A hot water line in the second floor ceiling on the east side of Olin Hall broke. Consequently, this set off the sprinkler directly beneath, leading to two sources of flooding in the building around 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 18.
Later that night, Bradley students and faculty were notified by email that classes held in Olin Hall on Oct. 19 would be canceled.
“I was [there] … water pooled, spread and rained down onto the departments below,” said Michelle Fry, chemistry department associate chair of the chemistry department.
Resources in biology, chemistry and physics were affected.
The physics department in the basement level sustained the most water damage. Four physics research labs were flooded, and several pieces of equipment essential to run ultrahigh vacuum systems were damaged. One physics teaching lab received minor water damage, and classes were relocated. No ongoing experiments were affected.
“The extent of the damage has yet to be determined … more information will be available once we are sure all the equipment is dry and we can proceed with the necessary tests,” said Jose Lozano, physics department chair. “Given the large amount of water that got into the systems and the fact that most of the equipment operates at high voltages, it may take weeks before all the equipment is tested.”
Two biology teaching labs and two research labs were impacted. Several classes have been temporarily moved to Bradley Hall. Biology department chair Sherri Morris said that ceiling tiles were down and water was on the counters, in the cabinets and on the floors.
“I have not heard of irreparable damage to experiments … The biggest problem is delay to experiments as in and get started,” Morris said. faculty and students cannot just walk
The chemistry department’s main classroom suffered severe damage, otherwise that floor showed only minor damage. Classes were relocated across campus.
Larry McGuire, director of facilities management, called in extra help soon after the occurrence, including Menold Construction and Restoration.
“We had a full-court press on the situation right away … people worked well past midnight, with contracting services in at 7 a.m. the following morning,” McGuire said. “Efforts have been applied constantly since then.”
Their efforts have been noticed by many people.
“It is of great value to note our own Bradley staff have gone above and beyond to get us back on track,” Morris said. “The faculty is working as hard as they can to be flexible and understanding.”
Other faculty members in the science department echoed that same thought.
“Considering the scope of the damage, [the cleanup] was no small feat,” Brad Andersh, chemistry department chair, said.
The first step to Olin Hall’s restoration was general cleanup, like getting the water off the floor, which led to ensuring there’s no moisture or residue left behind. The building is currently in a drying stage, with fans and large dehumidifiers spotted throughout.
“It’s too early to put a time stamp on the finish, but … the progress is going extremely well at this point,” McGuire said. “We were up and ready for classes the following Monday, but it will still probably be several weeks before we’re back to the previous condition.”
