Alabama 21 2014

In Tuscaloosa, construction crewsat the University of Alabama arenearing completion on the $32 mil-

lion Student Activity Center at Presidential Village. Thebuilding, which recently opened as work continues, featuresa climbing rock, two wood floor courts and a multi-use courtwith dasher boards, two group exercise studios, a personaltraining studio, cardiovascular equipment, strength trainingequipment and locker rooms.George Brown, executive director of university recre-

ation, said the idea for a new recreation center surfaced sev-eral years ago as the school was experiencing a dramaticincrease in student population. “This facility addresses the rapidly growing number of

students living in recently built residence halls on the north-ern portion of campus,” said Brown. “With immediateaccess and convenience, the recreation amenities provideadditional health and wellness enhancing opportunities forstudents, faculty and staff. The location of this facility is awelcomed and vital part of The University of Alabama’scontinuing commitment to the well-being of the greater uni-versity community.”The Student Activity Center is situated on the north end of

campus overlooking the Black Warrior River, and includesmore than 10,000 sq. ft. (929 sq m) of weight/fitness space.In addition, the building features a 25,000 sq. ft. (2,322.6 sqm) below ground storm shelter, which can hold more than3,000 people during severe weather conditions. Brownbelieves construction of the new structure could not havebeen better timed. “The enrollment growth and high interest in fitness was

and continues to impact the usage of the Student RecreationCenter. With crowded facilities and ever-growing demand,the opening of the Student Activity Center has both reducedthe issue of peak usage and re-balanced with new usagedrawn from the largely freshman population in thePresidential Village area.”The 85,000 sq. ft. (7,896.8 sq m) of recreation and fitness

space is located in the largest portion of the 135,000 sq. ft.(12,541.9 sq m) Student Activity Center. Unique features of

UAB Invests in $32M Student Activity Center

ALABAMA STATE EDITION A Supplement to:

Your Alabama Connection • Rich Olivier, Atlanta, GA • 1-800-409-1479

“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.”

see UAB page 2

University of Alabama photoEquipment used on the project included Cat D6 bulldozers, 400 track hoes, 120-foot scissor lifts, skid steers,excavators, backhoes, sheepsfoot rollers, smooth drums, fork lifts, tower cranes and wheel cranes.

University of Alabama photoThe frame of the Student Activity Center is concrete and rebar.

October 152014

Vol. XXVI • No. 21Mobile

Dothan

Auburn

Anniston

Gadsden

HuntsvilleFlorence

Decatur

BirminghamBessemer

Tuscaloosa

SelmaMontgomery

Phenix City

65

65

65

65

10

85

20

20

59

59

565

220

72

31

231

43

78

5

72

431

280

82

231

31

43

80

82

231

84

84

52

431

331

45

98

84

82

By Cindy RileyCEG CORRESPONDENT

Page 2 • October 15, 2014 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide

North Campus Storm Shelter to Accommodate 3,200 Peoplethe recreation area include a 42 ft. (12.8 m)climbing rock and large amount of boulder-ing for a variety of interests. “The climbing rock and walls can accom-

modate 20 to 25 climbers at a time,” Brownsaid. “The dramatic views from the cardioand weight and fitness areas on multiple lev-els create an incredibly scenic environmentfor all exercise enthusiasts. Additionally, thebuilt-in multi activity center provides dedi-cated play space for indoor soccer, dodge-ball and a newly added intramural sport,floor hockey.”The north campus storm shelter is a vital

part of the Student Activity Center, givenTuscaloosa’s history of violent weather overthe past few years. In April 2011, the areawas slammed by a devastating EF4 multi-ple-vortex tornado that claimed lives and didsignificant damage in the area. It was thethird twister to strike the city of Tuscaloosain the past decade. “With over 20,000 square feet of space, it

can accommodate 3,200 individuals,” saidBrown. “With electrical outlets in a racewayconfiguration, students can be assured theywill be able to communicate safety informa-tion to families. With the reinforced concretedesign, the facility provides an increasedlevel of security for residents in this area. Inthe event of a campus emergency, the shelterwill be mobilized and will quickly be avail-able for students, faculty and staff of TheUniversity of Alabama.”Joe Cobb, senior field coordinator, UA

Construction Administration pointed out thatwhile the storm shelter seems pretty basic onthe surface, it actually is not. “The ceiling is 20 ½ in. thick in concrete

with three mats of #11 bars within it. This isnot easy to pour, and took weeks of prepwork before it was ready. Some of the staterequirements included ballast walls to pro-tect the lower level mechanical rooms fromprojectile debris during a storm. The emer-gency generator is enclosed in a storm shel-ter as well, and everything within the stormshelter is tied into the emergency generator. “One big challenge came with the addi-

tion of the food services, which sits on top ofthe storm shelter,” Cobb said. “We had tocore drill through the 20 in. thick slab toinstall floor drains and plumbing piping.”“Part of the work going on within the

Student Activity Center is for thePresidential Pavilion,” said Cobb. “This is anew food service component of the buildingthat was approved back in April. It will havea deli shop, a coffee shop, smoothie storeand also feature a ‘grab and go’ concept.“One of the biggest challenges was the

laydown area. Because of the proximity tothe Presidential I building, as well as thesimultaneous construction of the Presidential

II building, it was very challenging gettingmaterials delivered to the site and gettingthem in the buildings. Because of this, thegeneral contractor used three tower cranesfor the project to maximize laydown spaceand speed of construction. “Another challenge was installation of the

precast columns around the perimeter of thebuilding. Because of the proximity to thecity’s right-of-way off Jack Warner Parkway,there was limited access to the north side ofthe building, which required support cranes,in addition to the tower cranes to set thesemassive columns.”Preparing the site required plenty of

thought, as crews got ready to tear downRose Towers, a 13-story dormitory. Thebuilding stood for more than 40 years priorto the start of construction. Clearing andgrubbing also took place, to ready the area.The site was basically balanced once finishgrading started.“We imploded Rose Towers on July 4,

