TII work progresses along Barstow

By Sydney Jackson
Information Technology Services

Work on the telecommunication infrastructure has begun outside on the campus with the construction of telecom vaults along Barstow Avenue.

These vaults take two days to construct. On the first day the earth is excavated leaving a large, open hole (19 feet long, 11 feet wide, 15 feet deep). The hole is then surrounded with chain link fencing, barricades, signs and flashing lights    overnight. On the second day a large cement vault is placed by crane into the hole and cement slurry is then poured around it to keep it in place. The fencing will remain up for a second night to give the slurry time to set and will then be removed and the area repaved, exposing only the manhole access plate on top of the vault.

Twenty-six telecom vaults will be constructed on the campus over the next couple of months. There will be continual campuswide notification of the path of this construction as the project progresses.

The contractor and the university are very safety conscious. Fencing, barricades and orange cones will be used to keep people a safe distance from the work sites. Traffic will be disrupted during this time. There will be extra personnel on site to help direct the flow of traffic. Everything possible will be done to minimize the inconvenience to staff and students, and it is hoped that the contractor will be able to complete work in the major traffic areas such as Barstow during the Christmas break.

Work has also begun inside Family Food Science Building. At night, construction workers are putting new cable trays in the ceilings in preparation for the new telecommunication wires which will be soon to follow throughout the building.   Family Food Science is the pilot building for the TII Project, and the work done here will be completed and thoroughly reviewed and inspected prior to commencing work in the other buildings on campus.

Due to delays with hiring sub-contractors, work inside the buildings has been delayed and work in the next 11 buildings will begin in February instead of November. See construction schedule at www.csufresno.edu/its.