University of Texas at Arlington Library
This is what is going on behind the scenes:
The job at hand: new sprinkler system, wiring, regular lighting, emergency lighting, and new ceilings above, carpet and linoleum below. Click on any of the photos on this page to have the full-sized image open in a new window. To save any of these images you may right click on the image and save as or open the new window and save image.
After the old materials were removed, the new stuff has to be put in place.
The noises most conspicuous to library users on other floors were the small explosions as the supports for the ceiling were put into place via small charges. The long wands with the orange ends (below left) are the heavy duty wire supports that are attached to the concrete ceiling by the explosive charge on the long pole depicted in the photos below.
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There are at least two distinct types of wiring going into the ceiling. There is the extra wire that will reach the new lighting in the new grid pattern, and there is a separate system of emergency lighting. They are scattered through the lighting grid, and were only recognizable during this work phase because they each had a piece of red flagging in place to show where they were (in several photos, below) and they will be off until all of the work is finished on both floors. There are several sets of contractors working simultaneously on the project, managing to dovetail their work and not get too much in each other's way. A word to the wise: the electrician on the ladder on the lower right has a grip of steel. If you shake his hand, be ready for crunched fingers! (Ask this photographer how she knows!)
The electrical wiring on the spools is identical in its form and function but is color coded according to which circuit it is on. There are three circuits on the fourth floor, and then there is the emergency lighting on its own system.
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Drop ceiling tiles go up. There are several guys are walking around on these aluminum stilts, they're the ceiling tile workers. Electricians and plumbers stick with ladders. The tiles going over the new sprinklers must have a hole bored for the heads.
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The rest of the photos from this work will be added soon.
Photos will be added as the work progresses.
This page maintained by Maggie Dwyer, UT Arlington Library publications. Contact at dwyer@uta.edu.