FS Summer Steam Outage Reveals Need for Repairs
At the beginning of every summer, UT Facilities Services plans and executes a week-long steam outage to work on the campus steam distribution system. This outage gives crews the opportunity to make repairs, conduct safety inspections, and to ensure the steam system is working properly to support students, staff and faculty in research, residence halls, and beyond.
While this year’s outage was certainly successful, final inspections revealed a greater issue at hand. The tunnel containing the steam lines that pass under Volunteer Blvd between Stokely and Art & Architecture was showing signs of deterioration. After consulting with a structural engineer, there were some points of concern that required an additional summertime steam outage. Facilities Services does its best to avoid service interruptions to our campus community year-round, but when it cannot be avoided, we consult with staff from across campus to come up with a collaborative solution that meets the needs of those we serve while reinforcing the importance of the repair work.
Overcoming Challenges & Working Together
The added challenge to this repair was the timing. The University had nine weeks from the time the problem was discovered until students were due to start returning for the fall semester. In that time, it would need to identify the fix, design the repair, award the contracts, coordinate and execute the outages, as well as a myriad of other tasks. It was either that or leave the steel plates in place on top of Volunteer Blvd and schedule the work for next summer.
Thanks to a collaborative effort, we were able to work quickly to minimize disruption as campus population is at its lowest in the summer and the need for primary functions of the steam system are minimal (mainly used for research, hot water, and humidity control rather than building heat). Because we were able to mobilize quickly, we were also able to mitigate the issue of worsening structural conditions.
While the annual steam outage is performed and executed by Utilities Services, this second summer outage required all hands on deck including, but not limited to: Utilities Services, Construction Services, Planning & Design Services, Facilities Maintenance & Repair, Administrative & Support Services, Facilities Services Communications, Space Management, Facilities Operations, Parking & Transportation, Public Safety, Campus Administration, Housing, and a number of experts on research across academic disciplines.
A contractor with extensive experience in structural repairs was contacted for concrete work, but Facilities Services took advantage of the outage to complete additional repairs/testing while the contractor was working. Our teams were responsible for turning off steam, re-routing to essential facilities, managing steam distribution during the outage where necessary, responding to pressure issues along steam lines, and restoring steam service after each outage. We also provided temporary water heaters to support Stokely Hall for the six-week duration and other residence halls as move-in began and an influx of students arrived.
A Positive Outcome Thanks to an Incredible Team
Because crews worked around the clock, Facilities Services was able to restore steam service quicker than originally planned. Thanks to the cooperation and understanding of our campus partners, the outage was completed prior to the start of another incredible academic year. When tasked with the care and keeping of a university campus, it doesn’t always take a village, but it certainly takes a team of true Volunteers.