Construction Project Updates

Construction of the lobby and the area that connects the two wings of the Hagfors Center continues this week, with work on the columns and structural steel decking — giving passers-by a view into how the building’s main entrance will open up onto 21st Avenue South.

CONSTRUCTION SITE WORK

Construction work this week includes the following:

• Lobby columns. The six soaring columns that will grace the lobby of the Hagfors Center have reached their full, 3-story height. As the concrete has been poured on each section of these columns, the cardboard form has to ensure the concrete is protected and cures consistently along each column. The cardboard form will be removed after all the column sections are cured.
• Steel decking installation. Steel decking is being installed on the second level of the area that connects the lobby with the north and west wings of the building. Also underway this week is the layout of decking for the third floor and structural steel erection for the lobby roof. After the beams and columns are in place, there will be several weeks of detail and welding work to complete these structures.
• Skyway piers. The skyway pier on the east side of 21st Avenue South will be poured this week. The concrete pour for the pier on the west side of the street was completed last week.
• Fourth-floor construction. Crews are spraying the structural steel with fireproofing on the fourth floor of the north wing. Exterior wall framing for the fourth floor will also continue this week.
• Temporary wall on the third floor of Lindell Library. Another temporary wall will be constructed inside Lindell Library to facilitate opening the west side of the building for the skyway connection. The new wall will be on the west side of the third level. The sitting area, elevators and rest rooms will still be available after the wall is installed.
• Piping, framing, mechanical duct work and electrical installation. Metal framing of the interior corridor walls of the second and third levels of the north wing continues this week, along with installation of piping, electrical, and mechanical duct work.
• West side of Oren Gateway. Construction of this area will be postponed until after winter due to additional coordination with underground utilities. McGough Construction and Augsburg’s Facilities are finalizing the design for the screening fence, which will then need review and approval by the City of Minneapolis. Excavation and installation in this area are expected to occur in the spring.
• New exterior construction elevator. A new construction elevator has been installed on the north side of the building. Once the gates are installed at each level and the testing is complete, the elevator will be operational for use in transporting construction workers and materials.

In late September, the Hagfors Center construction project marked 100 days without a lost-time accident. Last week, crew members joined with executive team members from McGough Construction and Augsburg College for an on-site lunch to celebrate this safety milestone. Joining the event were Augsburg College President Paul Pribbenow, Augsburg Chief Strategy Officer Leif Anderson, Augsburg Facilities Director Dennis Stuckey, McGough Construction Executive Vice President Tim McGough, McGough Chief Operating Officer Brad Wood, McGough Project Manager Brian Baar, and McGough Construction Superintendent Ron Steinberger.

CONSTRUCTION SITE WORK

Construction work this week includes the following:

• Lobby columns. The six, three-story columns for the lobby of the building have been completed up to the second floor. This week, the columns are scheduled to be completed to their full height.
• North and west wing connection. Installation of the structural steel that connects the north and west wings continues this week. The construction of this area connects the two wings to the main lobby and creates the second- and third-floor interior walkways that will overlook the lobby of the building. After the beams are in place—which is the most visible part of this work—there will be several weeks of detail and welding work to complete the structure.
• Skyway piers. The excavation and concrete pours for the skyway footings are complete and ready for the concrete pours to construct the piers that will support the skyway at the 2nd-floor level. The piers, which will be located on both sides of 21^st Avenue South, have a unique architectural design that compliments the aesthetic of the building. The pier construction work this week will not impact parking or driving on 21^st Avenue South. McGough will have safety monitors in the area during the concrete pours to ensure pedestrian safety.
• Fourth-floor construction. The steel decking on the north wing’s fourth-floor roof is complete, and the concrete pour for the fourth-floor roof slab is scheduled this week. Exterior wall framing on the west of the fourth-floor will also begin this week.
• Piping, electrical, metal framing, and duct work. Construction crews continue with installation of piping, electrical, metal framing and duct work on the third floor of north wing this week.
• Work on the west of Oren Gateway. McGough Construction and Augsburg’s Facilities team are finalizing the layout of the screening fence for this area in order to accommodate the location of existing utilities. After the layout is determined, excavation for the footings will begin.

As the fourth floor of the north wing becomes visible, construction crews begin installation of the structural steel that will connect the two wings of the building to the lobby area of the Hagfors Center. See the picture below from Thursday afternoon, October 20, showing the structural steel in place for the top level of the building.

