Floyd Elementary & Willis Elementary Schools Draper Aden Associates Project No. R15682R-01

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Griselda Stevens
5 years ago
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Timothy Cox Floyd County Schools 532 Oak Hill Drive Floyd, VA 24091 RE: Floyd Elementary & Willis Elementary Schools Draper Aden Associates Project No. R15682R-01 Dear Mr.

structural condition of two areas of specific concern, cracked masonry walls. Our review was of a visual nature with no selective demolition or removal of finishes to reveal any concealed conditions.

At Floyd Elementary School, the walls in question are located in the freestanding Band Building.

1 Timothy Cox Floyd County Schools 532 Oak Hill Drive Floyd, VA RE: Floyd Elementary & Willis Elementary Schools Draper Aden Associates Project No. R15682R-01 Dear Mr. Cox: In accordance with your request, a professional engineer from Draper Aden Associates visited the site of Floyd Elementary and Willis Elementary Schools on December 1, 2015 to review the existing structural condition of two areas of specific concern, cracked masonry walls. Our review was of a visual nature with no selective demolition or removal of finishes to reveal any concealed conditions. No measurements were taken or calculations performed during this review. We were accompanied by you on our walk through and assisted with information on the buildings history. At Floyd Elementary School, the walls in question are located in the freestanding Band Building. A walk through of the building interior and exterior revealed a number of stepped cracks on the front (south), west side and rear (north) walls. Observations of these walls revealed cracks located above the wall openings and near the ceiling (Photos 1-9). The majority of the cracks observed on the interior are stepped cracks with the crack located in the mortar joints. The only block observed to have a crack running through the block was located on the rear (north) wall (Photo 8). Observations of the exterior walls revealed cracks at the southwest (Photo 10), northwest (Photo 11) and northeast (Photo 12) corners. These cracks are not reflected through the walls and do not align with the interior cracks. In addition to the vertical cracks at these corners, additional damage can be observed at the northeast corner (Photo 13). This damage is a combination of the vertical crack and a spalled brick. The types of cracking exhibited in the Floyd Elementary School Band Building do not affect the structural integrity of the structure. The most likely causes of these types of cracks are settlement and thermal movement. The cracks visible on the building interior walls are stepped and follow the mortar joints. This type of cracking is most often associated with settlement of the building foundations. Possible causes for this may include unusual amounts of precipitation or changes to the surrounding ground conditions. This site has experienced both of these conditions. High amounts of rainfall occurred at this location during the month of October of this year and the changes to the site resulting from the construction of the adjacent building most likely contributed to the possible settlement of the building foundation. The vertical cracks at the building corners are indicative of thermal expansion and contraction as well. During our visual review of the

2 Page 2 of 14 exterior, no masonry control joints were noted on the walls with the vertical brick veneer cracks. The stepped nature of the wall on the east side breaks the uninterrupted length of the brick veneer into smaller sections which aids in preventing these typed of cracks (Photo 14). The interior cracks should be repaired by routing out the damaged joints and a repair mortar should be tuck pointed in place to form a new mortar joint. The exterior cracks should be sealed to prevent future moisture intrusion into the brick veneer (which is the likely cause of the spalling brick). The vertical cracks may be widened to install a brick veneer masonry control joint with a backer rod installed in the crack and a sealant caulk placed over the backer rod to form a weather tight joint. The cracks observed at Willis Elementary School were limited to one exterior wall located on the west side of the building. The cracks are located at the end of two large openings in the wall for recessed doors. One opening has a rounded canopy over the opening and the cracks are located at each end of the opening at the location of the opening lintel bearing locations (Photos 15-18). These cracks can also be seen on the interior of the wall (Photo 20). There is also a crack in the stoop landing slab matching the location of the cracks on the exterior wall (Photo 19). A second opening located to the south of this opening also has very small cracks visible in the exterior brick masonry on each side of the large opening (Photos 21-22). These cracks are reflected on the interior space as well (Photo 23). The cause of these cracks is likely settlement with the underlying cause being the above normal amount of rainfall which occurred in October of this year. The wall with this damage is of relatively new construction and the likelihood of settlement is higher in new construction. The locations of the cracks are at points of concentrated load from the lintel spanning the large openings. It is at these locations the settlement has occurred. These cracks should be repaired in the same manner as noted for the walls at the Floyd Elementary School location. In our professional opinion, the overall building structures are in good condition. The items noted in the report should be addressed to maintain a weather/moisture proof envelope to insure no long term or serious damage results from water damage or corrosion. Sincerely, DRAPER ADEN ASSOCIATES LSJ Attachment Leslie S. Jeter, PE Manager Structural Engineering