About two weeks ago, Cody Campanie '08 chose to not shower for three days because of hot water loss in Caswell Hall. During that stretch, Campanie played two rugby practices and lifted weights. "I didn't have much contact with girls Monday through Wednesday," he added.
The outpouring of steam near Sayles Hall, which began Feb. 8, was caused by a rupture in a segment of the high temperature hot water piping near Manning Chapel. The cause of the leak is still unknown, but officials from Facilities Management suspect corrosion and old age were potential causes.
The total cost to the University has been roughly $300,000 to $350,000. This number is expected to rise as concrete that was removed to reach the leak is replaced, said Stephen Maiorisi, vice president of Facilities Management. Workers from Facilities Management logged nearly 240 overtime hours during the repairs process.
Workers first noticed the leak on Feb. 8 when gauge readings indicated the main system was losing water. "We immediately assembled a team to address the problem," said Carlos Fernandez, director of engineering for Facilities Management.
Contractors hired by the University excavated the site near Sayles to fix the pipe.
The water in the pipe is between 250 and 320 degrees Fahrenheit, Fernandez said, so the pipe's hot water had to be shut off to ensure workers' safety during construction. An inability to locate the source of the leak then prolonged repairs.
The hot water pipe is made up of two concentric pipes; the outer serves to provide insulation, Fernandez said, while water runs through the inner one. Once it was discovered that the steam had not resulted from a leak in the inner pipe, workers attempted to locate the leak using an ultrasound test, he said. However, echoes within the insulating pipe prevented workers from pinpointing the source.
After a snowstorm Feb. 11 and 12, a patch of concrete near Manning Chapel attracted construction workers. The snow had melted on a certain patch of sidewalk, indicating that the leak was possibly under this area.
This prompted Facilities Management to bring in infrared specialists, Fernandez said. The site was also a likely suspect because the piping formed an elbow joint at this location, which adds stress on the pipe, according to James Coen, director of maintenance services for Facilities Management.
The infrared analysis could not determine the exact location of the leak - only its general vicinity. Accordingly, the entire section of pipe was replaced.
The heating infrastructure that serves most University buildings south of Angell Street was installed in 1967 and is nearing the end of its "life expectancy" recommended by manufacturers, Fernandez said.
Two years ago, Facilities Management submitted a plan to the University to replace the current heating system. The original plan did not call for pipe replacement near Wilson Hall or Sayles, but the plan has been revised after the events of this past month.
Construction is expected to begin this spring, starting at Brown's heating plant at 135 Lloyd Ave., where the University generates some of its own power. Plans for construction now include the Main Green and will continue for the next two to three years, Maiorisi said.
For the most part, students were very understanding of the situation. "I only got one e-mail," said Thomas Forsberg, associate director of Residential Life. The number of Facilities Management requests dropped during the construction, Coen said. Now that the repairs are finished, "they're on the rise again," he added.