CONSTRUCTION SITE WORK

Construction work this week includes the following:

• Fourth-floor roof construction. Construction on the fourth-floor roof of the north wing is underway. With this installation, the building has reached its full height.
• North and west wing connection. Installation of the steel beams that connect the north and west wings of the building will begin this week. The construction of this area will connect the two wings to the main lobby and create the second- and third-floor walkways that overlook the lobby of the building.
• Preparations for construction of the skyway. Excavation for the skyway footings is scheduled this week. The excavation will take place on both sides of 21^st Avenue South – on the construction site and on west side of Lindell Library. This work will intermittently affect sidewalk traffic, so McGough Construction will coordinate necessary safety measures during the excavation work. Once the excavation is complete, the concrete pours for the footings will begin. As previously noted, the skyway work will require the removal of one or more trees on the east side of 21st Avenue South. McGough Construction will work with the City of Minneapolis to determine plans, as needed, to ensure that the City’s tree quantity requirements are met. Augsburg’s Facilities Department is working to minimize disruption to building access and trash service on the west side of Lindell during construction.
• Removal of concrete formwork. With the concrete floor slabs complete for all levels of the building, the formwork tables will be dismantled and hauled off site.
• Piping, electrical, metal framing, and duct work. Construction crews are up to the third floor of north wing with installation of piping, electrical, metal framing and duct work.
• Work on the west of Oren Gateway. Fabrication of the screening fence for the area west of Oren Gateway Center is underway. Excavation for the footings of the screening fence will begin in the next few weeks.

Members of the Augsburg College Board of Regents toured the Hagfors Center construction site on Friday, October 14. Despite windy conditions, Regents climbed to the top floor of the structure to take in the views. Regents also saw a time-lapse video of the construction project during the tours.

Construction Site Work

Construction work this week includes the following:

• Fourth-floor roof construction. Construction on the fourth-floor roof of the north wing begins this week with installation of the structural steel roof. The building will reach its full height with this fourth-floor installation.
• Third-floor roof of the west wing. The concrete pour for the roof of the west wing is scheduled this week. As with prior concrete pours, this work will involve staging of concrete trucks on adjacent streets to enable a consistent concrete supply for the pour. Watch for signage regarding parking restrictions. Each concrete pour — two for each level of the north wing and one for each level of the west wing — was more than a million pounds of concrete.
• Site preparations for additional mobile cranes. Site preparations, including leveling of the site, are underway this week to prepare for additional mobile cranes on the construction site. Mobile cranes will arrive on site in subsequent weeks.
• Preparations for construction of the skyway. This week, crews will begin building the footings for the skyway in and north of the driveway on the west side of Lindell Library. This work may require the removal of one or more trees on the east side of 21st Avenue South. McGough Construction will work with the City of Minneapolis to determine plans, as needed, to ensure that the City’s tree quantity requirements are met. Augsburg’s Facilities Department is working to coordinate the work to minimize disruption to building access and trash service on that side of the Lindell.
• North and west wing connection. Work continues this week to prepare for the steel beam installation that will connect the north and west wings of the building.
• Piping, electrical, metal framing, and duct work installation. Last week, the boilers were set in what will be the mechanical room on the roof of the north wing  This week, utility infrastructure and interior framing will continue in the basement and up to the third floor of the north wing.
• Fabrication of fencing materials for the site west of Oren Gateway. Fabrication of the screening fence for the area west of Oren Gateway Center continues this week. Fencing fabrication is expected to take several weeks, and installation is anticipated for later this fall.

Also, Augsburg’s ART226 Workshop class and visiting artist Anne Baumgartner are preparing an art installation called The Wonder Project, which will be installed on the construction site fence along 21st Avenue South starting this week. Learn more about on The Wonder Project on the Augsburg Art Galleries Facebook page.

In the coming weeks, the Hagfors Center will reach its full height as the third floor of the west wing is completed and construction of the partial fourth floor of the north wing gets underway. The 3D image below provides a structural view of both wings of the building, the Learning Commons, and the skyway.

CONSTRUCTION SITE WORK

Work expected on the construction work this week includes the following:

• Preparation for construction of the skyway. The temporary interior wall on the west end of the second floor of Lindell Library is installed and painted. The temporary wall will block the interior from the construction work on the skyway. As a result of constructing the wall, the seating area in that space has been removed, but access to the elevators and restrooms remains available. This week, crews will also begin removing exterior portions of the west side of Lindell Library to verify connection details for the skyway. McGough Construction is coordinating this work with Augsburg’s Facilities Department to avoid disruption to building access and trash service on that side of Lindell.
• Construction begins on the third floor of the west wing. The concrete pour for the third-story floor of the west wing is scheduled this week. As with prior concrete pours, this work will involve staging of concrete trucks on adjacent streets to enable a consistent concrete supply for the pour. Watch for signage regarding parking restrictions. Once the third-story slab is complete, crews will begin work on the third-floor columns and then the concrete formwork for the roof.
• North and west wing connection. This week, the structural steel installer will begin prep work for the steel beam installation that will connect the north and west wings of the building.
• Installation work in the basement. Work continues on the installation of electrical conduit, piping for wastewater and other plumbing in the basement. The metal stud wall framing for interior walls and door frame installation are completed in the basement.
• Piping, electrical, metal framing, door frames, and duct work installation. Crews will continue installation of piping, electrical conduit, duct work, metal stud framing, and door frames on the first floor this week. Plumbing and mechanical installation also continues on the 2nd and 3rd floors.
• Preparation for fourth-floor construction.The structural steel for the partial fourth floor on the north wing continues to be fabricated at an off-site location. Construction of the fourth story is scheduled to begin in the next couple of weeks.
• Work west of Oren Gateway Center. The next work to take place in the area west of Oren Gateway Center will be the installation of steel framing for the screening fence. The design and placement of the fence have been finalized, so fabrication of the fence materials will begin this week. The off-site materials fabrication is expected to take several weeks.
• Board of Regents tours. On Friday, as part of their fall Board meeting, members of the Augsburg College Board of Regents will have the opportunity to tour the Hagfors Center construction site and get a glimpse of the views from the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors of the north wing.

