The impact of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic is widespread. Most operational aspects at F&S continued, but under much different guidelines and challenges than before. One that couldn’t continue: public tours. As a university resource provider, F&S offers facility tour opportunities, especially to students and children. Garage and Car Pool; Waste Transfer Station Nobody loves big trucks more than a bunch of little kids! … Continue reading Tours Open Again
After winning four straight times in the International Laboratory Freezer Challenge, the U of I can still save more energy and money in the future, particularly if Paul Foote has his way. “I want every lab on campus to know about and participate in the Freezer Challenge,” said Foote, energy conservation specialist. “Small changes, like defrosting a freezer or adjusting its temperature, can have a … Continue reading Four and Looking for More
St. Mary’s Road is an important corridor on campus, linking south Champaign with key U of I facilities like the National Petascale Computing Facility, home to world-class supercomputers, the Research Park, and of course, access to Department of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA) buildings and parking lots. So, what exactly will you see? Well, for one, you’ll see better. Improved lighting and easy-to-find crosswalks will aid pedestrians … Continue reading Seeing St. Mary’s in a New Light
The Urbana campus has welcomed a new notable landmark: the recently redesigned Red Oak Rain Garden, complete with a brilliant, locally culled wood pedestrian bridge. Completed in June, the bridge is made of local Black Locust wood from Allerton Park & Retreat Center with high tension cable railing. It is 40-feet long, 42-inches tall, and 9-feet wide. The garden is located in Urbana between Allen … Continue reading Red Oak Rain Garden’s Final Phase: The Bridge
By Colleen Ruhter, F&S Safety and Compliance Did you know just 60-70 percent of food in the United States is actually eaten? The other part is wasted – either during production, distribution, preparation (peeling, chopping), or is simply not eaten by the consumer. At Illinois’ six main dining facilities, over 3,500 pounds of food waste per day is generated (from loss during preparation and what … Continue reading From Good Intentions to Energy Generation
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, according to the U of I Master Plan, measures more than a whopping 8,000 acres of land in the Master Plan Area. On that land grows too many trees to count… or so you thought. F&S helps count and maintain all 16,534 trees on U of I grounds. All are viewable through the U of I’s “TreeKeeper” database: https://illinoisedu.treekeepersoftware.com/index.cfm?deviceWidth=1280. That … Continue reading What It Takes to Be a Champion
A team of researchers will be measuring the impact of natural vegetation at the Solar Farm 2.0 grounds. Below the 31,122 bi-facial solar panels lie 54 acres perfect for pollinator-friendly plantings. But how exactly does one calculate the plants’ effectiveness? How about: count the bugs. Ben Campbell, an energy engineer at the University of Illinois Chicago, is part of a research effort that will do … Continue reading Findings at the Farm
Water matters at the new Campus Instructional Facility (CIF). Whether heating or cooling the new 4-story, 122,000-square-foot building at the corner of Main Street and Wright Street in Urbana, a water-glycol mix will hold the key to cutting operating costs and offering a living laboratory of geothermal energy capabilities. The concept is easy: the temperature underground is more consistent throughout the year than air temperature. … Continue reading Heat Rising at Campus Instructional Facility
Cold winter nights, accumulated snow and ice, overwhelming heat, wind, and rainstorms can bother any pedestrian on the U of I campus. Soon, individuals on north campus will avoid the weather and move between the Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Building and the Newmark Civil Engineering Laboratory thanks to a new pedestrian bridge. This bridge allows easy passage three stories up, but it will also … Continue reading Campus Connection
