Wednesday, August 22, 1979
University Daily Kansan
3C
Fire, weather and materials delay Malott
By MARK SPENCER
Staff Reporter
The completion deadline for the Malawi Hall addition was December 15, 1989, but April 24, 1989 because of bad weather, ordering materials and a fire at the construction site, according to a spokesman for the construction agency.
Jim Tinkum, project administrator for the B.B. Anderson Construction Co., Topeka, said the weather and technical changes, "things that can't be annotated," he said in the project. Tinkum said he could not elaborate further.
The fire, which broke out May 11 on the sixth floor of the addition, damaged about one-fourth of the floor according to L. Larry Stemmerman, fire investigator. The fire department estimated the damage at $30,000.
TINKUM SAID HIS construction company was carrying the insurance risk of the project and that the matter would be settled by the company's insurance firm.
The cause of the fire, listed in the Lawrence fire department's report as accidental, was hot slag from a cutting torch being used to cut metal. The report says the fire was caused by the area about an hour before the fire was reported.
Fire officials speculated that the hot slag from the cutting torches fell into cracks between wood forms and smoldered, eventually igniting the forms. Tinkum said that fires of this nature rarely occurred.
Jim McSawm, Lawrence fire chief, disagreed, saying that slag from cutting torches was a fairly common source of the flames.
"THERE ARE ALSO adequate precautions that can be made to remove the risk," he said. "If the standard precautions for cutting and welding in a heat-sealed container have flaws, chances of fire from hot slab are virtually eliminated."
McMain said these precautions included a person, equipped with adequate extinguishing or cooling equipment, and the holders and extinguisher material that was scattered around the work area. The retardant material to cover the working area and a watchman or welder to remain in the area for 30 minutes was completed to watch for smoldering material.
McSwan said according to Malott fire reports that he read, none of these precautions had been taken.
“IT'S REALLY not that hard to do. They are very simple operations,” he said.
Tinkum refused to comment on whether the safety measures mentioned by McSwain were being followed before the fire or if they had been enacted by the company. The results were not "standard industry recommendations."
"They are fine if you have all the money in the world to build a project," he said.
Fire officials the fire started in an area where the cutting was being done and spread in all direction.
was that a fire hydrant closest to Malot, just south of the building on the construction site, had been turned off. The fire department had not been notified that the hydrant was not operational.
MCWAIN SAID fighting the fire was delayed about 15 minutes because of the empty hydrant and that this increased the damage to the building, although he couldn't estimate by how much.
One problem that hampered efforts to fight the fire
"Any time you delay the actual fighting of a fire, you are going to add to the damage," he said.
"It was basically a freak accident," he said. "You don't get fire fires too often. We are basically following the same safety procedures as we were before the fire."
Shutting off a fire hydrant withoutnotifying the fire department is a violation of the city fire code and, therefore, a misdemeanor. McSain said. Because of the circumstances, however, the incident no longer is being investigated.
MCSWAIN SAID reports on the fire had been sent
to the state fire marshal and the University. The Lawrence fire department will not take any further action.
Clark Brinkbaker, deputy state fire inspector, is in charge of safety inspections on campus. He said it was uncommon for construction sites to be inspected.
Brubaker added, however, that if a request were filled with the state fire marshal, an investigation might have been initiated.
Malott Hall Addition
In 1952, during construction of the original building, 200 tons of steel framework for the upper floors collapsed under the pressure of 75-mile-an-hour damage was estimated between $30,000 and $40,000.
The main building was eventually completed at a cost of $3,450,000, about a third of the cost of the present addition, and dedicated on November 11, 1954.
MALOTT HOUSES the physics and chemistry department of a science library. The addition will be used to relieve crowding in the School of Pharmacy, expand the science library on the sixth floor and house a central library.
Central air conditioning, improved fume hood ventilation and improved corridor lighting also are
Because workmen had to remove existing ventilation ducts in the building, classrooms, research environments.
About 60 percent of the new space will be used by the School of Pharmacy with the remainder being reserved for research.
Construction of the addition began in 1878. When it is completed, 115,000 square feet of space will be needed.
DRILLING IN concrete has created a lot of useless things. Have been covered by plastic sheets or stored
John Landgrebe, chairman of the chemistry department, said, "The inside is really coming along, it is much better now. It was really bad in the spring. The dust causes lots of problems with instruments."
"It still causes some disruption but we are learning to cope with it. Maybe we more tolerant having [led with] the truth."
Landgrebe said work scheduled to be done later in the fall, would further disruption department activities, possibly forcing some research projects to close for several weeks to a month.
HE SAID THE department's 55 graduate students, as well as some undergraduate students involved in research, taught the course.
Howard Mossberg, dean of the School of Pharmacy, said the construction was most inconvenient for his school about a year age, although there were still some problems.
"During the critical stages, we met with the contractor every Friday morning to work around it," he said. "For the most part, I've been pleased with the way things have worked out."
Francis Fischer, a librarian in the science library, said that because of the renovation, the library has moved to a new location and the stacks and some air conditioning. Some books have been temporarily moved to Old Green Hall until the new library is built.
Those affected by the expansion said they did not anticipate the delay in the completion date would be minimal.
"We knew we would have some inconveniences".
"We all know it will get put back together again."
While You're At K.U.
You Can Rely Upon Raney's Professional Pharmacists To Accurately Fill Your Home Town Prescriptions.
STUDENTS:
WE WANT TO HELP SEGUARD YOUR HEALTH WHILE YOU'RE IN LAWRENCE AND STUDENT BLUE CROSS-BLUE SHIELD PRESCRIPTIONS AT NO COST TO YOU!
Bring your doctor's prescriptions to any of the three current Ranier Drug Stores and have them filled up on your own. Be sure to service and the finest quality medication as you expect from your hometown pharmacist, including a prescription for your doctor.
CONVENIENCE
- Three locations: Downtown, Dillon's Plaza and Hillcrest shopping Center.
* Quick 'n' good meals and snacks at the Plaza Store. * Modern stores make shop-takeaway easy and pleasurable.
* Plenty of free parking at all three Roney Drug Stores.
ALL OF US AT RANEY DRUG STORES WELCOME YOU HERE AND HOPE YOU'LL FEEL RIGHT AT HOME!
SELECTION
Nowhere but at a Raney Drug Store can you find all the fine and regular Fragrances and Cosmetics for example: Chanel - Eyvan - Llanin - Coty Revlon - Max Factor - Nina Rico - Guarant - Jean Jane - Faberage - Melena Rubinstein - Jean Paul Gaultier - Bonnie Bell - Alain - Love - English Leather Old Spice - British Sterling - Bravura - Brut - Uitma - Norell.
SERVICE
- Prompt 7-day-a-week prescription service *
* Free prescription delivery * Roney charge accounts give conviction benefit * easier budgeting * Friendly personal * Photo developing.
VISIT ALL THREE RANEY HALLMARK CARD AND PARTY SHOPS — CHOOSE RUSSELL STOVER FINE CANDY
DOWNTOWN 843-3521
921 MASSACHUSETTS
HILLCREST 843-9012
IOWA AT 9th STREET
OPEN EVENINGS FREE PRESCRIPTION DELIVERY FROM ALL 3 STORES
PLAZA 843-0684
1800 MASSACHUSETTS