Tech is currently working on two projects that effect student movement around campus. The first, in the finals stages of completion, has effect hundreds if not thousands of students in the RUC. For nearly a month, the lower entrance to the RUC parking area was covered with large equipment and a black iron ventilation system. Students coming in and out of the building had to walk around the giant crane and other obstructions.
The new stack was put in place, and now there are no more complaints of a food smell in classrooms and offices.
“The ventilation system was not tall enough to adequately dispel the odor out of the building and the odor was getting picked up and circulated through the heating and air systems,” said Glenn Binkley assistant director of facilities and business services.
The Grill uses many grills, stoves and other heating cookers that put off a lot of steam and needs ventilation. Until recent professors, students and faculty were plagued with chicken and hamburger stench.
The second project is the revamping of the elevators across campus. There have been serious problems with the elevators. One of the most serious problems has been getting stuck between floors and having to be hoisted out the top of the elevator or having to wait until the elevator crew showed up.
Facilities has been working extensively to make it both safe and convenient for users. They also are working to bring all of Tech’s elevators up to standards.
“We’ve made one pass and completed phase one,” Binkley said. “Now we are moving on to phase two.”
The problem Facilities is facing is finding a time to work on the elevators that is convenient for everyone. They have to shut down the elevator to work on it, which in turn slows down that building’s traffic.
“There are three of us that head up these projects,” Binkley said, “and our plates are full.”
Just about every project or renovation across campus has been master minded by this group. With so much grown and expansion, time is anything but abundant.
