UC Riverside’s Physics Building will get a new roof as part of a renovation of the aging building.

Construction work began June 17 with the work expected to be completed by September in time for the fall quarter.

The project involves completely demolishing the roof and replacing it with a new roofing system, said Fernando Nunez, a project manager with the Office of Planning, Design, and Construction.

The roof of the 1965-era building, which is two-stories in one wing and three stories in the other, had become leaky from weather and age, he said. The new 30,000 square foot roof will include a thick layer of foam insulation with a modified asphalt surface that will provide better protection, Nunez said.

The building includes Department of Physics research and instructional labs, some of which will remain in place during the work. The first floor and half of the second floor will remain operational while part of the second floor and the entire third floor were vacated for construction.

Temporary cooling units were installed at multiple locations as the air conditioning system is shut down during the work. Due to potential hazardous material fallout from the existing fireproofing material under the metal roof deck, crews installed plastic covering throughout the entire interior of the building, Nunez said. Air detector monitoring devices were also placed and rotated at different locations of the building.

The project is the latest in a series of renovations on campus by the Office of Planning, Design, and Construction to upgrade older buildings. A new roof was installed at Spieth Hall while renovations were completed recently at Batchelor Hall and Pierce Hall.