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Project Updates for collection: Living Lab Facilities / Programs

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  1. 18F Semesterly Report - Hives for Beekeeping Club

    Associated Project(s): 
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)
    Bee Campus USA

    We have bought the bees and hives, installed the bees, and built the fence around the hives. The bees were not established enough to take much honey from them so we stayed on the safe side and allowed the bees to keep all their honey for overwintering. Recently we bought two more hives and are hoping to split our current hives to have a total of 4 hives at the sustainable farm. As the bees now have foundation built up they should start producing more honey and brood than last year, and we are expecting to be able to harvest ample honey next Fall.

    Attached Files: 

  2. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Welcome back from break! Hope everyone had a good time with friends and family.

    The last week before break was pretty slow, as to be expected. Kevin finally finished his B-a-B, which was great. He was jazzed about it, too.

    The Bike Center doesn’t reopen until next Monday so this week I’ll be doing some deeper cleaning and reorganizing that isn’t feasible when I have to open the doors at 2pm. I’ll also be collating the student staff manual.

     

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 47
    Sales: $171.50
    Memberships: 2 for $60
    Build-a-Bike: 1 for $47

    Thanks!

     

    Jake Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Manager

  3. Fiber-optic cable intact

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal Monitoring Well on Bardeen Quad

    Hi everyone,

    I can report today that the fiber-optic cable is intact and the test returned a signal along the entire 235 m cable. What you see in the photograph is data along the cable going down and coming back up (470 m total).

    We have ordered the drop box to store the fiber-optic cable, and a hole has been dug for it. The box will be installed by F&S after the holidays. The fencing is being left around the site until this is done.

    Wishing you all the best this holiday season.

    Andy

    Attached Files: 

  4. Borehole sealed

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal Monitoring Well on Bardeen Quad

    Hi Everyone, We successfully installed the geothermal loop and fiber optic cable today. The borehole is now grouted closed. My appreciation goes out to the group of colleagues and staff from the ISGS that assisted the drill crew to insert the 400-feet of tubing in the ground.

    The drill crew will be back in the morning to clean up the site and move equipment offsite. We still need to install a drop box to store the fiber-optic cable and access the geothermal loop. The box has been ordered and if it arrives in the morning, we may be able to get it installed before the holidays. In about a month we will start measuring the ground temperature and run a DTRT test once the grout cures.

    Happy Holidays!!

    Andrew

  5. Installing fiber optics

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal Monitoring Well on Bardeen Quad

    Hi everyone, We had a successful day of collecting geophysical logs in the borehole. I have seen print outs of this excellent data, and is an important part of the geologic characterization. Thanks goes out to Tim Young for coming out of retirement to help us complete the work.

    Tomorrow we will install the U-bend and fiber-optic cable in the borehole. Our task is to sink a 400-foot log tube filled with water (weighing ~600 lbs) down the hole. For those nearby you may want to drop by for a visit. Once this is done, we will proceed to grout the borehole closed.

    Cheers,

    Andy

  6. Last drilling update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal Monitoring Well on Bardeen Quad

    Hi everyone,

    We finished drilling today and advanced the borehole to a depth of 385 feet.

    Tomorrow we will collect geophysical logs of the borehole. If you want to drop by we should be in full swing by 11 am. It will take some time to clean out any material that has collapsed in the borehole overnight and make sure the hole is full of mud before logging the open hole.

    Best,

    Andy

  7. Weekly update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Last week was slow, per usual this time of year. I had a training session for two new staffers. They’ll start in the new year as they have finals this week.

    Bike count is hovering around 15-20 with a few safety checks still in the queue. A couple staffers expressed interest in morning shifts this week so if that happens, hopefully it’ll result in a few more builds being ready before winter break.

    This week I will continue work on the Student Staff Manual and will line up some new volunteer tasks since the regular items are getting ticked off the list.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 51
    Sales: $117.50
    tire/tubes: 6 for $23


    Thanks!

