Community Corner

Public Buildings Structurally Sound

Dozens of school and town buildings have been inspected for structural safety.

They’re on top of it, literally.

Managers responsible for the maintenance of town and school buildings told the Town Council Tuesday night that workers have physically checked the structural integrity of all public buildings.

“We went into every building and onto every roof to make sure there were no leaks,” said Vincent J. Masciana, Director of Management Services for the Cheshire School District.  He said a structural engineer spent all day Saturday inspecting the school buildings.

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“They are mainly made of concrete with steel supports. We checked over gyms and cafeterias, there were no twists or buckling. They were found to be structurally sound,” said Masciana. Minor concerns were addressed, he added, which include bracing a small overhang at Norton Elementary School and a gutter which needs repair at Humiston School.

“We looked at the portable trailer at Chapman. It had a known leak. We stopped using it and took the snow off all the trailers,” Masciana said. The leaking portable building will receive a new roof membrane this spring, he said.

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Department of Public Works Operations Manager George Noewatne told the council that the town has seven buildings with flat roofs out of a total of 34 public buildings. The library and three firehouses have flat roofs over portions of the buildings, he said.

Noewatne said a structural engineer recently sampled the weight of snow loads on town building roofs. The results showed Firehouse No. 3 at 1125 S. Main St. had one drift that produced 33 pounds per square inch and a portion of the public works garage had a load of 40 pounds per square inch. Snow from the firehouse has been removed and the garage should be cleared by Wednesday, Noewatne said.

The state building code requires Cheshire buildings to support a snow load of at least 30 pounds per square inch. 

Police Chief Neil Dryfe said his department has issued 35 warnings for sidewalk violations with about half that amount written warnings. “We’re concentrating on areas in and around schools,” he said. “The roadways are getting narrower and narrower, if the sidewalks aren’t clear, the kids are walking in the street,” Dryfe said.

Fire Chief Jack Casner said seven private buildings in town have collapsed since mid-January. No one has been injured in any of the accidents, he added.

The most recent collapse occurred at the empty Nutmeg Utility Products warehouse at 1755 Highland Ave. Building Official Bert Schiaroli said the warehouse, as well as the Calvary Life church that collapsed on East Johnson Avenue, were both “pre-engineered” metal buildings which are purchased as a complete building package with standardized framing.

The church is a complete loss, according to church members who held their first service since the collapse at Cheshire High School. Future locations have not been announced. Saturday services have been cancelled, according to Calvary Life's website. 

Chief Casner said 167 in Connecticut have collapsed in the last few weeks. “We’ve had 56 inches of snow with 14 days of snow in January,” he said.


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