Hardhat season: A guide to construction on campus

As most students checked out, construction crews checked in this summer, fighting through the heat to begin more than $58 million worth of campus renovations.

Pitt’s Board of Trustees granted the money for construction and estimated these projects would create 430 jobs on campus. From new elevators in the Cathedral of Learning to repairing Langley Hall after a construction crane crashed into it, here is a map of all of Pitt’s summer construction projects.

Beginning last semester, Pitt is renovating the auditoriums in David Lawrence Hall (1) and will add three new classrooms. The new classrooms, each with more than 50 seats, are located on the second floor above the auditorium and will be ready for the fall term. The newly renovated auditoriums will have more than 570 seats for larger rooms and 340 seats for smaller rooms.

The William Pitt Union (2) is undergoing a porch renovation which will replace the entire foundation —  floor slab and railings. For those with physical disabilities, Pitt installed a handicap ramp from the porch to the sidewalk and patio.

The Korean Heritage room will open this November in the Cathedral of Learning (3). The newest Nationality Room will be in Room 304.

Two new Otis elevators are now running in the Cathedral of Learning. Northside-based Mascaro Construction will continue to renovate the remaining six of the eight total elevators over the next several months.

Heinz Memorial Chapel (4) reopened in June after crews finished installing a new climate control system.

Pitt replaced part of the Cathedral athletic walk near Forbes Avenue to improve the drainage and also replaced several cracked stones.

Over the next two summers, Pitt will repoint the masonry on Ruskin Hall (5) and replace the window lintels.

After the Board of Trustees approved a $34 million upgrade to Clapp Hall (6) in March, Pitt will now renovatethe building’s ground and first floors. The renovations will install state of the art student labs along with other lab space and offices. Pitt will replace the entire mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, including the building’s elevator. The auditorium will open in the fall term. Pitt is also cleaning the outside of the building and repointing the masonry to correct parapets which will allow for a new roof.

Pitt has already completed work in the electrical and computer engineering department in Benedum Hall (7). There are now new classrooms, offices, and department offices and support spaces. The tenth floor, the industrial engineering department, is the final part of the renovation. Pitt will complete the project by the end of 2015.

Renovations to Parran Hall (8) will upgrade the entire MEP systems and create offices where labs once were located. Pitt will complete this project in summer of 2017.

Soon, Pitt will finish renovating the entrance to Craig Hall (9). The entrance will then have new doors and a handicap ramp as well as new exterior soffit lights, a new ceiling and fresh paint on the soffit. Pitt is set to complete the work in August.

The University will replace the circular stair leading from the event level to the lawn of the Petersen Events Center (10). Pitt is set to complete the work this summer.

Pitt recently completed renovations on the Salk Pavilion (11), which included building a new research lab building.The commons room connects the Salk Hall fourth floor with the new building’s offices, conference rooms and coffee bar.  Pitt also completed the commons room which now contains both the pharmacy and dental labs.

The University will close Sutherland Drive (12) this fall to vehicular traffic while it installs security gates on the north end and retractable bollards on the southern end. Only authorized vehicles will enter the turnaround area, adjacent to the special needs dental entrance.