Loma Linda University Campus Transformation Project: Progress Update as of May 13, 2018

Now that the steel columns are visible rising well above the security fence, it is time to take a reality check on the Loma Linda University Campus Transformation Project (LLUCTP).  As in a companies balance sheet, this post will provide an update (“snapshot”) of the construction status of the LLUCTP at a particular point in time, which for this piece, the visual report is as of May 13, 2018. Many reading this blog remember in September of 2015, when a large sign was installed in the median of the Medical Center entrance. This striking sign incorporated an artist rendering of the new Children’s an Adult Hospital Towers with a succinct declaration across the top: VISION 2020 The Campaign for a WHOLE Tomorrow. Down in the lower right corner was a very visible logo of the institution with the words: “Loma Linda University Health.” Some of the comments/questions I heard, after the sign was placed, included: Wow; Are they serious?; I can’t believe it!;  Is this for sure?; Beautiful, is this for real? The most frequent question I heard asked was: “When will they start?” When the “make ready” work, which included–the demolition of the Mary M buildings; the realignment of Prospect Ave.; the closing of the north side parking lots; the rerouting of utilities north of the main entrance to the Medical Center; rerouting the main entrance traffic off of Anderson Street to Prospect Ave.; and finally, the fencing off of the whole construction site–began in early 2016 and for the most part concluded by the May 27, 2016, just in time for the official Ground Breaking ceremonies on Sunday, May 29. From that point, the work began in earnest. By the first of June, the first of the “I-beam” pilings or soldier piles were lowered into place. After a number of pilings had been set, the excavation of the pit began. Approximately six-months later excavation of the pit was nearly complete to a point where the first sections of the four-inch rat slab could be poured on the west side of the pit as the last truck loads of dirt was taken out of the east end. With the pit completed and the rat slab poured, work could begin toward the day when the first double node spline beam would be set on the base isolators on the northwest side of the pit. The first double node spline beam, weighing close to 100,000-pounds, was lowered into the pit on December 6, 2018. Everyone on site was astounded by the size of the beam. Someone near me remarked that: “twenty percent of the steel’s weight for the whole project was all in the spline beams and infills that rested on the base isolators.” Think of that: Twenty percent of the steel’s weight for the whole construction project supports the floor decking for the “A” level while the remaining 80-percent of the steel’s weight goes into the rest of the building. The following illustration depicts where where the project stands as of May 13, 2018.

NOTE: THE ABOVE ILLUSTRATION IS A COMPOSITE OF THE FOLLOWING:  THE STYROFOAM SCALE MODEL OF THE COMPLETED PROJECT (2 AND 3) WAS MADE BY AN EMPLOYEE FROM McCARTHY (THE CONTRACTOR). NUMBER ONE (1) IS A NOT-TO-SCALE REPRESENTATION AND FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY (BY THE CHRONICLER) OF THE STRUCTURAL FOUNDATION AND ALL THE MATERIALS AND STEEL THAT HAS GONE INTO THE PROJECT UP TO MAY 13, 2018.

A VIEW FROM THE ANDERSON STREET (EAST) SIDE

Looking at the project from the east (Anderson Street) side, one can get a good look of what the final product will look like. At the moment all that can be seen are columns and corrugated metal decking rising above the safety fence that surrounds the project. Section one (1) in the above illustration is all under ground and approximately three-quarters of the steel columns, beams, and decking have been installed in the section known as the “Podium” or “Base.” The podium consists of seven (7) floors: two below ground (levels “B” and “A”). Six (6) stories (floors) rise above level “B.” Currently, most of the steel columns, infill and decking in section (A) of the Podium is nearing completion with only beams and infill left to reach the roof line of the Podium ( see the red line in the above illustration). In section (B) of the above illustration, the steel in the southwest and center south reaches the third-floor. The last and fourth quadrant (the southeast section) has only the decking for “A” level, which covers level “B.”  As a side note, the “MP” just under “Ground Level”on each side of the building stands for Mechanical Pipes. By reviewing the proceeding posts one can discern how the building rises floor by floor out of the concrete pit.

From time to time, as the project progresses, this illustrative progress update will be featured again.

The Construction Site Taken on Friday Evening May 11, 2018

A  view of the site taken from the sixth floor of the Parking Structure P4, located south of Barton Road. Although this photograph was taken two-days prior to this post, the visual structural change at the end of  Sunday (a working day) would be negligible from this vantage point.