The Medical Sciences Building at the UCSF Parnassus campus will be a work in progress in the months ahead, as two important seismic projects will begin to help safeguard its occupants.
One project involves separating Moffitt Hospital from the Medical Sciences Building to make each 15-story building stronger in case of an earthquake. UCSF must comply with Senate Bill 1953, which sets stringent seismic standards for California hospitals, by Jan. 1, 2008. The other project, also at the Medical Sciences Building, involves renovating the building's heating and ventilation system, adding air conditioning, cleaning the ductwork system and seismic strengthening. Both projects are partially financed with state funds.
Medical Sciences Building
Built in 1954, the Medical Sciences Building (MSB) at 513 Parnassus Ave. houses numerous labs and administrative offices. The building is not equipped to handle technological advances as computers and modern research equipment emit heat, raising the temperature in the building to uncomfortable levels. The plan calls for implementing a cost-effective, code-compliant and reliable environmental control system while improving the comfort of building occupants.
To accomplish this, crews will install exterior curtain walls with louvers to serve as a larger supply air intake, replace the existing steam-heating system with an entirely new hot water heating system and install an air conditioning system.
UCSF also will undertake seismic work on the south and west ends and the roof of MSB to make the building stronger and more flexible in the event of an earthquake. To make the L-shaped building more flexible, crews must expand the window openings on its western façade, the side facing the School of Nursing building. To make the building stronger, crews will fill openings on the southern façade, the part facing the Health Sciences East Building, and add more steel rebar and concrete on parts of the roof.
The work on the western façade will be noisy, but sound tests indicate that much of this noise will not be transmitted to the surrounding neighborhoods because all of this work will occur within the confines of Saunders Court, which will buffer the sound. Protective platforms and barriers will be built around these walls to protect pedestrians during construction.
To minimize disruption for faculty, staff and students during regular business hours, UCSF has scheduled noisy work to occur between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m., Monday through Friday. Truck deliveries will occur in the evening hours. The delivery trucks will use Koret Way, which is located near the eastern end of the campus, and will enter the campus via 5th and Kirkham avenues.
This work on MSB is actually divided into two independent construction projects. The first project, which includes seismic strengthening and upgrading air flow and temperature control for floors three through six, is expected to start in December 2005 and be completed by November 2006. The next project, which includes work in the basement and remaining floors as well as adding another chiller in the Central Utilities Plant for additional capacity, is scheduled to begin in November 2006 and be completed by June 2008. Proceeding with each project depends upon funding from the state.
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Moffitt Hospital
To comply with the state seismic safety law, UCSF must separate the Moffitt Hospital building from MSB. Crews will use a concrete saw to cut through beams and floor slabs on floors two through 14 and through the roof of MSB, along the side where it connects to Moffitt Hospital. Crews will install seismic joints at every level, allowing the buildings to move independently of each other and resulting in improved safety conditions in the event of an earthquake.
In addition, Cole Hall will be left attached to Moffitt Hospital. Access to the top of Cole Hall and restrooms on floors 5, 7 and 13 in MSB will be modified to meet Americans with Disabilities Act code requirements. Several existing MSB telecommunications and data wiring rooms located along the path of the cut will be reconfigured to accommodate construction. This reconfiguration work will start in January 2006.
The noisiest phase of the project will involve saw cutting and concrete chipping to separate the two buildings. Because this work will occur near occupants, and in some cases patient care areas, UCSF will monitor the work carefully. To minimize disruption during regular business hours, UCSF is scheduling the separation work between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m., Monday through Friday. Seismic separation construction is scheduled to start by June 2006 and should be completed by December 2007.
For questions on the Medical Sciences Building project, please call John Ewers, project manager, at 415/502-3921. For questions related to the Moffitt Hospital Separation Project, please call Fred Whitney, project manager, at 415/885-3536.
Source: Lisa Cisneros
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