Elementary school buildings found to have water damage, cracks, chipping
Georgia Brown Elementary undergoes structural assessment
– Georgia Brown Elementary recently received a Structural Assessment Letter Report based on an evaluation from Miyamoto International, a company focusing on structural building management, on Dec. 5. Five buildings and multiple rooms in relocatable buildings were determined to contain water damage, cracks, and chipping, with preventative measures recommended by Miyamoto International.
The following buildings were mentioned in the report.
Picture of water damage from report.
Building 300
This building is used for administrative and multipurposes and is single storied with a wood roof framing, and wood-framed, plywood sheathed walls. Damage found in this building include cracks in the walkway canopy (beams, joist overhang, and plank), roof rippling due to water, separation and chipping of the cladding of the exterior wall, and chipping of the stem wall.
Building 400
This building is for classrooms and is single storied with a steel roof framing and wood-framed, plywood sheathed walls. Damage found in this building include detachment of fascia, ceiling panel staining due to water, and cracks in the soffit cladding.
Building 500
This building is for classrooms and is single storied with a wood roof framing, and wood-framed, plywood sheathed walls. Damage found in this building include cracks (walkway canopy planks and framing, soffit cladding, and exterior wall cladding), rotting of walkway canopy planks, and staining of ceiling panels due to water.
Building 600
This building is for classrooms and is single storied with a wood roof framing, and wood-framed, plywood sheathed walls. Damage found in this building include cracks (canopy end beam and exterior wall cladding), detached fascia board, a missing connection angle of a canopy beam to post, water damage and rotting to the walkway canopy fascia, planks and beams, and leaking of ceiling panels even with past repairs.
Building 700
This building is for classrooms and is single storied with a wood roof framing, and wood-framed, plywood sheathed walls. Damage found in this building include a partially detached fascia board, rotting on the trim board, cracks in a walkway canopy beam that were previously repaired, and previously repaired, partially sealed walkway canopy beams that are exposed.
Relocatable Buildings
These buildings are for classrooms and are single storied with a wood-framed walkway canopy with a steel frame and plywood sheathed walls. Damage was found in six rooms: room 28 had cracks in canopy framing, room 29 had water stains and rusting on exterior wall cladding and gutter, room 31 had damage on the window trim and rusting on the gutter, room 32 had cracks on the trim boat and rusting on the gutter, room 33 had water staining on exterior wall cladding and rusting on the gutter, and room 34 had a detached, rotting trim and rusting on the gutter. The report also notes that ceilings showed damage due to water staining.
Picture of rotting trim board taken from report.
The Paso Robles Joint Unified School District, along with the architect and recommendations from the report, have compiled an action plan to address the damages found. Hardware notified as missing have been replaced and new beams to replace the cracked ones are ordered and expected to be installed by April 5, 2024, with extra support given until replacement. In addition, other preventative plans are put in place: the canopy and walkways are fitted with snow fencing to protect cracked beams and beam joints requiring support will be addressed.
“We have discussed this action plan and timeline with the architect and engineer and they believe these plans will mitigate conditions that eventually could develop into life safety hazards. An important note for all to consider is in the addendum of the report…where it says; ‘In our review of these buildings, we have not observed any immediate life safety hazards or conditions likely to develop into life safety hazards by the end of the current school year’,” said Assistant Superintendent, Business Services Brad Pawlowski.
