The Week of September 22, 2019 — The Schuman Pedestrian Bridge, the Schuman Pavilion Elevator Tower, the Pits, the Tunnel, and More

The Week of September 22, 2019 — The Schuman Pedestrian Bridge, the Schuman Pavilion Elevator Tower, the Pits, the Tunnel, and More

The Schuman Pavilion Pedestrian bridge, as seen in this photo, crosses over the main entrance to the Medical Center where a few hours before there was a hubbub of activity as men and machine hoisted the mega-ton structure to its final position. To view how the transformation of the entrance took place literally overnight go to https://docuvision2020.com/index.php/2019/09/22/saturday-night-lights-the-schuman-pavilion-pedestrian-bridge-connects-the-new-with-the-old/

The featured image for this post–a bridge over the main drive to the entrance of the Medical Center–symbolically connects the new with the old. Although the new structures are referred to as the Adult and Children’s replacement Hospitals, there will be services (too numerous to name in this post) provided in the old section. The installation of the Schuman Pavilion Pedestrian bridge marks the beginning of the project phase that will, over the next year, change the face to the entrance of the hospital campus. By the time the new hospital opens the entrance to the hospital campus will flow to the north side of the new hospital to the new main entrance called the Galleria canopy, where patients and visitors will enter the lobbies for the adult and children patients.

The Schuman Pavilion Pedestrian Bridge

What was euphemistically called the Schuman Pavilion Pedestrian bridge while sitting in the north yard as the ironworkers built the steel frame for the bridge, is now officially a bridge as it has been installed over the main entrance to the Medical Center. With this addition, the face of the existing Medical Center entrance and its towers have been forever changed.

Some five-hours before the move, the camera captures the entrance to the Medical Center in the Saturday night lights.
An 11:45 PM view of the Schuman Pavilion Pedestrian bridge as seen from the second-story connecting corridor.
This is the official image of the Schuman Pavilion Pedestrian bridge taken after the bridge had been set. The crane still stabilizes the bridge as the welder begin the prep work before welding the bridge to the concrete pillars.
With the main entrance closed to traffic, the usually busy main entrance was full of construction equipment, trucks, and construction workers.
This perfectly timed image was taken in the north yard just after the cane lowered the Schuman Pavilion Pedestrian bridge onto the support pedestals.
The Schuman Pavilion Pedestrian bridge as seen in the distance. When this image was taken, the crane cables still held the bridge in place while the bridge was secured to the support column at each end by the welders.
10:02 AM: A view of the Schuman Pavilion Pedestrian Bridge from the east tower of the Medical Center.
A closer view of the bridge. Note the trucks lined up as the crew begins to dismantle the crane. To the left is the roof of the Schuman Pavilion.
Looking west toward the current entrance to the Medical Center. All is quiet around the area after crane and heavy equipment left the site. With the exception of the bridge, tire tracks on the asphalt, and material lying near the red “Fire Lane No Parking” sign on the curb, it was hard to tell that a major construction project had been completed a few hours before.
Imagine what this bridge will look like after the glass panels are hung along the side of the bridge. The section covered in white tarps (center and behind the bridge) will be the Galleria and the new entrance to the hospital complex replacing the existing entrance.
The following day after the Schuman Pavilion Pedestrian bridge had been installed over the road to the main entrance, the patient dropoff turnaround and valet parking was as busy as any other day.

Related to the Schuman Pavilion Bridge Installation — Changes to the Main Entrance Dropoff Area are Coming

In addition to the installation of the Schuman Pavilion Pedestrian bridge, a work crew was on-site Saturday night removing sections of the sidewalk where a new canopied (required for safety reasons) walkway will be installed. To allow for the ongoing construction of the Schuman Pavilion Pedestrian bridge, the patient/visitor curbside dropoff turnaround will end before the bridge crosses over the road. It is anticipated that the change will take effect on Monday, September 30, 2019. This will be the first of several changes that will occur during the next year as the construction process will begin transitioning from the existing patient/visitor curbside dropoff turnaround to a new area east of the current entrance to a new entrance called the Galleria, which will be located on the north side of the new Adult Hospital tower.

