The reason we came to Vernal

A few weeks ago the newspaper from Vernal came to Jakes jobsite and asked a few questions about the new USU building.  I checked the paper online and there was the story.  I thought I would put it in our blog since this will be our journal for the year.  After all we did move to Vernal to support our husband and daddy in his job!  I am so very proud of my husband and the job he does.  I am so proud that he works hard to support us and take care of his family.  The boys love to go to work with daddy and see what he is building! When I ask them what their daddy does at work they tell me "he builds buildings"  We sure love you daddy!

Foundation started for new BEERC building

The foundation is finally being poured for the second building being constructed on USU’s Vernal campus, along 500 North, across from the high school.

As finish crews prepare the new UBATC/USU building for a grand opening next week, other crews are just getting started on the new 84,000 square foot Bingham Entrepreneurship and Energy Research Center (BEERC), the second building on the new Vernal campus. 

Crews have been installing vibro-piers in preparation for the footers of the building. The vibro-piers range from 10 to 19 feet deep, reaching down to a firm foundation of bed rock or the cobble stone layer that is tested to support the weight of the building. Air pressure is used to punch a pipe down to the bedrock.

The 8-inch pipe is then pressurized with air and 1-inch sized gravel so as it is withdrawn the rock being fed into the pipe is forced into the void and soil below, until it makes a solid base that can support the weight of the building. 

This process compares to the geo-piers that were installed under the UBATC/USU building just to the North. This process used a huge drill to bore a hole down to bedrock, which was filled with concrete to form the weight bearing pier sitting on bed rock. 

A total of 280 vibro-piers were drilled for the new BEERC building with crews drilling 20 to 30 a day. The piers are tested to hold 150 percent of the design capacity relating to the structure to be built.

As the soil stabilization portion of the contract comes to a close, crews are now preparing the footers for the new two story building.

“It is a good looking building that uses architectural components that are new to Vernal,” explained Jacob Romney, Construction manager and general contractor for Gramoll Construction. 

Crews are currently on schedule to complete the two story building for an Aug., 2010 opening, when it will be put to use as a strategic cornerstone in the future educational offerings in the future. 

According to Paul Hacking, UBATC President, moving into the newly completed building will give UBATC the capacity to move forward and provide critical training in the oil and gas industry as well as many other vocational fields. 

On the USU side of things, the Bingham Entrepreneurship and Energy Research Center is paramount in the development of a sustainable community by creating economic sustainability and bring new resources to the area. 

Marc and Debbie Bingham contributed $15 million to building a research center in the basin that will be used to create new business opportunities. 

“They want to help the basin create new business and new industry within the context of industry and potential new technologies,” said Robert Behunin, assistant to the USU president for special projects. He continued to say that the BEERC will be designed with that type of synergy in mind. 

“With the help of the Vice President for research Brent Miller and the Vice President for Economic Development and Strategic Ventures, we plan on maximizing our capabilities and opportunities to find solutions to real-life problems and to create technologies that can be commercialized and businesses that can be started right here in the basin.”

“That’s a pretty tall order, and we are not going to do it alone or in isolation,” stated Behunin, indicating that the BEERC will be the focal point of a variety of solid partnerships. 

“We will see all kinds of people in this center; our local faculty and researchers, our USTAR people, local industry, government partners and researchers and we may even have some faculty from our other Utah schools.”