The East Elevation: the Central Core and its Penultimate GFRC Panel
Remember when the steel towers reached their apex? It was nearly five-month ago when we would gaze up toward the east elevation of the two tallest steel towers and wonder; is that it? Have they reached the top? December 11, 2018, was the date set for the ceremonial (with emphasis on ceremonial) topping off ceremony, which would take place on the 16th-floor. It was rumored that if all went well the Adult Hospital and the Elevator (central core) towers would top off at floors 17 and 18 respectively by the end of the year (2018).
All went well, for at sunset on December 27, 2018, just four days before the end of the year, the steel towers stood tall over the campus having reached their maximum height. Within months the steel towers would be just a memory as they would be covered (with the exception of the north side) with glass curtain walls and GFRC panels.
At sunset on December 27, 2018, just four days shy of the end of the year, the steel towers stood tall over the campus having reached their maximum height making the structure the tallest building in San Bernardino County and the second tallest structure in the Inland Empire.Around 7:30 AM, the crew was lowering the penultimate panel on the east side of the elevator tower (central core).
The Central Core Machine Room — 18th Floor
With the penultimate panel placed and the last GFRC panel installed on the elevator machine room, all of the beams and columns of the central core tower are now wrapped with GFRC panels and the installation of the windows will soon begin.From the roof (17th floor) of the Adult Hospital tower, the elevator machine room, which extends another story above the 17th floor, looks somewhat like a mausoleum at the local cemetery. The side with the two doors faces north. The side to the left faces east, which section seen in the image above.From the roof (16th floor) of the Adult Hospital tower’s west wing, the west side of the elevator machine room rises two-stories above the 16th floor.Jutting some eight stories above the Children’s Hospital tower, the south side of the central core’s tower is visible from the southeast corner of the building.The south side of the elevator tower or central core, which rises out of the podium. There are two sets of elevators inside the tower: One set will be adult service elevators and the other set will be adult patient elevators. A staircase is also in the tower. The elevator tower rises out of the podium and is obscured by the Children’s hospital to the south. This image was taken from the 10th floor (roof) of the Children’s Hospital. The narrow windows at the right of the image allow for light on each floor where there is a hallway to various services.Inside of the central core machine room facing south.Inside the central core machine room facing north.
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 🔨
