A Test of Will

Bukacek cleared every hurdle to complete Hedberg Library

By Hilary Ruesch

Bukacek Construction Inc. was as dependable as the postal service, splashing through heavy rains and wading through snow drifts, to complete the Hedberg Library at Carthage College.

No sooner had the Racine contractor begun pouring the foundation for the new library than the skies opened and dropped 27 inches of rain on the project between May and June 2000.

"All the water was funneled into where we were working," said Gregg Thompson, Bukacek executive vice president.

Crews used plastic drainage ditches and pumps to fight erosion and cave-ins, and they laid stone roads to get equipment on and off the site. Those record-setting rains caused a four-week delay in the project.

After the rains, the construction team got about a six-month respite before winter arrived and brought with it 56 inches of snow in December 2000. Crews were close to enclosing the new library, but Thompson said they still had to clear snow while completing the roof, windows and exterior masonry.

That snowfall set construction back an additional two weeks, Thompson said

Solving problems

Where weather obstacles left off, a plague of technical problems picked up. Thompson said the first issue dealt with several discrepancies between the structural steel on site and those in the architectural drawings.

That string of challenges resulted in completion of the library four months behind schedule. But Thompson said the problems along the way only reinforced Bukacek's reliance on strong communication.

"We have a system of procedures we employ to organize, schedule and manage projects," he said.

From kick-off meetings to laying out specific goals, to weekly job meetings and monthly modifications to the project schedule, everyone on the project was in constant contact, he said.

And Bukacek took communication to an even higher level on the library project by using a Web cam to keep project architect Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle, Minneapolis, in the loop. The Web cam also opened up the job to others involved in the project as well as interested alumni, Thompson said.

The project also had an extensive phone and e-mail network that effectively distributed quick-action plans. Thompson said that was especially handy when responding to unexpected weather challenges.

But the construction team didn't have to face the challenges alone. The crew received support from the university, with an interested staff handling security, maintenance and utility issues. University representatives often attended meetings and visited the construction site.

"The owner had more involvement than on most typical projects," Thompson said.

He said he believes that despite the obstacles, Carthage received a high-quality building that one would expect to find in a large city like Chicago.

"It's a landmark building for the Racine-Kenosha area," Thompson said.

The finished product

Bukacek built the 65,000-square-foot Hedberg Library into the side of a hill on campus in order integrate it into the surrounding landscape. The library, Thompson said, was designed to reflect the campus' rustic environment.

"It blends with the landscape there because it does not look like a high-rise," he said.

The library's interior features electronic classrooms, a 24-hour cyber cafe, media and technical suites, notebook computer outlets and a shelving system that holds more than 200,000 books.

The stone exterior is similar to the exteriors of other campus buildings, bringing continuity to the university structures, Thompson said. The 35-foot window wall on the west side of the building overlooks the Pike River, bringing the outdoors inside and creating an open area that encourages socializing.

Thompson said the window wall and other windows are made of special glass panes shipped in from Canada.

"It's an insulated window unit that has two additional sheets of film between the glass," he said.

Thompson said that with such a large amount of glass, using the special panes was necessary to meet state energy codes and keep students warm. The window shades interact with the environment, adjusting to light throughout the day.

"The shades are motorized and automated by a computer system connected to sensors outside the building," Thompson said.

| Editor's Note | Winners | Sites of Interest |
| Special Sections Main | Daily Reporter Main |

© 2002 Daily Reporter Publishing Co., All Rights Reserved.