Search for new Locust Walk pavement continues

The Department of Facilities Management has completed an analysis of the slab of sculpture concrete placed in front of the Castle on Locust Walk last summer. The department found that the dense concrete material was "not the optimal solution" to the problems plaguing the Walk, Vice President of Facilities Management Arthur Gravina said yesterday. The material can crack easily, Gravina said. He added that the only method of keeping it in tact is using "very small pieces." In addition, the material is porous, and therefore cannot be easily cleaned, Gravina added. Locust Walk is currently made of blue stone, and it has been deteriorating for the last four years. The blue stone cannot withstand the weight of trucks or machinery on the Walk, Gravina added. "We didn't get the appropriate blue stone," he said. "It should last 100 years. We didn't even get 20 years." The Physical Plant Department currently performs continual maintenance on the Walk, but Gravina said the deterioration has accelerated. "We don't want to make it hazardous to pedestrians, so we have to reduce tripping," he said. "It's a nightmare." According to Executive Director of Physical Plant James Wargo, the University has been testing various sample materials and stones ever since the deterioration began four years ago. In November, Gravina was optimistic about the sculpture concrete testing taking place on the Walk, saying that it was easier to replace than the blue stone and that the question was one of aesthetics. But now Gravina said a full analysis revealed problems with that material. The Department of Facilities Management is currently considering other options to replace the "unsightly" blue stone, Gravina added. Everything from the stone's durability to its aesthetics must be considered. One choice involves the use of hastings paver -- the pressed asphalt found on the bridge crossing 38th Street. Because it comes in a variety of colors, the material could maintain the "ribbon effect" the blue stone currently provides, Gravina said, adding that he hopes to retain or improve upon the current look of Locust Walk. After a durable, appropriate material is found, the Design Review Committee will consider any perspective material for its aesthetics. And Gravina said he hopes to complete "at least a section" of the Walk this summer. "We'd like to come to some resolution [about the material choice] this semester," he said. The blue stone was put in 15 years ago. In an attempt to save money, a thinner, inferior stone was chosen, Gravina said. Repairs to Locust Walk could cost the University as much as $2 million, Gravina said last semester.