Sunday, July 21, 1996
Recent remodeling accompanied by asbestos removalBy John
Digrado
Summer Bruin Senior Staff
When students return to the Kerckhoff Coffeehouse today after a
two-week renovation, they can expect to see a number of changes and
improvements to the popular java joint, ranging from new carpeting
to the freshly sanded and refinished wood tables.
But what may be some of the most important changes are those
beyond what’s visible to the naked eye. While the closure was part
of the overall Kerckhoff Hall renovation plan, construction crews
also removed an amount of asbestos from the coffee shop, a group of
minerals linked by the state of California to lung cancer.
"We’ll be adding some new chairs, replacing the carpeting and
giving it a paint job" during the closure, said Kert Evans, food
services director for the students’ association. "Asbestos removal
is part of the project."
The coffee shop was closed earlier this year to update the
service area. The rest of the remodeling was left until summer,
affecting fewer students and giving construction crews a better
opportunity to complete the job, said Mike Otavka, facilities
development director for the students’ association.
Summer’s decrease in traffic also allowed for a safer removal of
the hazardous material, since fewer people would be nearby when
risk of exposure to the airborne particles was at its highest, said
Campus Architect Duke Oakley.
While public risk of exposure to the hazardous material up to
this point has been minimal, officials decided to follow standard
procedures to safely eliminate the asbestos that crews discovered
during renovation.
"Whenever we encounter asbestos, we remove it using a standard
procedure," Otavka said. "We get a qualified removal contractor,
and we have a licensed company that monitors the whole removal
process. We also coordinate with the university and the Department
of Health and Safety. No one was in any danger, students nor anyone
else," he added.
Building materials, such as flooring and insulation containing
asbestos kept in good condition often pose no risk to the public,
since the only danger comes from a prolonged exposure to airborne
particles, officials said.
Ironically enough, the chances of public exposure to dust
containing asbestos is higher during the actual removal. Disturbing
old building materials, such as insulation and floor tiles
containing the substance, often kicks up more asbestos contaminated
dust than if the material were left in place, Oakley said.
To avoid any unnecessary public exposure to the material,
special crews performed the removal and cleanup at night, when risk
of public exposure was at an absolute minimum, Oakley said.
"In all old buildings, when we go in (for renovation), one of
the things that we always look for is those kind of building
materials that were used ignorantly, and we use the latest
techniques to remove the asbestos," Oakley said. "It’s not unusual
to find these asbestos containing materials" in such old
buildings.
PATRICK LAM/Daily Bruin
After removing traces of asbestos, workers installed new
flooring in the Kerckhoff Coffeehouse.