Description of Project: | GREGORY HALL IS ONE OF THE LARGEST CLASSROOM BUILDINGS ON CAMPUS HAVING 26 CLASSROOMS AND MORE THAN 1,690 STUDENT SEATS. THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL ADDRESS PRIORITY LIFE SAFETY DEFICIENCIES IN GREGORY HALL AS IDENTIFIED IN THE VFA LIFE SAFETY ANALYSIS. ; WORK WILL FOCUS ON FIRE SUPPRESSION, EXITING PROVISIONS, EMERGENCY LIGHTING AND EXIT SIGNAGE IN PRIORITY AREAS OF THE BUILDING. MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE FIRE SUPPRESSION WORK WILL FOCUS UPON PROTECTING THE BASEMENT AND FIRST FLOOR LEVELS, APPROXIMATELY 46,000 SF, OF THE STRUCTURE. FURTHER, THE FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM WILL BE DESIGNED TO PERMIT FUTURE EXPANSION TO THE ABOVE FLOORS, APPROXIMATELY 56,000 SF, FOR FUTURE FIRE SUPPRESSION INSTALLATION. THIS APPROACH WILL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPALS OF LIFE SAFETY AS IDENTIFIED BY THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION (NFPA) IN ITS PUBLICATION THE LIFE SAFETY CODE HANDBOOK. IN ADDITION, EXITS ON ALL FLOORS WILL BE ENCLOSED AND UPGRADED TO ENHANCE THEIR PERFORMANCE IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY AND TO PREVENT FIRE AND SMOKE FROM SPREADING RAPIDLY FROM ONE FLOOR TO ANOTHER. HANDRAILS WILL ALSO BE ADDED TO EXIT STAIRS ON ALL FLOORS TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FALLS. THE EMERGENCY LIGHTING AND EXIT SIGNAGE ON THESE FLOORS WILL BE UPGRADED TO HELP PROVIDE RAPID IDENTIFICATION OF THE AVAILABLE EXIT ROUTES IN THE BUILDINGS. FINALLY, THIS PROJECT WILL ADDRESS DEAD-END CORRIDORS TO PROMOTE PROMPT EXITING. |