How many contractors does it take to change a light bulb at the Community College of Rhode Island? A lot if the light bulb is high above a pool with delicate ceramic tile. Contractors at CCRI’s Lincoln campus recently finished a job to replace the lighting system and fix the roof above the pool area at the field house.
The college’s Associate Director of Physical Plant David Snow recently took some time to discuss the project and its unique challenges.
PBN: Can you talk a little bit about what was involved with the work on the field house?
SNOW: The primary project was twofold: to replace the drop ceiling system and replace and upgrade the lighting system. A project of this size, coupled with the unique space challenges associated with the pool area, required CCRI to bring in contractors and engineers to provide initial conceptual specifications for materials and design for both the ceiling and the lighting system.
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PBN: Why undertake the project?
SNOW: The pool is used year-round not only by students, but also by the general public. With the deteriorating condition of the ceiling, as well as the fact that some lights were no longer working, it was time to address these issues now before conditions worsened.
The Flanagan Campus Field House is 35 years old and the vast majority of the internal structure is original. The pool area presents unique challenges because of the environmental conditions created by the high humidity and temperatures. Over the past few years, the drop ceiling had started to show failure because of corrosion and there was the occasional damaged ceiling tile or two, which were difficult – if not impossible – to replace.
Also, the original lighting system provided insufficient lighting for competitive swimming events and was extremely difficult and, in some cases, unsafe to maintain. Many of the light fixtures were installed over the pool itself, making a simple bulb change a major challenge – especially from a safety standpoint. A system was not designed for the space that provided for reasonable maintenance of the lights.
PBN: What was unique about working in a pool environment and how did you and the contractors overcome the challenges?
SNOW: The major challenge for the contractors, Alpha Electric and E & S Acoustical Ceilings, was to engineer a working 30-foot-high scaffold system that would allow workers to safely and efficiently span the pool to replace the ceiling and light system while maintaining and not damaging the ceramic tile making up the pool deck and coping surrounding the pool. The solution was a rolling gantry that spanned the entire width of the pool and could be rolled into position up and down the full length of the pool. The unique gantry setup provided for a safe working platform that prevented debris from falling into the pool while providing full access to the ceiling and lights.
Choosing ceiling and lighting systems that could withstand the aggressive environment also posed a challenge. We used the engineering services of Holophane Lighting to design a lighting system that was specifically manufactured for the environmental conditions, while improving the overall lighting to better meet current competitive swimming requirements. It also was essential that the design allowed for safe and reasonable maintenance. We went with an Armstrong ceiling system designed for high-humidity environments.
PBN: I understand that you quickly discovered some unknown issues. Can you talk about those and how you addressed them?
SNOW: The first day of work that involved the demolition of the old ceiling, we discovered that a 30-foot section of 6-inch cast iron roof storm water drainage pipe, located and tied into the roof deck above the drop ceiling, had collapsed and was resting on the old drop ceiling. This section of broken pipe weighed hundreds of pounds, and the ceiling contractor had no alternative but to stop work while the damaged was assessed.
It was determined that a number of the steel supports tying the insulated pipe to the roof deck had failed because of corrosion. There were two similar drainage pipes in the area that we were also concerned about, so the decision was made to install new stainless steel supports for the pipe as well as replacing the damaged section that had collapsed. This required bringing in a new contractor, Delta Mechanical, to complete the work. Unfortunately, this also increased the project cost and added four weeks to the project schedule.
PBN: Can you apply any of the lessons learned from this project to more traditional (or nontraditional) projects at the campus?
SNOW: The CCRI Flanagan Campus, although well maintained since it opened in 1975, does have its share of hidden surprises that we often do not see until projects start. Whether an issue arises from unforeseen wear-and-tear damage or the need to bring systems up to current building code requirements, it is basically a given that you must plan for the unexpected and that schedules and budgets can be estimates at best.
The best way to prepare for these issues is to maintain a very competent Physical Plant staff as well as a group of proven outside contractors that can provide almost immediate support whenever one of these challenges occurs.