The tree planting plan for the Hagfors Center construction site has been approved by the City of Minneapolis. The trees selected for this plan represent a variety of native species and will be planted in summer 2017.The tree colors in the plan above represent the fall color of each species. The Hagfors Center site is part of Augsburg’s vision for an Urban Arboretum on campus.

CONSTRUCTION SITE WORK

Work expected on the construction work this week includes the following:

• Preparation for construction of the skyway. This week, crews will begin building a temporary interior wall on the west end of the second floor of Lindell Library. The temporary wall will block the interior from the construction work on the skyway. It will remove the seating area at the end of that space, but access to the elevators and restrooms will remain available.
• Construction begins on the third floor of the west wing. The second-story floor and columns of the west wing are complete. Crews are now installing the concrete formwork for the third floor of that section of the building, which is the top floor of that wing. Following completion of this third-floor slab, there will be one more slab poured on this wing, which will serve as the roof.

  

• Installation work in the basement. Work continues on the installation of electrical conduit, piping for wastewater and other plumbing in the basement. Metal stud framing for interior walls and door frame installation also are in progress. Installation of the concrete block basement walls will be done this week. See the photo at the right for a view of how the basement currently looks.
• First-floor piping, electrical, metal framing and duct work installation. Crews are continuing installation of piping and electrical conduit on the first floor this week. Duct work and metal stud framing are also being installed this week on the ground floor.
• Structural steel fabrication. The structural steel for the partial fourth floor (on the north wing) is currently being fabricated at an off-site location.
• Work west of Oren Gateway Center. The next work to take place in the area west of Oren Gateway Center will be the installation of steel framing for the screening fence. Once the design and placement of the fence are finalized, off-site fabrication of the materials for the fence will begin.

It’s Homecoming at Augsburg College this week! With so many guests coming onto campus, it’s important to remain mindful of safety on and around the construction site. Only authorized personnel wearing hard hats and safety vests are permitted access to the site. No unauthorized personnel should enter the construction site at any time.

This past week, the Hagfors Center project leadership team toured the construction site, including climbing up to the take in the views from the fourth floor. Pictured at right, on that tour, are President Paul Pribbenow and Associate Professor of Physics Stu Anderson, both of whom serve on the project leadership team overseeing the design and construction of the building.

CONSTRUCTION SITE WORK

Following is a summary of current construction work:

• Preparing for concrete pours on the west wing. The concrete portion of the four-story north wing will be completed this week, and construction crews are now installing the concrete formwork for the second story on the west wing of the building. complete in that wing. This work involves using the tower crane to lift large sections of the formwork from the north wing to the west wing. To ensure safety, construction crews station a flag person on the street to direct traffic whenever a load needs to swing over an adjacent street, and they never swing a load over the community garden if there are people working in the area. As work proceeds on the west wing, the temporary yellow shoring posts, used during the concrete pours on the north wing, will be removed from that section of the building.
• Installation work in the basement. Installation of electrical conduit, piping for wastewater and other plumbing, and concrete block continues this week in the basement. Metal stud framing for interior walls also is in progress, and door frame installation will begin as well. Piping installation will also start to move to the upper floors of the north wing this week.
• Asphalt patching complete. The City of Minneapolis street patching on South 6th Street and 21st Avenue South is complete. This work was the final activity following the utility work done in that area this summer.
• Work west of Oren Gateway Center. Preparation for the new concrete slab on the west side of Oren Gateway Center is underway. The new slab will be poured and the new screening will be installed this fall.
• Storm sewer work completed for this year. The storm sewer work on the construction site is completed for this year. As planned, this work did not have any impact outside the construction site.

Elm wood saved from tree

The large elm tree north of Anderson Residence Hall was safely removed last week. As was previously communicated, the tree had become diseased and needed to be removed. Wood from the trunk of the tree was saved and will be made into lumber for use in a future project on campus.

