Independence High School, Independence, OH
Click a smaller thumbnail to preview, or the larger image to view the full size image.
Independence High School
Independence, OH
The Independence
High School building had
been experiencing several serviceability problems since it’s recent
construction in 2005. The school had had
consistent problems with water leaks at the clerestory windows on the south
side of the building and leaks at the stage proscenium and at the gymnasium locker
rooms. A small section of the sloped
roof just east of the auditorium appeared to be over-deflected, exposing a portion of the
adjacent wall underlayment. There was
some concern that other masonry joints may have been incorrectly installed, that other
exposed wall underlayment may be a potential problem and that the siding and masonry wall at the field house was not installed
correctly, causing a gap between them to occur.
Wheaton Sprague
Engineering, Inc. (WS) was retained by legal counsel for the school system
to perform an independent third-party investigation, to determine the probable reason for these
problems and determine if installation conformed with what was specified, submitted and approved per the original construction
drawings, specifications and submittals.
Prior to our site visit, we received
half-sized prints of the construction drawings and copies of the construction
specifications. No records of the submittal logs or any product submittals or
shop drawings were found.
Following our review, WS personnel visited the Independence High School
building and accessed the roof to observe the areas of concern. There were eight areas of concern that were
investigated. We produced our findings
and made recommendations based on our review of the drawings and specifications
and from our field observations.
