A pipe broke on south campus, causing air conditioning units in nearby dorms to stop working.
Facilities Management workers will finish a three-week pipe replacement project near Annapolis Hall this weekend that forced them to shut off air conditioning to six South Hill dorms, department officials said.
The project’s completion was initially scheduled for Monday, said John Austin, mechanical support systems assistant director. However, progress stalled when workers found a large slab of concrete blocking the pipes while digging. Delays continued when workers began breaking up the concrete and discovered they also needed to dig around Wi-Fi wires above the excavation site, he said.
The new installations, which workers started April 13, will replace the pipes that cracked and caused water outages for the surrounding dormitories over winter break. When the pipes broke, workers only created a temporary solution until they could replace them, Austin said.
Although Residential Facilities turned on air conditioning last week, Frederick, Washington, Charles, Montgomery, Alleghany and Prince George’s halls do not have air conditioning because of the project, said George Mohr, Residential Facilities assistant director. He added the project also affects Annapolis Hall, but the dorm has a backup chilling system.
During the construction, workers have been digging and installing about 140 feet of water piping to the right of Annapolis Hall, Austin said. During this time, workers added new sections to the pipes that carry cool and hot water for air conditioning and heating.
“What we’re doing here is we’re repairing a big chunk of section, and that chunk becomes part of the new piping system,” said Austin, who is also the site’s project manager. “So it’s more than a repair — we’re really replacing this small section that is a high-stressed area.”
Behind Frederick Hall, the work is done pieces at the bottom of a 40-foot hole lined with greenwood for support. From there, workers weld together new pieces of the piping system, which resembles a 3-D puzzle, Austin said.
After finals week, Facilities Management also plans to replace the domestic water pipe that moves hot water to dorm sinks and showers.
The older pipes became corroded and cracked after years of being underground and under heavy use, Austin said. Julius Breakiron, a mechanical projects coordinator, said some of the old pipes were so thin and fragile he broke them with his hands.
The new pipes are steel — the same material as the old pipes — but will have more room in the ground to expand during colder temperatures to prevent future breaks, Austin said.
“We’re designing it in a way that will allow the pipes to grow and will give them much more room so they can move,” he said.
The final cost for the project is unknown, but Austin said he estimates it will cost between $250,000 and $300,000. About 85 percent of that money went toward digging the hole to reach the pipes, he said.
Charles Hall resident Ashley Mason said the construction noise — usually starting between 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. — and the lack of air conditioning resulting from the maintenance project bothers her.
“It’s ridiculous to live in these conditions when I pay all this money to go here,” the sophomore economics major said. “I can’t wait until they’re done.”
Despite the inconvenience for students, Austin said the project’s timing is ideal because it isn’t too hot out to require air conditioning or too cold to need heating.
“That’s why we’re doing this right now — it’s our only opportunity,” Austin said. “These dorms are used in the summer, and they’ll need air conditioning.”
