The Week of June 10, 2019 — Fighting the Heat With Early Morning Hours; Windows Wrap Around the 15th Floor; Facia Above the Terrace; and Other Projects
Chuck, a carpenter on the project is credited with the quote of the week: “I would say it is hot, Hot, H-O-T, H–O–T, H—O—T!“
The featured image this week is of the Loma Linda University Health towers as viewed from the I-10/I-215 south. When I snapped this photo, while stopped in traffic on the flyover, I had no idea that there was a Life-Flight helicopter approaching the north helipad.
The week did not start off well as a heat wave unleashed its hellish furry on Southern California and the west from the Mexican border to the Canadian border. This unwelcome change in temperature is caused by a high-pressure ridge, which will hang around for most of the week.
Before the steel, when the project was just a large pit in the ground, such temperatures were unbearable as there was no place to hide other than in the shadows cast on the soil and later on the concrete, which radiated the heat from side to side and up the foundation walls.
The Domestic Water Tanks Undergo Pressure Tests
Today when I arrived on location, I was greeted with red tape and young men who made it clear that I needed to stay behind the tape on the far side of the road as there was testing going on. The tanks as viewed from the roof of the Adult Hospital tower, The roof of the Children’s Hospital tower can be seen at the right. The area outlined around the tanks was restricted until the pressure tests were completed.Thanks to the foreman doing the test, I was allowed to stick my camera over the safety rail to take a photo. I was told that the two tanks on the right (the fourth tank is out of the frame at the far right) passed the pressure test earlier. Once all of the tanks pass the pressure test, installation of inflow and outflow pipes can begin.
The Schuman Pavilion Elevator Pit, The Excavation Continues
The location of the future Schuman Pavilion Elevator tower, which will support the north end of the second-floor pedestrian bridge that will connect both buildings.Down in the bottom of the Schuman Pavilion elevator pit the excavation continues.The elevator pit defined within the pedestrian bridge pit site. The elevator tower will rise out of the pit.Having reached sub-grade for the elevator pit, the crew is waiting in for the concrete truck so that they can shoot shotcrete at the sub-grade level (see arrows) to complete the shoring walls..
Back at the Tunnel Trench
A small excavator sits at the bottom of the tunnel trench. This small machine is able to work in limited space and is used in this instance to cleanly scrape dirt off of the pilings and along the sides.A top view of the excavator and the area where the tunnel opening will be punched through into the level “A” of the existing hospitals. This excavator may be used to punch through the opening.Down in the tunnel trench where the crew is tying rebar along the walls, and clearing dirt from the sides up to the existing foundation walls where shoring walls will be anchored,Approximate top of the tunnel is illustrated in this image. The side walls are delineated, while more excavation must be done to expose the sub-grade of the tunnel floor. Upon completion and before the landscaping phase, a road will be placed over the tunnel.A nice view of the stirrups that have been clamped around the pipes.The beams, brackets, rods, and stirrups all of which support the pipes as the dirt is excavated beneath them.Excavation of the west end of the trench continued.Inasmuch as the trench was blocked off, I was unable to get closer to the edge to get a photo. In the center, the trench is approximately 10-feet below grade.
The Backup Generator Site, an Update
A view of the generator site from the 16th floor. All was quiet on the home front.The generator plant site at grade.
The 15th Floor Windows Take a Turn Around the Northwest Corner of the West Wing
The Adult Hospital west tower as viewed from the east court yard south of the main entrance to the existing Medical Center. The first window panel is being installed on the west side of the 15th-floor.With the 15th-floor along the north side covered with windows, the installers working on the west side.From the 16th-floor of the Adult Hospital tower in the Executive Conference room, one has a spectacular view of the west valley. Also, the reflection cast by the west wing glass panels is dramatic. Interesting enough, the north helipad as viewed in the reflection is positioned very near the south helipad on top of the Children’s Hospital.By the next day, the window panels wrapped around the the northwest side of the 15th-floor.
A closeup of the northwest corner.
A Little Bit of This and That
We end the week with four images of the east elevation and four background moods. Notice how the background moods effect the exterior of the structure.
After graduate school Dennis accepted a position at Loma Linda University. He worked there for 42 years in the areas of administration and financial management, also teaching accounting and management to dietetic students at the School of Public Health. Through the years Dennis has chronicled the growth of the campus, including the construction of the Drayson Center and the Centennial Complex and the razing of Gentry Gym. He is the author of "The Mound City Chronicles: A Pictorial History of Loma Linda University, A Health Sciences Institution 1905 - 2005." dEp 09.30.2016 🔨
