Van Hise, Humanities reopen

Emergency repairs to two campus buildings are now complete.

Van Hise Hall

Van Hise Hall reopened on May 17 after being closed to allow for the removal of precast concrete panels on the third- and fourth-floor decks, and for other related work.

On April 4, two precast concrete panels fell from the third floor deck of Van Hise, landing in front of the main entrance. An engineering assessment of similar panels recommended all panels of the third and fourth floors be removed. The building was closed and employees from both UW System and UW–Madison were temporarily relocated so that work could proceed safely.

This work, which included both the removal of more than 60 panels as well as waterproofing and the installation of temporary fall protection, was completed during the second week of May.

Mosse Humanities Building

A failed expansion joint on the northwest side of the Mosse Humanities Building required a partial closure of the building on April 30 to make repairs. This closure affected parts of the first, second, sixth, and seventh floors (there are no third, fourth, and fifth floors in this part of the building).

These temporary repairs were completed during the third week of May and this part of Humanities reopened on May 20.

Next Steps

Both buildings will require further repairs over the next year. These projects, which are a collaboration between Facilities Planning & Management, UW System, and the State of Wisconsin, are currently in development.