While work continues inside the Dalton-Whitfield County Public Library on a new sprinkler system, crews have been studying what is going on underneath the campus at the corner of Waugh and Cappes in preparation for a new reading pavilion.
Architect Jack Killian with KCP Architects and contract manager Allan Felker have been working with consulting engineers from Terracon and Keller North America to determine what type soil is on the property and what might be underneath it.
The goal is to determine the best and most cost-efficient sub-grade support system that might be used as the foundation for the proposed pavilion and patio. The testing has delayed the $3.2 million project that is being funded by $1.2 million from the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) and $2 million in capital money from the state.
“Crews have been out on several occasions taking test borings and have found everything from soft clay in some areas to obstructions such as large rocks in others,” said Northwest Georgia Regional Library System Interim Director Betsy Powell. “Design and planning work has continued, but until we know what options we have for the foundation and how much they might cost, we are in a bit of a holding pattern.”
The reading pavilion will include a new sign at the corner of Waugh and Cappes complete with a 4-foot by 8-foot full-color video screen and bi-folded design with an edge resembling a book spine.
A walkway will allow access from the kids area around the corner of the building to the new reading pavilion. The pavilion will be 1,775 square feet of conditioned space with glass walls and doors that are capable of being opened in good weather. The surrounding patio will add 3,360 square feet of outdoor space.
Adding new space to the existing building requires that the facility be brought up to code regarding a fire suppression system and workers from Carpet Capital are near completion of adding a sprinkler system to the first floor of the nearly 32,000-square-foot, two-story building.
They will move to the main library next.
“We do not expect any disruptions to services,” Powell said.
It’s a pre-action system that uses a combination of heat detectors, sprinkler heads, water and air to detect and put out fires where they occur.
“It ensures the safety of our patrons and staff, but it also protects assets like our books and electronic equipment by only sending water where it is needed,” Powell said.