Session G-05 CONSTRUCTION at LAMAR UNIVERSITY

Home , McDonald Gym, Montagne Center, Provost Umphrey Stadium

Session G-05

Radhika chowdary Kosaraju, Naga Vardhan Putta Department of Civil Engineering Lamar University Email: [email protected]; [email protected]

Enno “Ed” Koehn Lamar University Email: [email protected] Abstract

The renovation the music building which is adjacent to the theatre and psychology buildings on the campus of Lamar University began in July 2009. Over nearly half a century hundreds of graduates used the facility. The construction might be completed in fall 2010 according to the facility management department. Last year, the students were relocated to Brooks-Shivers Hall to prepare for the music buildings extensive renovation. When construction is complete; the building will contain a new lecture hall and offices for faculty and staff, 18 practice rooms, a piano lab, a computer lab and an updated recording studio. The building will also be handicapped accessible. According to the facility management department, the new building will contain modern electronic classrooms. The faculty gave input to the design and was pleased to work with the architects which were able to incorporate every function into the building that was requested. Additionally, the Cherry Engineering building is being enlarged. Some added rooms, laboratories and offices will be provided to satisfy the need for space. Also, a new Soccer field is being constructed as well as the renovation of the football stadium.

Another project in the Lamar University area is Rolfe Christopher Drive linking Cardinal drive to east Virginia Street. This work costs approximately $ 5.6 million to rebuild about 4,300 feet with landscaped and divided lanes. It also consists of a chain of six ponds to drain storm water runoff. The foregoing work provides a real-life Civil and Construction Engineering laboratory to assist students with their learning experiences.

Introduction

Lamar University is a four-year university located in Beaumont, Texas, USA, and a member of the Texas State University System. Lamar University began on September 17, 1923, as South Park Junior College. South Park Junior College became the first college in Texas to receive Texas Department of Education approval during the first year of operation, and became fully accredited in 1925 In about 1932, recognizing that the junior college had grown beyond serving a small portion of the city of Beaumont, and was now serving the region, the college renamed itself Lamar College, after Mirabeau B. Lamar. By 1942, the college was completely independent of the South Park school district, and operations moved to the current campus. Lamar University continues to enhance its instructional, service and research missions. Lamar’s growth has produced an economic impact that exceeds $200 million annually. The mission’s Proceedings of 2010 ASEE Gulf-Southwest Annual Conference, McNeese State University Copyright© 2010, American Society for Engineering Education 1 statement is to educate a diverse student body, preparing students for leadership and lifelong learning in a multicultural world, and enhancing the future of Southeast Texas, the state, the nation and the world through teaching , research and creative activity, and service.

1. Construction Lamar University is planning to renovate some of its facilities. The following information outlined below respond to the academic, non-academic, and student services issues of the Long Range Planning Committee1.

Minor Renovations Recommended • Setzer Student Center • John Gray Center Buildings A & B • Art Building • McFaddin Ward • Maes Building • Golf Range

Moderate Renovations Recommended • Montagne Center • Women’s Gym • Science Auditorium • Biology Building • Plummer Administration • Mary and John Gray Library • Episcopal Center • Vincent-Beck field • John Gray Center – Building C

Major Renovations Recommended • Cardinal Stadium • University Theatre • Music, Speech, Communication Building • McDonald Gym and Handball Court • Fitness Center and Main Dining Hall Building • Brooks-Shivers North Hall

Possible New Building Needs • Cafeteria • Dormitory • Visitors Center • Administration Facility • Physical Plant • Academic and Faculty Office Building • Performance Hall • Football Field house

CAMPUS MAP #47 Speech and Hearing Building Corner of Rolfe Christopher and Iowa

Figure 1. Campus Map

Proceedings of 2010 ASEE Gulf-Southwest Annual Conference, McNeese State University Copyright© 2010, American Society for Engineering Education 3 Demolitions Recommended through Phase II • Human Resources • Brooks Shivers Hall • Early Childhood Development Center • ROTC Building • University Advancement • Physical Plant • Football Field House • Police/Post Office Building • EIT Facilities east of MLK

