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from the issue of August 24, 2006
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Mueller Tower safety issues addressed
BY TROY FEDDERSON, UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Marvin Potter knows Mueller Tower, from top to bottom.
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| | | STONE BY STONE - Marvin Potter (above) checks the stability of a cracked stone by hand on Aug. 17. Loose stone pieces were removed from Mueller Tower for safety. The pieces were cataloged with a letter and number system to identify exact locations for future repair options. Photo by Troy Fedderson/University Communications.
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Twice in his 29 years as a UNL employee, Potter - a supervisor with Facilities Management and Planning - has gotten hands on with the bell tower. Twenty seven years ago, Potter helped remove grout and reseal every joint in the tower's Indiana limestone façade. He returned Aug. 17, leading a three-employee crew to document weather-related damage and remove any loose chunks of stone.
Starting at the tower base and working up in a truck-mounted articulating boom, Potter and Andre Osorio videoed each of the tower's eight sides, focusing on cracks - some that occur naturally in the stone, others caused by Nebraska's changing seasons. Each crack was assessed through taps by hand to help determine the stability of the broken stone.
When pieces had to be removed, Potter and Osorio documented each extraction on video. The stone pieces were also assigned a letter and number, identifying exactly which stone it was a part of.
"We are slowly assessing any damage and making sure the tower is safe," Potter said. "And, we are documenting everything we do."
In June, an orange fence was placed around Mueller Tower. University officials ordered the safety precaution as pieces of the tower broke away and fell to the ground.
According to Ted Weidner, assistant vice chancellor for Facilities Management and Planning, an engineering assessment was completed in June. The report recommended, in the long term, that the university should remove damaged stones and essentially rebuild the façade. It also suggested that, in the short term, the university should remove any loose or chipped areas from the tower before removing the protective fence.
| | TOWERING JOB - Facilities Managment and Planning Employees (from left) Gerald Hillman, Marvin Potter and Andre Osorio work on Mueller Tower. Potter said another tower safety review will occur in two or three months, with another to follow in the spring. Photo by Troy Fedderson/University Communications.
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Weidner said the university is discussing long-term options with the University of Nebraska Foundation. He said there is no timeline for a permanent repair.
Potter, Osorio and Gerald Hillman were assigned the task of removing loose pieces so the tower could reopen prior to the Aug. 21 start of the fall semester. A two-day push allowed the fence to come down Aug. 18.
As they slowly worked their way around the tower, the trio gathered a number of second glances - one passerby even shouted a thank you for helping repair the campus landmark.
"We know Mueller Tower is important to this campus," Potter said. "And, it's nice to be able to work on a project that will allow the university to continue to enjoy the tower."
Potter said the university will continue to monitor the 84-foot tower.
"In two to three months, we'll come back for another assessment to help judge if things have stayed the same or are getting worse," Potter said. "Then, we'll be back again in the spring. Our goal is to keep the tower safe for the public until a long-term option can be put into place."
GO TO: ISSUE OF AUGUST 24
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