Operations Division FY20 Annual Report

582
total ada campus ramps
Drane Hall ADA Compliant Upgrades
For renovations at Drane Hall to begin, the Operations Division needed to
find the right solution for ADA code compliance so the space can better fit
the needs of students, faculty, and staff.
Drane Hall, one of the first dorms on campus was
constructed in 1941. The building has undergone
two previous major structural renovations.
Enclosed stairways were added at the ends of the
north and south wings in 1971, and an enclosed
elevator was added at the north wing in 1982.
Over the years, discussions circled around using
this building to house student service functions
as a ‘one-stop shop’ for students. The plan was
never fully implemented due to ADA concerns
with the configuration of the main entrance
which was lower than the north and south wings
of the building. When a person entered the
building from the east main entrance, they had
to go up a short flight of stairs in either direction.
Operations Division Engineering Services started
putting together the schematic design for this
new renovation project back in 2018. After some
design analysis, Engineering Services realized
that they would have to perform the renovation in
2 phases due to the complexity and time frame of
the work, they confronted different challenges to
bring the building up to current code compliance,
in particular, IBC, IFC and ADA codes.
Third-floor renovation work started by the end
of 2018. A new fire sprinkler system, HVAC fire
dampers, restrooms renovation, doors with offset
hinges and hardware to make each access door
ADA compliant, new ceilings, LED lights, and
carpet finishes were some of the main renovation
tasks. By the middle of 2019, Engineering Services
moved to the Second floor where they performed
work similar in scope to the Third floor to include
changing the HVAC controls from pneumatic to
electronic controls. Engineering Services also
took advantage over the summer to do a portion
of the first floor.
During 2019 Christmas break, they continued
with the second phase of the renovation project
on the first floor. The first-floor renovation
brought Engineering Services one of the biggest
challenges to provide the right solution for ADA
code compliance at the main entrance. Getting
access to the limited crawl space under the
building to protect the utilities and avoid damage
during demolition, provide appropriate structural
support, and modify the existing foundation were
some of the challenges successfully resolved to
add the much-needed new ramps and provide
for the ADA requirements for this building.
Engineering Services also reconfigured some
of the offices impacted by the ramp installation
and provided a fire rated barrier to comply with
IFC and IBC codes. This work was accomplished
in partnership between Operations Division
Engineering Services and BMC's Project Team.
Before
After
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