By Mark Rea

The pursuit of knowledge gained through extensive research is the reason behind construction of a new Experimental Sciences Building on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock.

Part of the university's ambitious Campus Master Plan created in 1996, the $36.7 million facility will feature 127,783 sq. ft. of space for research laboratories, technology centers and offices.

"This is just one example of the university's commitment to providing students with new technology and world-class facilities," said Dr. David J. Schmidly, president of Texas Tech. "We have recently completed renovations at the University Libraries and West Hall, plans to modernize existing facilities are well under way, and construction on the English/Philosophy/ Education Complex is finished."

Lubbock-based Lee Lewis Construction Inc. is proving construction manager-at-risk services for the five-level research facility, which also features more than 25,000 sq. ft. of basement space in a building that will include an imaging center, a virtual reality center and a variety of research laboratories.

"This is a composite steel-and-concrete-masonry-unit structure," said Chad Henthorn, project manager for Lee Lewis. "The outer walls are basically CMU, and we have reinforcing steel bars that are lapped from the basement walls all the way to where the CMU tops out at the base of the fourth level. It's basically what holds the structure together."

The basement was constructed on spot footings and its walls are 17½ ft. tall and 1 ft. thick with a brick ledge at the top to support the building's brick façade.

Additionally, every cell of each CMU was filled with concrete for added vibration reduction, vital to the kinds of equipment to be used in the research laboratories. "It also makes this an extremely safe and secure structure," Henthorn said.

More than 65,000 CMUs, 600 tons of reinforcing steel and 1,000 tons of structural and miscellaneous steel comprise the structure.

Construction on the project began in April 2002 with demolition of an existing parking lot and utility relocation, which included re-routing a 16-in. water main as well as sewer and natural gas lines.

Lubbock-based Allen Butler Construction excavated to a depth of 14 ft. below grade for the basement and removed more than 21,500 cu. yds. of dirt. The excavated material was transported to a site maintained by Texas Tech to be stored, recycled and used for future construction projects.

Once excavation was completed, 29 concrete piers containing approximately 265 cu. yds. each were poured over more than 100 footings. Southern Star of Lubbock supplied the ready mix concrete, which was poured and formed by Lee Lewis crews.

Structural steel erection began one-third of the way through basement wall construction.

"That process continued in sequence from framing the first floor through the third floor," said Lee Lewis project superintendent Randy Ripple. "As the 19-gauge composite metal floor decks were installed, concrete slabs were poured. Then, as the slabs were cured, installation of the CMUs began."

Vibration Sensitivity

Los Angeles architectural firm Anshen + Allen designed the Experimental Sciences Building for vibration sensitivity, and several portions of the concrete floor slabs were poured to thickness of up to 7.25 in. above the 3-in. metal decks. On the same floors, where office space will be located, the slab is only 2.5 in. thick.

"It was kind of unusual to pour such differing thicknesses of concrete on the same floor," Henthorn said. "It took a tremendous amount of coordination to get those pours completed correctly and on schedule."

Ripple designed the formwork for each separate pour and laid out each wall pour for the dowel work that extends into the masonry. Reinforcing steel dowels, ranging from No. 4 to No. 8 bars, are embedded into the basement walls with each CMU containing up to four bars per cell.

"All along the basement wall, there is an average of at least two bars every 8 in.," Ripple said. "The sizes were all different, too. For instance, at window jambs, we used No. 6 bars and then No. 5 bars between the jambs. Under the windows, we would place No. 4s.

"We couldn't use the same sized bar all the way around. And different numbers of rebar have different lengths. It was tricky and took a lot of coordination on that part of the project."

Five Levels of Research

Five levels of varying size and scope make up the J-shaped research structure. The basement contains two main laboratories - a plant growth lab and a Biological Safety Level 3 lab for sensitive microbiological research projects. Such facilities are rated on a 1-to-4 scale, with the highest level of 4 given only to such facilities as the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Also located on the basement level is shell space for future expansion, which could include a second Bio Safety Level 3 lab.

The main lobby is located on the 37,708-sq.-ft. ground level. The lobby is accessed through the western entrance and is located between two shear walls, which begin with interior concrete basement walls and continue up through the structure as a CMU wall with a concrete beam at each level that ties into the slab.

The first floor will also house a geographical information systems center, a virtual reality center, research labs, office space, teaching labs, geonomics and DNA labs and an imaging center. That center utilizes electron microscopes, which are extremely sensitive to vibration and led to special design of the basement walls.

The 27,056-sq.-ft. second level and the 24,480-sq.-ft. third level contain a pair of large, multisectioned research labs, and the 13,229-sq.-ft. fourth level contains the building's mechanical equipment and air handlers.

Unusual Exterior

While the building is being constructed as a functional research facility, its exterior will feature several unusual architectural touches to set it apart from most other similar structures.

An outdoor arcade is located on the north side of the building, which is the top of the J-shape, and along the courtyard, which is inside the J's hook. A covered walkway will also be located outside of the building complete with a clay tile roof and brick pavers to match the Spanish Renaissance style of architecture located elsewhere on the Texas Tech campus.

Additionally, the arched walkway will feature medallions etched into the structure by renowned Rockport sculptor Jesus Bautista Morales and will match another piece of art to be located between the Experimental Sciences Building and the future Human Sciences Building.

The Experimental Sciences Building will feature a blend of more than 350,000 beige and brown bricks installed by Waco-based Brazos Masonry and a combination of cut white limestone and cast stone.

A crew of 75 was on the job site in late August, working an average of six days per week. Henthorn said he expected the peak of construction to begin at year's end and continue through next spring when the workforce will jump to 125. Completion of the project is expected in fall 2004.

USEFUL SOURCES

For additional information regarding this project, check these sources: