The Structures Lab in Galbraith Building appears somewhat barren of late; crews have completed a massive cleanup, readying for major renovations.
The cleanup involved the relocation of 12m-long timber specimens (to be shipped out to another Canadian university for testing), relocation of hydraulic accumulator equipment, storage of various test equipment and fabrication jigs, disposal of general operational/construction waste (40 cubic yard bin), and disposal of spent test specimens which included two-ton concrete slabs and nine-ton concrete beams.
The next phase of construction begins this June. Demolition activities will include the removal of existing reinforced concrete strong floors (1.2 m thick), machine base (1.7 m thick), and foundation walls (150 mm thick). This demolition may take four or five weeks to complete. Afterwards, several months of major work remains to complete installation of new testing equipment.
Earlier this year, crews moved the Shell Element Tester and dismantled the 60-year-old Baldwin Press to prepare for this cleanup and subsequent demolition.
Stay tuned for more renovation updates over the coming months.
By David Goldberg