Just in time for the start of the school year, a shiny, new floor is now in place at the College of New Caledonia gymnasium.
Over the course of just three or four minutes in February, the old one was put under about three inches of water when a pipe in the fire protection sprinkler system burst. Exactly why it blew is not known, although age appeared to have been the reason.
But it caused plenty of inconvenience. A myriad of sports groups were suddenly without a home and the school had to do a bit of scrambling, notably in August when space was needed to host exams for the summer intercession.
By then the old wood floor was out so it was a matter of holding them on the concrete underneath but not before CNC had to secure temporary certification to occupy the gym. Getting that certification included testing the air quality and ensuring safe exits in case of fire.
"But we were able to achieve that...even though the repair was not complete," said CNC facilities services associate director Theo Mushumanski.
Installing the new floor cost about $350,000 and a number of steps had to be taken to get there and meet the standards set out under the B.C. Building Code. An occupational and industrial hygienist had to carry out air quality testing throughout the project, a mechanical engineer was enlisted to make sure the piping system was up to par and an architect had to certify that it is safe for public use.
"It is quite involved," Mushumanski said.
Users should notice an improvement over the old floor, which dated back to the 1970s. The new maple hardwood floor sits on top of two layers of 3/4-inch plywood, in turn supported by neoprene sleepers.
"It's much more consistent in its spring and step throughout its entire surface, it's really good technology," Mushumanski said.
The entire bill was covered through the provincial government's universities and colleges protection program.