1.1 Music, Speech, and Communication Building.

Figure 2. Name Board of Music Building

A total of 65 million dollars are presently being spent for new construction and renovation at Lamar University2. The facilities include the Music Building, Women’s Soccer Field, and Football Practice Field etc. The total project cost of the music building is approximately 8.5 million dollars. The construction cost is 6 million dollars. The renovation of the music building was started on July 17th 2009 and the expected month of completion is August 2010. The Music Building is located adjacent to the theatre and the psychology building (site 4 on campus map). The area of the two-story building is 28,000 sq ft and renovation is going to be done in both the first and the second floor. The building is renovated internally; the exterior walls will remain and everything inside the building will be taken out as shown in Figure 3. The main reason for renovation is that building was constructed in 1959 and after nearly half a century it is an old facility. The facilities that are being provided in the renovated structure are larger in size, and house better acoustical properties, as well as a high-density file system. The first floor will contain the performance hall, the band/orchestra room, the control room, storage room for the instruments, the recording studio, 3 big class rooms, the library, work room, the practice rooms, mechanical rooms, the office rooms for the dean, faculty and staff and rest rooms for men and women.

Figure 3. Renovation

On the second floor the facilities that are being provided are the teaching studios, the class room, the technology lab, the choral library, the mechanical room and rest rooms for men and women. The 15” thick walls are being constructed surrounding the performance room, band room, teaching studio and in the practice rooms to make them acoustical acceptable.

1.2 Rolfe Christopher Drive: On the west side of the campus the road was originally named Callaghan lane from Florida to Virginia streets, Beaumont changed it to Rolfe Christopher Drive in April 1994 in honor of Rolfe Christopher, a former Jefferson County commissioner and member of Beaumont City Council and the Port of Beaumont board of commissioners. In fact, after Rolfe Christopher died Nov. 12, 1992, his cremated remains were scattered alongside the roadway. It was decided to construct two lanes in each direction with a wide median including a bicycle path as shown in Figures 4, 5. A price of $ 5.6 million was budgeted to rebuild about 4,300 feet of street. The project is also consists about 4,500 feet of box culverts, ranging from 7 feet by 3 feet to 3 feet by 3 feet. They will help drain storm water runoff into a chain of six detention ponds created by Drainage District 6 at a cost of $ 2.4 million paid for by FEMA. The detention ponds help to drain the Lamar campus along Florida to Highland Avenue and south to Cardinal Drive. The runoff eventually goes toward Interstate 10 and Hillebrandt bayou. The ponds hold water long enough for the water level in Hillebrandt Bayou and connected ditches to drop, preventing street and structure flooding during storms as intense as a 100-year flood. That is considered to be 13 inches of rainfall in a 24-hour period, and a storm of that intensity is considered to have

Figure 4: Rolfe Christopher Drive one-in-100 chances of occurring in any given year. The drainage district built its part of the project and came in under budget by about $ 700,000. The city started its portion in April 2008 and finished on September 3, 2009. Two-way traffic is now allowed on the completed lanes from Florida to Cardinal Drive6.

Figure 5: Lane’s representation on Rolfe Christopher road

Proceedings of 2010 ASEE Gulf-Southwest Annual Conference, McNeese State University Copyright© 2010, American Society for Engineering Education 6 Lamar University and The City of Beaumont formally opened the newly rebuilt Rolfe Christopher Drive on September 3, 2009 linking Cardinal Drive to East Virginia Street (Figure 6). The $5.6 million project however costs an additional $226,000 to enlarge narrow lanes south of Florida Street. The city added 3 feet to each lane, making them 14 feet wide with a wide median. The drive also has a bicycle path from Florida Avenue to east Virginia Street.

