Clintonville building’s conditions range from good to severe
By Bert Lehman
A structural assessment of the old Armory in Clintonville reveals the building’s components range from good to severe condition.
Conducted by Ayres on June 3, the new assessment reaffirmed many of the structural concerns found in an assessment by Short Elliot Hendrickson (SEH) in 2017.
The executive summary of the Ayres assessment stated, “Corrective action is recommended to repair certain structural components observed to be in severe condition if the building is to remain in service under the current use as a light storage facility. Additional corrective action is recommended if the structure is to be remodeled and opened for public use.”
If the city wants to remodel and open the building for public use, it is recommended that existing finishes be removed so those areas can be inspected further for underlying issues.
Concrete walls
The assessment indicated that the concrete walls in the basement were in satisfactory to poor condition due to the presence of cracks.
Medium-sized cracks were observed at several locations in the recreation room, but did not appear to be actively enlarging or moving. Watermark stains were also found near these cracks on the floor, which likely came from water coming through the walls.
The assessment recommended repairing the cracks, waterproofing the walls, installing a drain tile, and regrading the site to drain water away from the exterior of the building. The estimated cost to make these repairs range from $100,000 to $200,000.
Masonry walls
The condition of the masonry walls from the main floor up to both roofs could not be observed, so the condition is unknown. The condition could not be observed because the walls were completely obscured by lath and plaster.
The assessment indicated numerous locations of cracked and stained plaster were observed on the interior and exterior of the building.
“This brittle finish is susceptible to cracking and can be a result of water infiltration into the walls, temperature fluctuations, movement of the building, and aging,” the assessment said. “According to the City representative, the building has not been heated since 2015 or 2016. These temperature fluctuations may have contributed to the cracked plaster observed on the walls throughout the building.”
Ayres recommended that the existing plaster be removed to further investigate the condition of the existing masonry walls.
Basement floor, metal columns
The overall condition of the basement floor was deemed to be in satisfactory condition, with no recommended repairs.
The condition of the I-shaped steel columns could not be observed because they are embedded in existing walls. The condition of the round iron columns was deemed to be in satisfactory, with no recommended repairs.
Concrete columns
The four circular columns located at the south exterior wall were observed to be in severe condition. Ayres recommended that the columns be replaced as soon as possible.
“Depending on the several factors, including the condition of the underlying concrete, extent of steel corrosion, and access to the back side of the column, the repairs could be completed using a fiber wrap material, or enlarged and encased in new concrete, or may need to be replaced altogether,” it was stated in the assessment. “These repairs should be designed by a licensed structural engineer.”
The estimated cost to make the recommended repairs range from $50,000 to $100,000.
Wood floor joists
The assessment conducted by SEH in 2017 indicated the wood floor joists that support the main floor and second floor were in poor condition, and ultimately led the city to vacate the building except for its current use of storage.
The Ayres assessment confirmed SEH’s 2017 assessment. They determined the conditions of the wood floor joists to be poor to severe, and recommended that the joists be repaired as soon as possible. It was also recommended that “the ceilings covering up the main floor joists and second floor joists should be removed to observe the extent of splitting in wood floor joists throughout the building.”
It was also recommended that a structural analysis be completed once the extent of splitting in wood floor joists is known.
“This analysis could determine the magnitude of reduced structural capacity and compare it to the loads associated with the current or future use of the building,” according to the assessment. “This analysis is likely to find the split joists to be undersized for current code-prescribed light storage live loads.”
The estimated cost to make the recommended repairs range from $100,000 to $500,000.
Steel trusses, steel beams
The condition of the steel beams in the main floor, second floor, and second-floor ceiling were deemed to be in good condition. No repair recommendations were given.
The condition of the steel roof trusses could not be observed because they were completely obscured by wood lath. Most of the trusses were also wrapped in plastic.
It was recommended that the ceiling and truss coverings be removed so that the condition of the trusses, especially the bearings at exterior walls, could be determined.
Wood hip roof
The assessment stated the condition of the wood hip roof appeared to be in satisfactory to poor condition, and agreed with the SEH assessment from 2017.
“Contrary to the satisfactory performance displayed to date, may not possess sufficient structural capacity when compared to the appropriate snow and wind loads,” the assessment said. “The roof should be evaluated via an in-depth analysis completed (by) a licensed engineer. To do so, the framing must be measured and portions of the ceiling below must be removed to expose the assumed steel framing and wood ceiling joists that could not be observed.”
Summary
Ayres recommended that repairs to the concrete columns and wood floor joists should be completed as soon as possible if the building is to remain in service under the current use as a light storage space.
“The concrete columns pose a falling debris risk and are located near a publicly accessible sidewalk,” the assessment said. “The splits in the wood floor joists pose a risk of reduced floor capacity throughout the building, although the actual extent and severity of split floor joists is unknown. Therefore, until such time that the investigations and repairs to the wood joists are completed, Ayres recommends against additional loads beyond what is currently stored on the elevated floors within the building.
“Other repairs should be completed if the City desires to remodel and open the building to public use. If not already completed, the repairs recommended in the report completed by SEH in 2017 should also be considered.”