Background Current Conditions Addressing the Problem Identifying Needs Learn More

Repair & Rehabilitation Matching Funds Program 2009 Guidelines Application PDF | Excel

Background:
Purdue is home to 380 buildings on its West Lafayette campus. The oldest of these, University Hall, is 135 years old. Many others are in the 26-100 year age range. Despite outward appearance of the campus-notably marked by brand new construction in many areas-inside, many of Purdue's most important structures are facing serious signs of age and deterioration.

To combat these problems, Purdue uses Repair and Rehabilitation (R&R) funds from the state and other sources to pay for needed maintenance and upgrades to academic and administrative buildings and infrastructure. Self-supporting entities such as residence halls and athletics are not included. The current state R&R program was officially adopted by the Indiana State Legislature in 1981, and it employs a formula based on original cost of construction, building age, and the building's useful life.

Current Conditions:
While the state has demonstrated good intentions from the beginning, the current program has rarely funded the full formula amount. For example, in the last two bienniums the difference between the formula and actual funding has averaged over $26 million.

Over time, inadequate funding has prevented the University from properly maintaining buildings and infrastructure. Roofs, foundations, exterior and interior walls, floors, HVAC, electrical systems, and other essentials are all at risk. As one might imagine, the longer the repairs wait, the further the systems deteriorate, and the associated costs rise exponentially. Meanwhile, teaching and research laboratories are not only deteriorating with age but also becoming obsolete, outpaced by advances in science and technology.

While ongoing facilities maintenance requires $15 million per year, the University is facing a serious backlog of work: The 2005 Metric M16 Deferred R&R Physical Facilities Report states that there is an estimated $155 million in repair work, and another $315 million in rehabilitation. This amounts to a staggering $470 million in needed work. Without R&R, Purdue is faced today with replacing academic and administrative buildings and infrastructure at a current replacement value of $2.7 billion.

Addressing the Problem:
To close the gap between need and existing resources, the University has devised an aggressive funding plan that combines state appropriations, a new student fee, a portion of the Facilities and Administration (F&A) fee, and existing University R&R funds and reserves. This recurring R&R support amounts to $15 million per year. In addition, Purdue will request the state legislature to issue bonds for $30 million per year for four years, funds which will be used to reduce the backlog of deferred R&R.

F&A funds enable the R&R to address teaching and research laboratories-combating both deterioration and obsolescence-that are crucial to the University's future success. As EUC senior director Joe Mikesell says, "Today's experimental research is on a micro-scale that requires only small quantities of materials and much more sophisticated instrumentation. Older labs cannot easily accommodate new equipment and instrumentation. Up-to-date facilities are essential to recruiting and retaining top-notch faculty and researchers."

Identifying Needs:
To identify the most pressing R&R needs campus-wide, Physical Facilities has utilized "component champions," individuals with expertise in various building systems and components, who assess specific building deficiencies. These deficiencies are then added to a master list of R&R projects, which are then prioritized according to the following guidelines:

1. Building envelope (roofing/siding, structural/masonry, windows and doors)
2. Basic building infrastructure (elevators, electrical, plumbing, HVAC)
3. Life safety systems (fire alarms, fire protection)
4. Classrooms and instructional laboratories
5. Research laboratories
6. Public areas (restrooms, corridors, stairwells, lobbies)
7. Interior finishes (offices)

R&R must first focus on the structural integrity of building exteriors (the building "envelope"). Preventing water damage and other harmful effects of weather/climate will in turn protect building interiors and systems.

Infrastructure and Utilities are prioritized accordingly:

1. Electrical distribution
2. Sewers
3. Potable water
4. Chilled water
5. Heating steam and tunnels
6. Sidewalk and streets
7. Telecommunication

Certain situations may call for adapting the project list to meet more critical needs. The focus will be on addressing "the worst of the worst," with 40 projects slated for the first year of construction.

"Our goal," states Joe Mikesell, "is not only to preserve those buildings that are essential to our daily operations as well as significant to the University's history, but also to enable Purdue to move forward, providing the best facilities and technology for our students and faculty."

Learn More:
For more information about R&R projects, please contact Keith Moore, R&R Group Manager, at 49-49501 or kem@purdue.edu.