On Saturday night, September 21, 2019, at approximately 9:30 PM a crew was excavating a section of the sidewalk between the main entrance to the Medical Center and Schuman Pavilion.
There are changes coming to the main entrance of the Medical center as the result of the installation of the Schuman Pavilion Pedestrian bridge. The above image is a rough guess of how the changes will look from above. Of course, this is all subject to change. and may have a smaller footprint then what I am suggesting in this image.
Another representation of the area in question after the Schuman Pavilion Pedestrian bridge was installed. The current turn around will be used for a staging area for construction equipment and materials.
The area within the yellow is where changes will be made during the next year to the main entrance to the hospital campus. (1) the steel frame for the bridge has been installed, (2) the steel frame of the Schuman Pavilion Elevator Tower has been erected, (3) changes to the main entrance dropoff turnaround area is in the making, (4) the Galleria is yet to be built. After the completion of the Galleria, the final rerouting of the main entrance will be completed.
On Saturday night, September 21, 2019, at approximately 9:30 PM a demolition crew was excavating a section of the sidewalk between the main entrance to the Medical Center and Schuman Pavilion.
On Saturday night, September 22, 2019, sections of the sidewalk were removed where a canopied walkway will be built. The covered walkway is required for safety purposes while construction continues on the Schuman Pavilion Pedestrian bridge.
The excavation as seen from the second floor connecting corridor.
A little after midnight, the second footing was nearly completed.
By 7:48, the carpenters were laying rebar and wire to reinforce the new sidewalk, which will have a canopy.
By the end of the day, the footings had been dug and reinforcing rebar and wire had been placed in preparation for an early morning concrete pour.
By the time patients and visitors arrived the first thing Monday morning, they noticed the bridge, and concrete (highlighted in the lower left) that had been poured Sunday afternoon was ready for pedestrian traffic.
After the concrete cured for a couple of days, the frame (highlighted in the lower left) was installed on the night of September 25, 2019,
By the morning of the following day, the roof had been installed (note highlighted section of the lower-left corner.
Sometime during the night of September 23, 2019, the frame for the first canopy was put up on the east side of the Schuman Pavilion Elevator tower. This area will be the new dropoff location for patients and visitors.
Canopy material delivered to the yard during the night of September 24, 2019.
During the night, after 9:00 PM when the main entrance to the hospital was closed, the roof had been installed on the canopy frame.
In addition to the canopy, the carpenters formed what will be the new dropoff location and what will become the western edge of a new turnaround when the hospital is completed.
On September 26, 2019, in the late afternoon, the first section of the new dropoff turnaround was poured.
The last section of the dropoff turnaround is being formed for an afternoon concrete pour.
Troweling the last section of concrete for the dropoff turnaround.

The Domestic Water Tanks — Update

5:24 AM: While there was a break in the action on the north side, I made my way to the southeast side of the site to see if there was any activity going on in that area. All was quiet at the Domestic Water Pit. It appeared that the crew was getting close to backfilling the rest of the pit. All of the standpipes were upright. It appeared to me that all that needed to be done was setting the four (4) manhole sleeves.
Four concrete vaults are being installed around electronic gate valves. Once leveled dirt will be backfilled and compacted around them.
The following day, dirt had been backfilled and compacted around the concrete vaults.
Backfilling and compaction continue.
Bolting down the covers, and backfilling and compaction begins on the west end (center left).

The Emergency Sewer Tanks — Update

5:25 AM: Yes Mabel even under the lights, there is life down in the pit and up on grade. The crew is beginning to backfill the pit with gravel.
Special care is taken as the crew shovels and compacts the gravel around the tanks.
A layer of dirt was placed over the gravel.
Cutting off the last of the horizontal shoring braces.
Sealing the joints of the two west end pipe stands.
Another view of the emergency sewer pit looking toward the southwest.
This short video shows how two standpipes were lowered on to two emergency sewer tanks. The operation took two pieces of equipment and happened almost simultaneously.

A Beautiful Early Morning Interlude

5:28 AM: As I made my way to the other side of the building, I was struck by the exquisite form and color accentuated by the early morning light. The towers seemed to stretch toward the heavens in anticipation of another productive day.

The Backup Generator Pit — Update

A view of the backup generator pit from the aerial lift at about level 15. With the equipment on-site, it would appear that excavation of the pad will begin very soon.
By Friday, September 27, 2019, site preparation and excavation began. Some of the dirt excavated from this site was taken to the south side of the Children’s Hospital where it will be used in backfilling the domestic water pit and the sewer pit.
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Dennis E. Park, MA
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 🔨
2 Comments
    • Dennis Schall

    what is the latest on the tunnel?

      • Dennis E. Park, MA

      They were supposed to gunite the sides of the tunnel today, 09.30.19 but an inspector and engineer demanded a change, it was postponed for today, and is scheduled for tomorrow. The interior height will be eight-feet.

      dEp