Category Archives: Grounds

Sand sweeping underway

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It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it. Cleaning up a winter’s worth of sand from the University of Lethbridge campus can be an onerous task, but it’s just part of a regular routine for the Grounds department.

About 100 yards of sand was spread across campus this past winter in order to keep campus walkways as safe as possible for pedestrians. Some weather events where crews were unable to clear the snow before it compacted or turned to ice, resulted in generous applications of sand, salt or ice melt products, leaving plenty of sand behind when the snow melted.

Workers try to save as much sand as possible to reuse the following year which helps the department save on costs to replenish its supply. However, the sand must be fairly clean – yes, clean dirt – otherwise it leads to dust, tracking or spreading of litter.

In order to get the sand in good, reusable condition, Grounds crews will first sweep the streets where the sand is cleanest. The sand is piled and stored at the bone yard until the weather warms up enough for it to be spread out and dried. After the sand is dry, workers hand pick out the litter, leaves and other debris, and the sand is piled back into the sand shed for use the following year.

Sand that has been piled onto grassy areas along roads and walkways is not suitable for reuse as it is usually mixed with a lot of litter and grass.  However, some of this sand can be used for back fill or it can be spread on campus dirt trails to minimize mud. This sand is swept up with smaller sweepers so it can be picked up by a bigger sweeper afterwards. This helps avoid build up over time and reduces the risk of sand clogging up irrigation heads and destroying healthy grass.

Caretaking Manger Judy Jaeger says she appreciates the effort by Grounds crews as it means less work for her staff to clean up the sand that gets tracked into campus buildings.

“They do an awesome job,” she says. “Cleaning up the sand inside building entrances takes away from other work we do to keep classrooms and public spaces clean and tidy, so my employees are especially glad to see the sand cleared away outside.”

For more information on Grounds or its operations call 329-2602 or email facility.servicedesk@uleth.ca.

Visit the Facilities website.

 

 

Brown goop on campus an eco-friendly de-icer

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People walking around campus may have noticed a brown liquid in areas where slipping hazards are great such as sloping sidewalks and stairs.

The U of L Grounds department traditionally uses a salt-based ice-melting agent, but is now testing out a more environmentally friendly product called “Fusion” from Eco Solutions.

Fusion is a 100 per cent organic and biodegradable anti-icing agent made from plant material. It will allow Grounds to reduce its salt use, resulting in less corrosion and pollution of the river. It can also be applied on grass and shrubs without the damage associated with salt spreading. While Fusion may not always result in complete melting of icy surfaces, those surfaces should be less slippery after treatment.

“Our goal is to provide a campus that is safe and operable while doing less harm to the infrastructure, the environment and the equipment we use to care for the campus,” says Phil Dyck, manager of Grounds.

Grounds is carefully evaluating the performance of this product and welcome any feedback. More information on this product and others like it can found here and here.

 

 

 

Floors across campus getting facelifts

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davonian walkway small 2The Caretaking department has been busy refurbishing floors across the University of Lethbridge.

After the success of the renewed aggregate concrete flooring in the Physical Education Building last summer, Caretaking took its floor polishing skills to the University Centre for the Arts Atrium, which is being stripped, ground and polished during evenings and weekends to ensure the least amount of interruption possible.

The 5,800 sq. ft. area should be completed in time for the Canada-wide Science Fair taking place at the U of L in May. Due to uneven floors, some dust may escape the grinding/polishing machine.

The original 1967 hardwood floor near CJ’s food services has also been refurbished. It was sanded and sealed to revive the natural wood colour.

Meanwhile, another flooring project is taking place in the Devonian walkway linking the Library building to UCA.

Caretaking crews are working to strip 13 years of wax from the floor, a task that hasn’t been taken on since the Library was built in 2000.

The floor is actually made of rubber, not linoleum, and as such, the sealer finish used all those years ago wasn’t the correct type, thus discolouring the floor. In addition, the floor area doesn’t get much oxygen which has created an atmosphere for the planters to form yellow rings on the floor due to oxidization.

Once the floor is stripped and a special rubber sealer is applied, the yellow rings will begin to fade and the original colour will shine through. The project should be completed by the first week of March.

In an effort to create better pedestrian traffic flow, the planters and seating will be replaced in the centre of the walkway making a natural right and left lane for people to walk. This trial will last about a month to determine its effectiveness. If unsuccessful, the plants will be returned to their original setting.

The Grounds department will maintain the plants to ensure they are not a pedestrian safety issue.

The digital signage televisions will remain where they are.

The Caretaking department’s next flooring project is set to take place in the Hall of Honour outside the Library doors. Minor work on this area has already begun on the floor edges when Caretaking workers are not able to access the Atrium.

