Every Winter, Concordia Facilities is charged with clearing tons of snow and deicing miles of sidewalks.
Already this year, they have used around 20 tons of granular salt and 250 gallons of liquid deicer on the sidewalks.
Facilities and custodians shovel or snow blow approximately 210 entry doors across campus.
They are also responsible for about 10 miles of sidewalks and 17 parking lots that add up to almost 15 acres in total.
A majority of the snow removal on campus is done by only a few people using machinery to clear sidewalks as well as parking lots.
However, it is a group effort including all facilities members and custodians who help to hand shovel and de-ice in front of doorways on campus.
Machinery like Bobcat “Toolcats” are used to help clear the sidewalks, as their front end is fitted with a loading bucket that can scoop up snow and ice.
These vehicles (costing upwards of $80,000) resemble a hybrid between a golf cart and a pickup truck, with an enclosed and heated front cab and a mini bed in the back.
A gigantic “snow broom” is also used to clear sidewalks. The broom is an attachment on a lawn mower. They can also be outfitted with a snowblower to move snow off the sidewalk.
The areas on campus considered most critical for snow and ice removal are fire lanes and main campus streets.
The path from Park Region to Offutt Concourse and the path from Knutson Campus Center to Memorial Auditorium and Hvidsten are high priority.
In addition, entrance doors to Memorial Auditorium, Olson Forum, the swimming pool and Knutson Campus Center are cleared with a high degree of importance.
While under usual conditions snow can be removed from vital areas before 7:30 A.M., heavy deposits of snow will slow down facilities management.
Large snowstorms that cause over 11-12 inches of snow require about 500-600 working hours to remove and transport snow from sidewalks and parking lots.
During these instances, nearly all facilities staff will be asked to help with snow removal, and less critical cleaning services will be put on hold.
