With the help of a helicopter, four tons of structural steel will be installed inside the tower of University Hall on Friday, July 15 to reinforce the 85-year-old structure.

W.R. Meyers, Co., of Napoleon, Ohio, will use the helicopter crane to lift the steel beams from the sidewalk area in front of University Hall facing Bancroft Street above the building and then into the tower with the help of crews stationed inside.

The work will begin about 5 p.m. and continue until 8:30 p.m., with the best photo opportunity around 6 p.m. Members of the media and the public interested in watching are advised to do so from the field across campus located between Goddard and Drummond roads.

“The helicopter crane helps deliver materials to hard to reach places, making these types of projects faster and safer,” said Jason Toth, associate vice president for facilities and construction. “This structural steel framework being installed inside our iconic bell tower will support the structural concrete to ensure it will greet students for years to come.”

University Hall, which will be vacated prior to the delivery of the steel, was the first building constructed on the UT Main Campus in 1931 when it was built in 11 months by 400 men. The building was designed by the architectural firm Mills, Rhines, Bellman and Nordhoff in the collegiate gothic style that has been replicated in buildings across campus.

The tower reaches 205 feet tall and features four clock faces, each 11-feet in diameter, and the chimes that mark the half-hours and hours of the day.

The University worked with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to be sure that all the peregrine falcons that reside in the tower are able to fly and will be able to leave the area during the commotion.

Media Coverage
WTOL 11 (July 15, 2016)