For more information contact Facilities at 403-329-2602.

Snowfall fun facts and tips for safe shovelling

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snowAs Lethbridge woke up buried under nearly two feet of snow the morning of Friday, Jan. 11, the U of L Grounds department was clearing up the last bit of white stuff and sanding icy areas across campus.

Grounds crews were able to clear campus so quickly because the snow fell overnight Thursday when crews had better access to the parking lots. With low traffic volumes, staff were able to work much faster than when crews have to work around vehicular and pedestrian circulation.

Future snowstorms may fall too close to when morning traffic arrives, in which case Grounds may not have access to parking lots until the following night, therefore the campus may not be as well cleared when the public arrives the morning of a heavy snowfall.

 snow removalFun facts about the Jan. 10-11 snow fall:

  • The average home in Lethbridge has about 112 sq. m. of driveway and sidewalk to clear snow from.
  • The South Plaza between the Wellness Centre and the library is 3,269 sq. m., or roughly equivalent to 29 homes.
  • From the start of operations on Jan. 10 until 10 a.m. on Jan. 11, seven Grounds employees put in more than 110 hours clearing snow.
  • Parts of campus such as the stairs at the Students’ Union Building were cleared more than 10 times during this period.
  • The equipment clearing campus roadways ran continuously from 5 a.m. Jan. 10 to 10 a.m. Jan. 11 – excluding the hours between 10 p.m. and 1:30 a.m.

Snow Shovelling Safety Tips

Clearing snow is part of the Grounds department’s work repertoire, and crews are well versed in proper snow shovelling safety.

While clearing sidewalks and driveways may seem like a simple task at home, it can be backbreaking work, so be careful that you don’t actually break your back!

The list below includes safety and injury reduction tips created by the Snow & Ice Management Association, Inc. (SIMA) and its website, www.GoPlow.com made possible by Bobcat Company at www.bobcat.com.

  • Wear breathable layers: SIMA suggests wearing layers of loose clothing so layers can be peeled off. Avoid wearing heavy wools, manmade materials or other materials that don’t allow perspiration to evaporate.
  • Wear good shoes or boots: SIMA suggests wearing quality outdoor winter wear such as waterproof boots with good traction. Good traction is critical to ensuring that you don’t slip and fall.
  • Loosen up: Take a few minutes to stretch. Shovelling snow is a workout so you need to stretch to warm up your muscles particularly because you are shovelling snow in the cold weather. Stretching before you start shovelling will help prevent injury and fatigue.
  • Push don’t lift: If you push the snow to the side rather than trying to lift the snow to remove it, you exert less energy thereby placing less stress on your body, so push as much as possible within reason. If deeper snow is in need of removal, take it in layers.
  • Drink up: SIMA recommends taking frequent breaks and staying hydrated. You should drink water as if you were enduring a tough workout at the gym or jogging.
  • Utilize equipment: Whenever possible, utilize equipment that can remove more snow with less time/effort, to increase your efficiency and reduce the amount of labour needed.

Impending Snowmageddon

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Unless you began hibernating early (and I wouldn’t blame you) you are likely aware that weather forecasters are predicting a huge dump of snow for the area. Between 10 -25 cm is expected to fly Thursday through Friday!

The Grounds department is prepping its snow clearing equipment so that everything is ready to roll when the snow arrives on campus. In addition, the Grounds crew is checking the forecast every hour to ensure they are up to date on what’s headed our way.

The Grounds department snow removal procedure lists clearing main pathways as the first priority to allow pedestrians to access the University. Once the walkways are done, workers then attend to the parking lots.

Crews will be out Thursday morning starting at 5 a.m. for their usual shift, but should the snow come on heavier than predicted Grounds will begin clearing campus earlier.

Most of the snow is expected to fall during the day tomorrow, and if the conditions are right, the parking lots should be plowed overnight Thursday.

However, Mother Nature can be unpredictable and we can’t be totally prepared for what she decides to throws at us. Last month’s out-of-the-ordinary snowfall is a good example of that.

The wet, heavy snow made it difficult for crews to clear as quickly as they would have liked. By the time they were finished the sidewalks and roadways, people began to arrive on campus and it wasn’t feasible to begin plowing the parking lots with cars randomly scattered about.

While the department will work diligently to ensure campus is safe to walk around, everyone should be extra cautious when walking outside during inclement weather. Please obey all signage at path closures. They are blocked off for safety reasons and will reopen once workers have time to clear the area.

To report snow or ice concerns call the Facilities Service Desk at 403-329-2602.