BY: JORDAN OTERO
Students on Franciscan University of Steubenville campus know that the weather in the Ohio valley can be unpredictable. Physical Plant employees know this even better, dealing first-hand with whatever Mother Nature throws their way.
Lately, though, questions have been raised concerning damage done to sidewalks on campus and the possible safety hazards that the damage can cause.
"It's normal wear and tear," said David Owens, manager of grounds for Physical Plant, in regards to the suffering sidewalks. "Comparable to another place, we use a lot of product (during inclement weather), and that's because it's a 24-hour operation."
In the winter of 2010-2011, Physical Plant used 1,600 bags of various ice melt products for the more than five miles of sidewalk around campus, as well as an additional 165 tons of road salt for streets and parking lots. So far, only 30 bags of ice melt product and 3 tons of road salt have been used.
Whether there are two inches of snow or six inches of snow on the ground, Owens said, the same amount of ice melt product gets put down.
"With the campus being a 24-hour setting, it's really tough not to treat" even the smallest patch of ice, he said.
Nathan Sisson, a sophomore, said that although putting ice melt products such as rock salt and magnesium chloride on the walking and driving surfaces around campus is a needed step to take during the winter, that "sometimes it seems like there's ... more than necessary."
Owens noted that all the sidewalks are scheduled to be replaced. Two summers ago the concrete near the Starvaggi Hall and the academic buildings were replaced. Last summer, work was done by the J.C. Williams Center and in other areas near the center of campus.
"A lot of the newer sidewalks that we're putting in get treated in the fall," said Owens. "Some of the ones that aren't damaged real bad, we do seal those. So it keeps that chemical (from the product) from seeping into the concrete."
"I don't know if it's a 100 per cent fix, but it's got to be better than just straight concrete," he added.
Owens said that in the meantime, those on campus can help by keeping themselves safe by wearing weather-appropriate attire when walking, such as snow boots, and taking extra precautions when driving.
"A lot of that is some of your responsibility as a student, to say, 'okay, it is winter time, I can't expect this place to look like July,'" he said. "For the little stuff that we do and the little stuff that campus can do to help out, it can really lessen the stress on our assets."