A recent pipe leak in the south end of the Butler Pavilion tunnel has resulted in the closure of one of the main campus's busiest roads and a significant re-routing of traffic as repairs are being made.
Steam pressure caused the leak, said Director of Facilities Management Willy Suter.
"Each year, when we begin to distribute steam through our underground system, there is [a chance] for a weakness in the piping to become a hole, causing steam or condensate to leak," he said in an e-mail. "This is what happened at the south end of the tunnel."
The leak occurred because of normal wear and tear, rather than as a result of a specific event or accident, Suter said.
"Some of our underground piping is old and subject to failure due to the high operating temperatures and the fact that they are underground and subject to water and the pressure of being buried," he said in the e-mail.
Much of AU's underground piping has been replaced, but there are still old sections that are subject to the same type of failure. Large-scale replacement projects are difficult to undertake because they are disruptive and require significant planning, according to Suter.
Alex Villafuerte, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said he was not aware of the pipe leak, but noticed the "Do Not Enter" fence.
"I thought it had to do with the construction," he said. "We all know what happens when pipes break. Its better safe than sorry, especially in a place like that [the tunnel], with students and professors walking around."
Facilities Management's contractor has already cut out the damaged piece of pipe and is currently welding a new replacement piece, which will be insulated and then put back into the ground, Suter said.
The closure of the road that runs through the Bender Pavilion tunnel, one of the busiest on campus, has caused a major re-routing of traffic, including the university's shuttle system. The North side shuttle stop was moved from in front of the Kogod School of Business building to the sidewalk across the street from the President's Building.
The road will be closed until Tuesday, according to an announcement in Friday's edition of Today@AU.
You can reach this staff writer at thallerman@theeagleonline.com.