Thank you for your continued help in keeping the construction site for the Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion safe for both workers and the campus community. Only authorized personnel — wearing hard hats and safety vests — are permitted access to the site. No unauthorized personnel should enter the construction site at any time.

Construction Site Work

Work expected on the construction site this week includes the following:

• Fourth-floor concrete pours.  Concrete pours will begin this week on the slab that will form the roof of the third floor and the floor of the partial fourth floor on the north wing. The concrete pours will involve restricting parking along 21st Avenue South between South 7th and South 8th streets to allow for staging of concrete trucks in the area to enable a consistent concrete supply for each pour. Watch for Amail and signage for parking restrictions on campus.

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  Three-story lobby columns. This week, crews will begin concrete pours of the three-story, round concrete columns in the main lobby of the building. There are six of these columns, and they will be poured in sections, beginning at the first-story level and working upward. The drawing to the right shows four of these round columns in the lobby of the Center.

• Second-story formwork on the west wing. Crews will begin work this week on the concrete formwork for the second floor of the west wing. The west wing will be three stories high. Concrete pours will begin on this wing after the fourth-floor concrete pours on the north wing are complete.
• Installation work in the basement. Installation of electrical conduit, piping for wastewater and other plumbing, and concrete block is underway in the basement. Metal stud framing for interior walls will also start this week.
• Road repair on South 6th Street and 21st Avenue South. Asphalt patching will be done along South 6th Street and 21st Avenue South by City of Minneapolis crews later this fall. The street patching is the final activity to be completed in that area following the utility work done this summer.
• Work west of Oren Gateway Center. Concrete work and installation of screen fencing are anticipated to be completed on the west side of Oren Gateway this fall, following the utility work completed in that area this summer.
• Storm sewer work. Storm sewer work is in progress on the construction site. No impact outside the site is anticipated.

Tree and Landscaping Update

As President Paul Pribbenow communicated to Augsburg faculty and staff last week, the large elm tree north of Anderson Residence Hall has become diseased and will need to be removed. This tree removal is not part of the construction project. The tree was fenced off from the construction site to prevent any damage and was treated for Dutch elm disease during the summer in an attempt to stave off the disease, but the arborist has determined that the tree will not survive given its current condition. Removal of the tree is scheduled for Tuesday, September 13. Some of the wood from the tree will be preserved for use in future projects on campus.

It’s unfortunate to have lost this and other Elms on campus in recent years, so we are grateful that, as part of the Hagfors Center project, we will be planting dozens of new trees next summer. The initial Hagfors Center landscape plan includes more than 50 canopy trees and more than 30 ornamental trees on the construction site and along the bordering streets. Once the City of Minneapolis approves the landscaping plan, a diagram will be posted on this web site so that the campus and neighboring community can get a glimpse of the greenery that will be part of the project.

Construction on the Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion is now into its fifth month. We appreciate everyone’s help keeping the construction area safe for workers and the campus community. You can help keep the construction area safe by ensuring that no unauthorized personnel enter the construction site at any time. Only authorized personnel–wearing hard hats and safety vests–should enter the site.

CONSTRUCTION SITE WORK

Work expected on the construction site this week includes the following:

• Fourth-floor formwork. The concrete pours for the third floor of the north wing are complete. This week, construction crews will continue putting the formwork in place for the fourth floor of that wing. (See diagram at right showing the floor plan for the fourth floor on the north wing. The illustration show the general intent of the fourth floor; layout and final design may be revised slightly from the drawing.) Fourth-floor concrete pours are expected to start early in the week of September 12. The concrete pours will again involve restricting parking along 21st Avenue South between South 7th and South 8th streets to allow for staging of concrete trucks in the area to enable a consistent concrete supply for each pour. Watch for Amail and signage for parking restrictions on campus.
• Continued column construction. Construction of third-story columns will continue on the north wing of the building this week,
• Grade-level concrete slab is complete. Last week, the final section of the grade-level concrete slab for the first floor was poured. As a result, the entire footprint of the building is now in place.
• Road repair on South 6th Street and 21st Avenue South. The City of Minneapolis is expected to complete asphalt patching along South 6th Street and 21st Avenue South later this fall. The street patching is the final activity to be completed in that area following the utility work done this summer.
• Work west of Oren Gateway Center.  The utility work on the west side of Oren Gateway Center is now substantially complete. Concrete work and the installation of screen fencing are anticipated to be completed this fall.
• Electrical and concrete block installation in the basement. This week, crews will begin installation of the electrical conduit in the basement. They will also begin concrete-block construction of the interior basement walls.
• Storm sewer work. Storm sewer work will begin on the construction site this week. No work or impact outside of the construction area is anticipated for this activity.