2012, to make way for the student center andPresidential II,” said Cobb. “In addition, wehad to blast and remove approximately

100,000 cubic yards of rock to get to the bot-tom elevations of the building. All of thiswas done while the Presidential I buildingwas coming on line.”The frame of the Student Activity Center

is concrete and rebar. Workers used curtainwalls, brick, precast and GFRC for the skinof the building. The roofs are flat roofs andthere is a massive skylight assembly in thecenter of the building. The court flooring is asoft floor that has two layers of plywoodwith foam in between, topped with maplewood. This creates the soft feel of the floor.The MAC court offers some flexibility forsports that are typically played outside.“There are three main levels, as well as a

mezzanine level,” Cobb said. “The firstlevel is the storm shelter. The main levelhouses REC, the new food service area,housing and residential communities mainoffices, as well as parent programming andFirst Year Experience’s main offices. Theupper level has REC space, including bas-ketball/MAC courts, as well as the women’srowing area. This includes bathrooms,showers, locker rooms, the team lounge, theteam training room/team meeting room, thecoaches’ conference room and offices, andthe coaches’ locker room. The mezzaninelevel has space for REC, as well as rowingtraining areas.”Equipment used on the project included

Cat D6 bulldozers, 400 track hoes, 120-footscissor lifts, skid steers, excavators, back-

UAB from page 1

University of Alabama photoThe biggest hurdle regarding theStudent Activity Center was that it wasoriginally over budget.

University of Alabama photoUnique features of the recreation area include a 42 ft. (12.8 m) climbing rock. see UAB page 6

Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • October 15, 2014 • Page 3

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Page 4 • October 15, 2014 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • October 15, 2014 • Page 5

Page 4 • October 15, 2014 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • October 15, 2014 • Page 5


Budget Represents Greatest Hurdle for Student Centerhoes, sheepsfoot rollers, smooth drums, forklifts, tower cranes and wheel cranes.Approximately 12,000 cu. yds. (9,174.6

cu m) of concrete was required to build thenew facility.Installing the climbing wall wasan interesting aspect of the project. Cobbsaid it proved to be a relatively easy task.“We had a tremendous subcontractor out

of Colorado that built the wall for us. Theysubmitted 3D shop drawings, allowing ourend users to make whatever adjustmentsthey wanted to create different levels of dif-ficulty for the climbing trails. Once theshops were approved, they cut individualpieces of plywood to match the shops andthen attached them to the steel frame of thewall/tower. “Once installed, they applied a stucco fin-

ish to the wall with texture to create the‘rock’ appearance. One of the biggest hur-dles was how fast this subcontractor movedin relation to how long it took to build theskylight. We literally tarped the area over theclimbing tower because they were finishedbefore the skylight could be completed.”The biggest hurdle regarding the Student

Activity Center was that it was originallyover budget.“We had to value engineer some items out

of the project to get it within funding tostart,” Cobb said. “This cost us a little timeon the front end of the schedule.” The reaction from those who have already

checked out the structure has been positive.“The response for all users, particularly

students, has been fantastic,” said Brown.“Utilization has been between 750 to 1, 200visits per day. Patrons love the new equip-ment, the incredible views of the river, themodern and exciting climbing area and theultra-convenient location. As the food ven-ues open, the demand and excitement of theStudent Activity Center at PresidentialVillage will certainly increase.”

(This story also can be found onConstruction Equipment Guide’s Web site atwww.constructionequipmentguide.com.)CEG

Blueline Rental Announces Acquisition of JustRuss RentalBlueLine Rental, a provider of

small to medium-sized construc-tion rental equipment, recentlyannounced the acquisition ofJustRuss Rental Inc., a full-serviceequipment rental company withthree locations in Alabama. Theterms of the transaction were notdisclosed.“JustRuss is a great strategic fit

for BlueLine and will expand ourreach into an important part of the

country,” said BlueLine RentalCEO Phil Hobson. “JustRuss has awell-earned reputation for qualityservice, and we look forward tocontinuing to deliver on the highstandards the company’s cus-tomers have come to expect.” BlueLine Rental, previously

Volvo Rents, was acquired inJanuary 2014 by Platinum Equity.The BlueLine Rental brand identi-ty was launched in February fol-

lowing the transition to new own-ership.“We are delivering on our

pledge to help BlueLine execute itsgrowth strategy and maximize itspotential,” said Louis Samson, thepartner at Platinum Equity. “Wewill continue exploring ways toexpand the company’s footprint inkey markets and grow both organ-ically and through additional add-on activity.”

BlueLine Rental serves adiverse customer base across mul-tiple industries, including construc-tion, oil and gas, industrial manu-facturing, infrastructure, power,and metals and minerals.In addition to a full range of

backhoe loaders, compact wheelloaders, compact excavators andcompaction equipment, BlueLinerental centers carry a comprehen-sive line of essential equipment

and tools for the construction,commercial, industrial and home-owner markets. The companyfocuses on daily, weekly andmonthly rentals.For more information, call

888/899-8658 or visit www.blue-linerental.com. (This story also canbe found on ConstructionEquipment Guide’s Web site atwww.constructionequipment-guide.com.)

University of Alabama photoIn Tuscaloosa, construction crews at the University of Alabama are nearing completion on the $32 million Student ActivityCenter at Presidential Village.

UAB from page 2

Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • October 15, 2014 • Page 7

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Alabama 21 2014