Oceanlab Phase 2 
Progress
21 May 2009
Due to further delays which were outwith the control of the main contactor the building is now almost 6 weeks overdue. However, all that is now left to do before the fitting out with furniture, etc can commence and staff moved in is for a legal document to be signed in relation to the sewage outlet. It is hoped that we will be able to move into the building at the start of June.
Click here for more views of the building
18 March 2009
After delays caused the hard frosts and heavy snowfalls in February and the finalising of the water supply the main contractor is now reporting a two week delay to completion of the building and the projected completion date is now the 10th April, 2009.
All the scaffolding has now been removed from the building and much of the internal work is now progressing well. The site manager reported at the last Progress meeting that, "in general, the building is progressing well on all fronts, although there is a problem with the water connection." The new storage building for equipment and samples is now almost complete and work has started on landscaping the site with the roads and pavements beginning to take shape.
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 New building as seen from entrance to Oceanlab 1 |
27 January 2009
Welcome to the first progress report of 2009.
Work is continuing apace after the Christmas break. The sewer connection and ducts have now been installed. An extra duct was installed to the boathouse to accomodate the future cabling of the Ythan esturary which is due to take place later this year. The building of the new external store has also begun part of which will be a dedicated sample store. There is still some coloured blockwork to be completed and the cedar linings and boards are being final nailed and screwed. The main roof is now an and still green after some very windy weather over the last month. The soffit has been installed and facia arrived today
The internal plaster boarding is progressing well as is the electrical cabling. However, there are a number items behind programme and the site manager is reporting that they are behind by three weeks but he is confident that these items can be caught up and is still reporting the completion date of 27 March.
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 The room for the Environmental Chambers |
 Looking from the open plan office space towards the coffee room. |
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9th December
Two items which were described as being in the critical path have been resolved. Agreement has now been reached to enable the connection of the main sewer to the neighbouring pumping station and the water connection details have now been made available from the Water Board.
The main roof is now watertight with the green roof system due to be installed this week, keep an eye on the web cam. All the internal blockwork has been installed and the external coloured blockwork has been completed on the north side (See picture below). The window installation is now almost complete with the front doors and windows arriving at the end of last week. Much of the internal ducting for electrical and pluming work is now completed and the 'workshop' ceiling has been painted.
While some items are slightly behind programme (2 weeks), the main contractor reported that "we are behind by 2 wee however, our original programme does not show any overlap between the 1st and 2nd fix operations, hopefully there is scope to
The coloured brickwork and Cedar linings
The main entrance with the doors in place
29th October
Despite having our first fall of snow of this winter the building is still on schedule and the projected completion date is still the 27 March 2009
Burns, the main contractor, reported that there are a few items that are behind programme with the critical ones being the internal 2nd floor brickwork which allows the Mezzanine floor to be installed and the roof and skylight. While the roof is behind, they do not consider that this will have a large effect on the programme as the main sheets are now on and it is the facia and gutering that is behind. This will ony have an effect if the cedar linings arrive and no down pipes are fitted. The underfloor heating and screed will be completed by Thursday 30th which will allow the start of the 1st fix to all areas within the building on programme. At this point the contractors only consider themselves 1 week behind and that this can easily be caught up.
Roof sheeting in place and the 1st floor screed being poured
13 October
The first of the Creagh units (large concrete slabs) and the lifting crew arrived on Tuesday 7 October. Despite three days of miserable weather with only one day of respite and one or two hiccups, the installation of the Creagh units and the stairways was successfully completed late on Friday afternoon.
The first unit about to be lowered.
The first unit is located in place.
The last of the units are put in place before the rain came back.
1 October 2008
The steel diagonal bracing has been temporarly removed to allow the positioning of the Creagh units - the large slabs of concrete each weighing around 5 tonnes which will form the floor for the first floor. The units are due to arrive the week commencing the 6th October. Keep an eye on the web cam, it should make interesting viewing as these giant slabs are lowered through the roof into place.
Internal walls to first floor ready to mount the Creagh units on
Once these units are in place the steel fixers will return and complete the installation of the rest of the steel work. The fire protection to the steel within the cavity is also due to commence after which the laying of the coloured external brickwork can commence and the joiners can start framing the outside wall for the cedar cladding. At this point in time the project is three days behind, however, the contractor is confident that this time can easily be made up.
8 September 2008
At a recent Progress Meeting, Burns, the main contractor reported that the Project was back on schedule. Following the completion of the pouring of the concrete for the floor on 26 August the brick layers are now back on site and and building blockwork to the areas that supports the steel. The steel erector is programmed to return to the site before 22 September to install the remaining loose steel to allow precast to be landed.
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The initial blockwork |
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25 August 2008
Despite the delay in the delivery of the steelwork the programme is only one week behind schedule. It is considered that this time will be re-couped during the blockwork structure. All substructure, drainage, GSHP, water mains, etc. are 95 - 100% complete.
 The main 'players' |
 The first arch in place. |
 Framework almost completed |
 The view from the main entrance. |
8 July 2008
The erection of the steelwork should have commenced last week but due to a delay in the production of the drawings it now expected to start on week commencing 28 July. However, this will not affect the overall timetable and several areas are ahead of schedule. All the internal underground drainage has been installed in and around the building. 10 bore holes for the GSHP were completed on 26 June and tests indicated that a further 2 bore holes will be required which should be done within the week.
Click on the images below to view full size image. Note the image on the right shows the pipework (yellow) which will pump the water through the system.
 Drilling the final holes |
 The site |
11 June 2008
The rig arrives to begin the drilling of the test bores for the Ground Source Heat pump. The internal floors are levelled off in preparation for the laying of the concrete base.
Test drilling in progress
2 June 2008
The soakaways have been completed to the manholes at either ends on both the roof and road soakaways. The binding concrete foundations have been layed and building of brick work started.
The site as seen from the old Culterty weather station
2 May 2008
Professor C Duncan Rice, Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University, performed the official turf cutting ceremony with the assistance of Jan Lukas in front of an invited group guests. The occasion also involved the unveiling of a plaque to commerate 50 years of research at the Culterty / Oceanlab site. Many of the guests were former staff and students who had worked in the Culterty Field Station over the 50 year period. More...........
The turf cutting ceremony
The Plaque
Guests gather afterwards in the Oceanlab hanger
The 'Builders'
22 April 2008
Work commences with the preparation of the site access and compound.
17 April 2008
Web cam is installed in Oceanlab to view the progress of the Project.
19 February 2008
Tuesday 19 February 2008 the first work began on Phase 2 of the Oceanlab site when our neighbour Mr Nicholas Schellenberg began moving the hedge of beech trees to allow us access to land purchased by the University to the north of the existing Oceanlab. Nicholas is doing a very nice job conserving the hedge and moving it to a new location before birds start nesting in the spring.
Construction of the new is due to start around the 21 April with a completion date of January 2009
Transplanting the beech hedge to it new location
