Preparation work for the 166,851-sq.-ft. (15,500 sq m) building began in August 2016. Completion is slated for summer of 2018.
A new $120 million engineering and science building — Bruce and Gloria Ingram Hall — is being built on the San Marcos campus of Texas State University.
Preparation work for the 166,851-sq.-ft. (15,500 sq m) building began in August 2016. Completion is slated for summer of 2018.
The building will stand five stories tall and will be the largest building on campus. It is located at 310 West Woods St. near where West Woods Street meets Comanche and Vista streets.
The project follows the design guidelines established by Texas State University as part of its campus master plan and the finished building will blend into the architectural fabric of the campus. The design incorporates arches and red tile roofs.
As with all projects at Texas State, Bruce and Gloria Ingram Hall follows LEED criteria for environmental site design and engineering sustainability. However the university is not seeking LEED certification.
The interior spaces of the building are designed to encourage student participation by creating study niches, open laboratories.
Funding Through Various Sources
Funding is through a combination of tuition revenue bonds, higher education funds, gifts, Texas Research Incentive Program match and revenue financing system bonds. Bruce and Gloria Ingram provided a gift of $5 million to support the construction of research facilities and equipment in the new engineering and science building.
The Ingram's $5 million gift is eligible for a 100 percent matching grant from the Texas Research Incentive Program, thereby doubling the gift's value to $10 million.
In addition, Ingram Readymix, a company started by Bruce and Gloria Ingram in 1957, has given an in-kind gift of $2.1 million worth of concrete to help construct the building.
The new building had been a high priority for the university for several years, sparked primarily by rapid growth in engineering programs and research-related activities. The engineering program also plays a critical role in Texas State's goal of becoming eligible for the National Research University Fund, a state fund that helps qualifying institutions significantly increase their research activities.
“This building will allow Texas State University to be an even bigger player in the economic advancement of the local, regional and national economy,” said Robert Habingreither, interim dean of the College of Science and Engineering, in a release.
Architect for the engineering and science building project is Treanor Architects headquartered in Lawrence, Kan., with an office in Dallas-Ft. Worth.
Led by Michael Petty, Texas State University Facilities Planning, Design and Construction office serves as project manager.
Contractor is SpawGlass Construction of Houston. The employee-owned company builds a variety of buildings including major structures for higher education.
Its previous projects include The University of Texas at Austin Liberal Arts Building, phase 2; The University of Texas at Austin Student Activity Center and Liberal Arts Building, phase 1; and Texas State Technical College Harlingen University Center.
The project will feature hundreds of subcontractors, suppliers and rental equipment companies. Major contractors include Champion Site Prep Inc. of Georgetown, Texas, for earthwork and demolition; Big State Electric Ltd. of San Antonio, Texas, for electrical utilities; Young & Pratt of Manor, Texas, for thermal utilities; and The Porter Co. of Manchaca, Texas, for mechanical work and plumbing.
Between 50 and 70 workers are on duty at the construction site each day.
Walls Now Rising From the Earth
SpawGlass Construction began installation of underground site utilities for Bruce and Gloria Ingram Hall in November 2016.
“The project is just now coming out of the ground,” said Jayme Blaschke, director of media relations of Texas State University. “The concrete piers are nearing completion, concrete retaining walls are being formed and poured, a construction crane is being assembled and underground utilities are underway. The next milestone for construction will be the forming of the elevated structural concrete floors.”
During the early part of the excavation into the hillside, a horizontal drilling rig was used to insert the soil nails for slope stability. Rock excavators are in use for the utility line installation and the tower crane was installed this week.
The site grading phase included milling equipment to utilize the site material excavation.
It's estimated that the project will require about 20,000 cu. yds. (15,291 cu m) of concrete and more than 3,100 tons (2,812 t) of reinforcing steel.
Dirt for use as the base material for the building pad was milled and utilized on site.
One of the primary challenges of the project so far has been the installation of offsite utilities. That includes working on roadways while maintaining access to buildings for vehicles and pedestrians.
Project Noise, Dust Being Addressed
Construction impacts are being mitigated through ongoing communication with instructors in the surrounding buildings. Coordination of work activities and street closures are part of the discussions.
The contractor will be instructed to work around special events to prevent disruptions.—CEG
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