for Communications and College Relations.
“The steam line developed a condensate leak, which allows treated water to be discharged into the storm water system,” Golden told The Signal. “This condition is not permitted by regulatory agencies and must be corrected. Without the steam system, there would not be heat or hot water.”
Golden explained that one of the biggest factors the College took into account was the exception that the addition of the new Education Building would add more waste to sections of pipe that were already considered to be inadequate.
“The sanitary pipe system carries waste from sinks, showers and toilets to the treatment facility,” Golden said. “The College recently investigated the underground sanitary pipe system and found that the pipe serving Centennial is undersized based on the flow rates and slope of the pipe.”
Centennial Hall saw numerous renovations over the summer as a part of the College’s asset renewal plan, similar to the recently completed Decker Hall renovations. The College expects the renovations to Centennial to be completed over two summers, which will allow the school to avoid taking the building off-line for a year, according to Golden.
Golden shared that the College reviewed last year’s student petition with Residential Education and addressed some “cosmetic issues, but the focus of this project is on asset renewal needs of major building systems related to life safety, environmental controls and building envelope.”
The Centennial Hall renovations project, according to Golden, was completed prior to students moving in and includes: new flooring in the hallways, fresh paint on walls and ceilings throughout the building, new furniture — including beds, bunk ladders, dressers, desks and desk chairs — and a new spray-applied coating on the tile walls in the bathrooms.
A small renovation of the lower level lakeside showers will take place during the summer of 2013.
Centennial also underwent a roof replacement during the summer along with Decker, Travis and Wolfe Halls.
The Cromwell renovations project started in May 2012 and is expected to be completed prior to the fall 2013 semester, according to Golden. The focus of the project is to “replace aging plumbing fixtures and piping infrastructure” and will also include new finishes throughout the building’s rooms, lounges, entrance and lobby.
