Ross River School Needs to be Releveled

Monday, 29 May 2017 12:06

Structural engineering report follow May 1 earthquakes says library/core are and mechanical room need to be releveled.

A structural engineering firm is recommending that the library and core area and the mechanical room be releveled.

The inspection and report prepared after the two earthquakes near Skagway Alaska, May 1^st, found that while the school was safe to occupy, there are structural problems. Williams Engineering conducted a seven-hour inspection of the school May 3^rd and concluded in the library that “the glulam frame main support footings continue to move differentially. Most of the indicators structural distress in this area of the building are likely due to the differential movement of this framing. Currently the framing is at a slight lean to the south and east. Despite the slight lean, and the recent shock to the structure, the exposed glulam framing was in fair condition.”

Relevelling of the library is recommended for this summer at a cost of $1.2 million. The mechanical room is also advised to be releveled, but would need to undergo a geotechnical study, prior to using a polyurethane jacking method. Photographs taken, show there are gaps, cracks and bulges in the walls and some doors are difficult to open and close.

Highways and Public Works Minister Richard Mostyn (Whitehorse Centre) says there are clear problems with a school, which is relatively young. “If you look at the state of the school right now and the age of the school, it doesn't seem like we're getting what we should out of one of our capital assets, which suggests something went awry.” “The school is not even 20 years old and its had to have a major reconstruction, and now there are other problems, which have to be addressed. That says to me that that's not up to snuff and we're going to have to look at that.” “The school has problems, some doors don't close, there's cracking and fundamentally we have bigger problems going on there, I think that's quite clear that this government is going to have to address. How we address it, we haven't decided yet.”

Mostyn says he has asked for a geotechnical assessment of the ground, but must wait for the frost to be over before the analysis can be conducted. Williams engineering is recommending another inspection this July.

(Dan Jones May 29, 2017)