     

    -        Jake Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Manager

  9. Daily update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal Monitoring Well on Bardeen Quad

    Hi everyone, As expected our rate of drilling today slowed when drilling the shale bedrock. The crew was able to drill an additional 25 feet to a depth of 355 feet.

    Next week, since Monday will be the last day we have to drill the hole deeper, we have decided to stop coring and just drill straight through so that we can reach the target depth of 450 feet. Tuesday is needed to clean out the borehole so that geophysical logging can be done on Wednesday. On Thursday and Friday, we will install the geothermal loop and fiber optic cable and grout the hole closed.

    Have a great weekend.

    Andy

  11. Daily update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal Monitoring Well on Bardeen Quad

    Hi Everyone, We are starting out Wednesday morning at 294 feet, about 5 feet into the bedrock. The crew will be widening the hole this morning from 5 inches to 5.9 inches before going deeper into bedrock. Looks like a nice day for drilling!!

    Andy

  13. Daily update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal Monitoring Well on Bardeen Quad

    Hi everyone,

    After a morning of thawing out the drilling system from well below freezing temperatures on the weekend, we were able to reach 240 feet. With the top bedrock being <60 feet, it is likely they will reach it on Tuesday.

    My colleague Jason Thomason will be at the site on Tuesday while I am out of town.

    Best,

    Andy

  14. Weekly update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Bike Share with Veo

    All, Visitor numbers are down, sales are down, builds are ever-creeping up: It must be winter!

    We’re only averaging a few actual work-on-my-bike visitors per day now, and I imagine it’ll get even slower the closer we get to winter break. The student staff has responded positively to the shift in shop build protocol away from piecemeal jobs and towards being wholly responsible for the bike, start to finish. I don’t think it has actually positively affected the quality of their work—yet—but they seemed more engaged and invested in the task at hand. 

    Not sure the numbers on it but I feel like I’ve had a pretty steady flow of volunteers in for either community service or volunteer memberships. Not too many volunteer duds, as most seem pretty jazzed and impressed with the space/DIY idea.

    This week I’ve got a meeting with the GM of VeoRide and separately, a TBP-UIUC meeting, as well as student staff training towards the end of the week.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 43

    Sales: $144.50

    Memberships: 2 for $60

     

    Thanks!

     

    -        Jake Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Manager

  15. Daily update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal Monitoring Well on Bardeen Quad

    Hi everyone,

    We had a successful day 2 after deicing the system. We are now down to 165 feet and heading into the oldest glacial strata. If you are following along with the log I sent, we are about 170 feet on it.

    We will start up again Monday morning.

    Best,

    Andy

  16. daily update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal Monitoring Well on Bardeen Quad

    Hi everyone,

     

    After day 1 we have drilled to a depth of 90 feet. This is excellent progress with snow much of the day, and not getting in the ground until late morning.

    So far, the geology is similar to previous drilling in the area (see log attached).

     

    Cheers,

    Andy

  19. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Bike Share with Veo

    All, Winter is upon us! Visitor numbers are still relatively high, considering the cold weather, which is a great sign. We have one student in every week who’s still plugging away at his B-a-B. Most others have abandoned them and I have had the staff reclaim them as shop builds.

     

    Last week I finished and delivered the bike that’ll be raffled off at the Staff Appreciation Week. I worked up a checklist for the future days when I’ll need the student staff to run open hours for me. Safety checked a few more bikes and worked on inventory.

     

    This week I’ll need to begin looking at reallocating space for how many shop builds we have. Most of the front area of the shop is all for-sale bikes so now we’ll need to start a row in the back.

     

    I’ll also be getting in touch with VeoRide about a possible partnership for getting more people on bikes.

     

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 58
    Sales: $61
    Memberships:  1 for $30

     

    Thanks!

    • Jake Benjamin
      Campus Bike Center Manager

     

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