For many people, spending hours in a hot, dimly lit tunnel surrounded by cobwebs would be a frightening experience, but for Clyde Pierce, it's just another day at work.
We're used to it; it's nothing to us
said Pierce, chief engineer of Lausche Heating Plant and supervisor of the tunnel maintenance division.
Pierce and the other four division members are responsible for inspecting and maintaining the 7.5 miles of tunnels underneath the university, used to transport steam heat, electricity, hot water, cable and phone service to most of the buildings at Ohio University, including Alden Library and the president's residence.
Tunnels have been used at OU to distribute utilities ever since the invention of centralized distributed heating, said Mick Harris, director of maintenance and operations. The tunnels transport steam and hot water to buildings and bring condensation and cold water back to the plant.
The oldest tunnels were built in 1908 and the newest ones were renovated about eight years ago, Harris said. - not an afterthought he said. We are in ours actively; we are in (them) every day doing something.
The tunnels are divided into 20 different sections and are accessible through more than 80 hatches around campus. Only tunnel maintenance staff has the keys.
The division will add a fifth staff member, who begins his apprenticeship this week. But the first three picks for the apprentice position backed out because the job was too challenging, Pierce said.
It's a dirty job
you can't be a claustrophobic
and you've got to be able to take the heat
Pierce said. It's just like walking through a mine shaft in a coal mine.
Some days the maintenance staff will be in the tunnels for a few hours, but some projects take several days to complete, he said.
The newer tunnels, such as the one under Park Place, are about 6 feet tall and 8 feet wide; but the older ones, including the one under Jeff Hill are only about 4 feet tall and 40 inches wide and staff members have to stoop or crawl through, Pierce said.
The older tunnels will probably all be renovated and expanded in the next 10 to 15 years, Pierce said.
Tunnel maintenance does all its big projects, such as renovations and replacing parts, during the summer when most of the campus doesn't need utilities, Pierce said. It shuts off a mile of piping at a time to work.
However, during the summer, temperatures in the tunnels can reach up to 115 degrees and the staff is required to wear jeans, boots and sometimes heavy welding jackets, Pierce said. During the rest of the year, the staff focuses on smaller projects and maintenance, he added.
Every member of the staff has to be a certified welder and has to go through safety training every year, Pierce said. They travel in pairs and carry radios when they are underground.
If a steam pipe ruptures and explodes you have 30 seconds to run away
Pierce said. We all have to take care of one another in here.
The steam that runs through the tunnel pipes is 256 degrees and the hot water is about 120 degrees. These temperatures combined with high voltage electricity make the tunnels dangerous for the untrained, Harris said. They are carefully secured so only professionals can enter.
Too many things could go wrong
and if you die or get hurt no one would ever see you
Pierce said.
Back in the 1980s, thousands of dollars worth of stolen computer equipment were discovered in the tunnel under the Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium. There was also a body discovered in a tunnel in 1984 that was believed to be the victim of a drug deal gone wrong, Harris said.
However, the only incident in the tunnels lately has been occasional graffiti, he added.
Students who are caught trying to get into the tunnels will be charged with criminal mischief. If they are found inside the tunnels, they will be charged with trespassing, said Lt. Rich Russell of the Ohio University Police Department.
Although some students might be attracted to the tunnels, many have no idea the system exists, Pierce said.
They don't realize it's more than just a door in the street. G? And really
that's how we want it
Pierce said.
