University of South Carolina Libraries
Library contr void construi By Betsy White Penalty payments on Dargon Construction for the Thomas Cooper Library were not imposed because of various changes made in the original contract, according to Harold Brunton, USC vice president of operations. "If you don't live in the construction world, sometimes you tend to oversimplify the problems," Brunton said. "Construction problems always arise where there is a need to change the contract term s." In the original contract, the Undergraduate Library was to remain in its original location while HHitinnt vupro hainrt k?U:~J ? 1 uv>ui>iv>i>j nvi v uvii15 V.UIIOI.I UV.ICU UCU1IIU ctliu beneath it. This was Phase I, which started July 10, 1972, with 730 days allocated to complete the job. After this time, a $400-a-day liquidated damage fee would be in effect. Phase II called for the old portion of the UnflprPraHufltp T.ihrnrv iThnmac 0 ? . J , 11.U11HUO V/VA/ptl / IU UC renovated while the new additions were in operation. The renovation was to take 108 days after which $300 would be collected as a penalty. According to a Information Services release, in the Spring of 1974 Carolina decided to combine Phase I and II so the Thomas Cooper Library could be completed and open in its entirety. In order to accomodate this change the Undergraduate L,iurary was movea io jretigru to provide a more peaceful setting for the library. In the event of this change, the University and Dargon Construction Co. readjusted all time schedules in the original contract. Thus the liquidated damage dates were extended. Also during construction, more than 180 change requests were submitted by Dargon Construction Co. because of the large and complicated nature of the construction job on the library. The University approved 130 of the requests, which were combined into seven official change orders in the original contract. With each change, act changes ill! IIUII pvnaiTy the university gave Dargon Construction Co. more time to implement the changes. "Contracts are stated in terms of days a projeel should be completed. One can never foresee the changes that need to be made or the difficulties involved with construction, so invariably con tractors are given more time to finish the job,' Brunton said. Certain situations are recognized by law as out ol a contractor's control. For example if "weathei conditions exceed specific tolerances, the day it added as a time extension to the contractor ir determining when liquidated damages should take place." The university, Dargon Construction Co and the architect agreed on the number of days t( De anowea. In view of all the changes in the contract, July 18 1975, was set as the new completion date for the Thomas Cooper Library, after which liquidatec damages would go into effect. Minor adjustments and modifications are made tc buildings after they are finished, but on July 18, the new library was declared "substantially com plete." All parties involved decided that there would be no penalty payments. After completion, the original plan was to oper the new library in Dec. 1975. In anticipation of the December opening, a great deal of effort was ther expended on a salt corrosion paint problem of the wooden carrels (study areas), the balancing of th< mechanical system, and the assembling together o a large amount of steel shelving. Brunton said that technically the Thomas Coopei Library could have been open in Dec. 1975 but ir November the universitv decided aeainst it. "It was a disappointment but it turned out to be ? lucky accident," Brunton said. The delay proved to be "one of the best physica decisions the university has made in some time,' according to a release from Information Services All the furniture and books were able to be installec in fhnir r\l a /inn iSiiiiBiW JfiT1 mmbmbhBommSSS Bf rwflkyJfxjSf: WliMw w Bj Bb J B&PHBlfllfraTff4* I ^ BRUNTON 1 . ) The GAMECOCK is the student j newspaper of the University of South Carolina and is published twice weekly, on Monday and Thursday during the fall and ? spring semesters and once weekly on i i nui >uoy uui my uum summer terms with the exceptions of four times in August and 1 on University of S.C. holidays and i examination periods. 1 ? Opinions expressed in The Gamecock are those of the editors and not those of the f University of South Carolina. i ne university ot bouth Carolina is an equal opportunity institution. 1 Change of address forms, subscription * requests and other correspondence should be sent to The Gamecock, Drawer A, USC | Columbia, 29208. Subscription rates are S3 , per semester and $2 for the summer sessions > Second class postage paid at Columbia, SC. , Read the Gamecock I N ! T If I ever | get out of this,; I ; the first thing ; I'm gonna do is go see 1 J l__J BBS RBI H3H