With summer on its way so are the repairs and renovations that happen throughout campus with students being gone. Along with those renovations and repairs happening this summer, the planning for a new science building has begun.

There are various orange markings and flags in the grass around the academic quad and in front of Renshaw buildings. The markings and flags are part of a design development phase for a new science building that was proposed in March.

GeoDesign Inc. has been collecting soil samples from the north side of Graf, Murdock and Mac Halls, said Allison Horn the Director of Facilities & Auxiliary Services.

Horn explained that the orange markings represent what underground facilities that are looking at, “The colorful markings that you are seeing on the ground represent underground facilities that were marked so that the topographical survey could be completed.”

A part of the development phase of the new science building is the topographical survey.  

“The topographical survey which identifies and maps the contours of the ground and existing features on (or slightly above or below) the earth’s surface. This process maps out  trees, buildings, streets, walkways, manholes, utility poles, retaining walls, etc,” said Horn.

Different colors and markings represent different things according to the Oregon Utility Notification Center (OUNC). The orange markings that have been seen around campus represent communications, which consist of cable TV, alarm or signal lines and cables or conduits.

“The OUNC is the state agency that administers a statewide system through which a person can notify operators of underground facilities and request that the underground facilities be marked in accordance with a designated color code,” said Horn.

Other markings that could be seen on campus as the planning continues is blue (water and irrigation lines), green (sewage and drain lines), yellow (gas, oil, steam) and many more.