“It's not really as bad as we thought it would be” was the oft-heard comment from Schaffer Library staff and patrons this week as workers were completing three days of sawcutting 10-inch concrete floor slabs at the east side of Schaffer Library.
The operation, necessary to remove a “bump out” section of the 1961
structure, was expected to produce a continuous, shrill noise. Instead, it produced a muffled vibration that one librarian described as “a dentist's drill, but without the
pain.” Noise in other buildings was almost unnoticeable.
Meanwhile, pile driving — which will place support columns down to 15 feet in firm
bedrock — is scheduled to begin after the end of exams on March 21, lasting for up to
three weeks. The operation is expected to produce a loud, rhythmic noise that will be
audible over most of campus, but especially in adjacent buildings. Hours of pile driving
will be weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., occasionally as late as 4:30 p.m.
The Olin/Schaffer Impact Committee will provide timely updates to the campus community
through the WWW construction news site, (available from the College home page or by using
the URL: www.union.edu/PUBLIC/SGAO/const.html);
on conspicuous bulletin boards in Schaffer Library and Reamer Campus Center; and in the Chronicle
and Concordiensis.