Tag Archives: environment

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.

LEEDing the way to a greener U

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In a world where the terms like “climate change,” “greenhouse gases,” and “carbon footprint,” are now part of everyday vocabulary, it’s clear that we need to take better care of our planet so that future generations may also enjoy a clean and healthy place to live.

Enhancing the environmental sustainability of the University is a top priority for the institution – one outlined in the 2009-13 Strategic Plan.

Facilities has been practising sustainability in nearly every aspect of its operations. From recycling and composting to installing low-energy light bulbs and low-flush toilets, not to mention constructing LEED buildings, the departments within Facilities are committed to creating and maintaining a green campus that enhances student experience and preserves the unique coulee landscape that surrounds us.

How can you participate?

  • Shut down your computer when you’re finished using it for the day. Not only will shutting down reduce the wear on your system, it will also result in more cost-effective energy savings. Contrary to popular belief, daily start-ups do not use up more energy than leaving a computer on, and it will not damage a computer’s components, nor lead to electrical surges.
  • Recycle your paper coffee cups! There is a special coffee cup recycling bin in the Centre for Sport and Wellness with a compartment to pour out left over coffee, but empty paper cups can also be recycled in the paper and cardboard recycling bags.
  • Unplug electronic devices, chargers, and power cords when not in use. Even when switched off or left unattached, these devices draw power through the outlet they are plugged into.

Last week we mentioned that Caretaking Services was accepting pumpkins for composting. To date, 125 pumpkins have been collected at the University for composting! That’s great news.