Figure 6: Opening of Rolfe Christopher road

1.3 Renovation of Athletic Complex (Figure 7)

The complex is being constructed near the Provost Umphrey Stadium, and the existing J.B. Higgins Field House has been demolished to make room for the new construction. Construction of the athletic complex is one of several improvements ongoing at Lamar University this year. The Texas-based Hellas Construction has installed a state-of-the-art artificial turf playing surface. Renovations to Provost Umphrey Stadium (site 15 on campus map), which will be home to the new Cardinals football program, also began in June 20095. The 500-seat field will feature state-of-the-art artificial turf. The stadium and field house will be renovated as well. The new field house will include offices for the soccer program, as well as dressing rooms for home and visitor teams. It will also include facilities for equipment storage, laundry and athletic trainers. Renovations to the stadium, which has not been home to a Cardinal football team since 1989, are expected to begin in April after The Texas State University System issues bonds to help pay for

Proceedings of 2010 ASEE Gulf-Southwest Annual Conference, McNeese State University Copyright© 2010, American Society for Engineering Education 7 the project. The debt will be repaid using revenue from athletics, student-approved fees and private donations.

Figure 7: Destruction of Existing Field House

1.4 Renovation of Soccer Field Further south on campus, work began in mid-June on a new soccer complex at the intersection of Cardinal Drive and Rolfe Christopher Street (near campus site 52). Crews from Pepper-Lawson Construction of Houston expect to have the field completed in time for the team’s third season at Lamar University. Construction on a field house for the program will continue till November5. The dramatic stadium upgrade is expected to take 12 to 14 months. During the renovation, the facility, shown in figure 8 (will get all new bench seating, new restrooms, new concession stands and a new walking surface beneath the bleachers. A major component of the project will involve making the stadium more accessible for the disabled. Ramps will be modified to lower the slope, making movement easier for those in wheelchairs. Additional seating for the disabled will be part of the finished facility. Throughout the stadium, concrete surfaces will be repaired, and insulation will be replaced. The playing field will see improvements, including artificial turf for the field, new goalposts and a new scoreboard to keep track of Cardinal touchdowns. New lighting will be installed throughout the stadium. Gerald McCaig, associate vice president of facilities management and operations said fans who visit the stadium after the upgrade “will definitely see the difference.” The stadium project goes hand-in-hand with construction of a new athletic field house complex. Construction of the new building will follow the same timeline as the stadium renovation (figures 9, 10). Home and visitors’ locker rooms will be inside the athletic complex. The building will house football

Figure 8: Cardinal Stadium coaches’ offices, a sizable weightlifting and physical conditioning room, and a large trainers’ area for taping up players and rehabilitation of injuries. Storage for field equipment and players’ gear will be inside the building as well. Plans for the new facility include several meeting rooms for studying game films and playbooks and for players to focus on their academic studies. Together, the two projects to provide a home for Cardinal football will cost an estimated $26 million, of which $7.5 million has come from private donors, including the Provost Umphrey law firm. The estimated renovation size of the stadium is around 129,550 square feet.

Figure 9: Construction

Proceedings of 2010 ASEE Gulf-Southwest Annual Conference, McNeese State University Copyright© 2010, American Society for Engineering Education 9 Lamar University Athletic has begun a Construction Blog and installed a Web cam to help Cardinals fans keep up with construction projects on campus to improve athletics programs. These may be found at http://www.lamarcardinals.com/blog/constructionblog.html.

Figure 10: Field House Construction Conclusion

From all this construction work which is ongoing at Lamar University helps to educate a diverse student body in addition, preparing students for leadership and lifelong learning in a multicultural world. The foregoing work provides a real-life Civil and Construction Engineering laboratory to assist students with their learning experiences. It enhances the future of the state, the nation and the world through teaching , research and creative activity, and service.

References

1. http://dept.lamar.edu/cofac/deptmusic/renovation.asp (accessed september 2009) 2. Jack Wiggins, Director of Facilities management, Lamar University and staff. 3. Cardinal Cadence-August 2009, Lamar University. (accessed november 2009) 4. http://dept.lamar.edu/cofac/deptspeech/files/hb2.pdf (accessed september 2009) 5. http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/local/lamar_close_to_begin_remodeling_football_stadium__rebuildi ng_field_house_04-24-2009.html (accessed october 2009) 6. http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/local/completed_section_of_rolfe_christopher_drive_is_too_narrow __city_will_widen_it.html (accessed october 2009)