Construction begins on columns

Posted to On Campus by Travis Cornejo at 2:22 p.m., June 1, 2010

Cosmetic repairs to the columns at Francis Quadrangle will begin Tuesday.

The project, totaling $178,371, will only affect the square concrete bases of the columns, added in 1949.

“We’re going to wrap a material made of fiber around the base of the columns,” Planning and Design Assistant Director Bob Unrath said. “We’ll cover the material with concrete. Our goal is to protect the existing concrete from further cracking.”

Campus Facilities Assistant Vice Chancellor Gary Ward said external experts completed an analysis of the columns, and while they found no problems with the bases, they did find hairline cracks.

“While these don’t pose any structural problems, they recommended that we address the cracks before they get worse,” Ward said.

Campus Facilities Maintenance is funding the construction project.