Dec. 2012 - Aztec Student Union Update

Aztec Student Union Update

The new student union gets ready for winter…

As the semester progresses towards winter break, work continues on Aztec Student Union. This month, flying tanks invaded, welders became superheroes and a rooftop made surveying campus a little bit easier.

Flying tanks

Project crews installed three underground, rainwater storage tanks in the courtyard of Aztec Student Union. Able to hold 50,000 gallons apiece, the tanks will collect rainwater from the building’s rooftop that can then be used for irrigating the landscaping.

The installation required engineering “pick points” — or handles to attach straps used by a crane — on the large red tanks. Once a tank was securely attached, a crane lifted it over the pedestrian bridge that spans the building’s entrance near Centennial Walk. Crew members maneuvered the tank using ropes while the crane lowered it to its gravel bed. Now, all three sit in alignment, waiting for a proper burial.

Heroic welders

While steel erection ended in October, welders kept going right up until the Thanksgiving break. They finished joining various beams and railings throughout the project, including those located on the rooftop.

You may have seen them precariously perched on the roof, or perhaps dangling from a beam. Just a day’s work for an iron worker!

Roof with a view

The roof of Aztec Student Union provides some standout features, from its tower (solely an architectural feature) to its green roof (a sustainable feature).

But the most remarkable of all is the 360-degree view. From College Avenue to the south to the rest of campus to the west and north, it provides a view unlike any other on campus.

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