The long-awaited elevator in the former Civil Engineering Building (currently A2) is now working! We are very pleased that the last investment carried out as part of the project "Poznan University of Technology - a university open to everyone" has been completed and put into use!
The fact that this was the last investment was mainly due to the fact that when we started the project, we knew that an elevator in the oldest building of the Warta Campus was absolutely necessary to ensure communication accessibility of this beautiful facility, although difficult in terms of architectural accessibility. The introduction of accessibility in the field of vertical communication was one of the elements of a comprehensive reconstruction project aimed at adapting it to fire safety regulations. It was a separate project to adapt the area of the main entrance hall to the needs of people with disabilities, along with the construction of a passenger lift shaft connecting all floors in the A2 building on the Warta Campus.
Despite long preparatory work to develop a construction design and obtain a permit for the construction of the entire building, it was necessary to develop a functional and utility design for this project, tender documentation and select the Contractor. Post-pandemic changes and the effects of the war in Ukraine did not make the task easier - from less than PLN 350,000 allocated for this project in the project budget (2020), cost estimate prepared in March 2023 amounted to nearly PLN 1.4 million, and the first tender procedure selected the cheapest contractor for over PLN 1.8 million, which made it impossible to resolve the tender and announce another one. Fortunately, the next edition allowed us to choose the contractor and sign the agreement.
The deadline for completion of construction works was December 6, 2023, and for commissioning after obtaining permission from the Office of Technical Inspection - December 27, 2023. These were tight deadlines, leaving no time for any postponements, as we had to complete and settle all the work by December 31, 2023. As a result of negotiations with the National Centre for Research and Development (Intermediate Body), a consent was obtained to allocate all project savings to this elevator and an additional increase in the Project budget by 14.4% of the value of infrastructure tasks (PLN 205 thousand). As a result, the level of funding for this project increased from almost PLN 350,000 to nearly PLN 1.115 million.
At the same time, the work was also carried out on the renovation of the interior of the entrance hall, staircases and historic doors and balustrades in Building A2, which allowed the overall effect of the entire project to be achieved.
Today, on 6th December, so 3 weeks before the contractual date we are pleased to announce that the elevator in Building A2 has already been put into operation - it has been officially accepted, and the final use permit has been issued for the entire scope of works.
It is worth noting that as part of the investment, the original terrazzo floor was also renovated, and built-in elements increasing the accessibility of the stairs, a ramp and notice fields informing about the stairs or elevator fully integrated into this historic entrance.
The entire project would not be possible without the involvement of the contractor - Aedilis and its executive team, as well as the Poznan University of Technology services involved in the construction process including the Investment Department, Operation and Renovation Department, Fire Protection Inspector and many other people, supporting the investment on an ongoing basis. In particular, we would also like to thank the users of Building A2 and the people responsible for planning classes in this building, who approached the ongoing construction works with patience and understanding!
Maria Zagata-Więcek
