Construction work gears up at International House

By Andrea Purdy

There’s a lot of moving and shaking going on as construction of the $18-million Dr. Fok Ying Tung International House at the University of Calgary moves ahead. Piling for the new residence started on July 11 and will continue throughout the summer.

The piling process involves driving steel pipes into the ground using a drop hammer, explains Dale Sorenson, project manager. Then the soil is drilled out of the pipe and “dynamically reinforced cast-in-place concrete” is hammered into the bottom, again with a drop hammer.

“The operation is percussive and repetitive,” says Sorenson. “As such, work in this area will generate vibration, noise and some disturbance in the immediate vicinity of the site.” There are 191 piles to be constructed to provide the necessary structural foundation for the new building.

As there will be noise and vibrations during this phase, Campus Infrastructure has been working closely with groups directly affected to minimize—or at least manage—disruption. “Every possible measure is being taken to ensure the safety of people in the surrounding areas and to accommodate any inconvenience that might be caused,” says Steve Dantzer, associate vice-president of Campus Infrastructure. “We appreciate the co-operation and patience of everyone on campus during this process.”

The main buildings affected are Kinesiology, the Rosza Centre and the Dining Centre. Vibration monitors are being set up in these buildings to ensure that there is no damage caused to existing structures by the construction.

Construction manager Dominion Construction Company Inc. plans to ultimately have two rigs on site, working from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Monday to Friday and half days on Saturday, to complete this work on schedule before students return in September.

Construction on the International House will take approximately 18 months and is scheduled to be completed by the end of December 2008. Anticipated to be LEED Platinum, this new facility will create space for 80 more students. It will provide hotel-style suites for both domestic and international graduate students as well as for visiting guests and conference attendees.  It will also have 11 new fully furnished private apartments for long-term visiting scholars, faculty and staff. Furthermore, the Dr. Fok Ying Tung International House will be a new and dynamic meeting place for business leaders, scholars, students and international visitors at the U of C.