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All eyes above
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| H&N photo by Todd E. Swenson Joe Zimmerman, left, and Charlie Short examine the trees on Main Street next to the Balsiger building Tuesday. Zimmerman is fitting the building columns with steel braces after the roof collapsed Feb. 4. |
Roof failures raise concerns about other older buildings
By MEGAN DOYLE
H&N Staff Writer
The four Klamath area buildings that collapsed in the past 10 days were all built in the early 1900s and had fairly flat roofs.
Now building owners are trying to decide how to recover from the losses.
“Nobody knows what to do because of the magnitude of it,” said Harry Mauch, owner of the Egyptian Event Center. The roof over a portion of the former Balsiger building at Esplanade Avenue and Main Street collapsed Feb. 4.
The Kingsley Bowmen Club on Market Street caved in Monday. The former Graphic Press building on Market Street collapsed Feb. 3, and a storage building at C-2 Hydraulics at 5156 Harlan Drive also collapsed last week.
Older structures also should be checked more frequently, said Nabil Taha, a structural engineer and president of Precision Structural Engineering in Klamath Falls.
A building that has stood for 100 years still needs to be evaluated, he said, adding, “It does not mean it will stand up tomorrow.”
No one is allowed in the Kingsley Bowmen Club at 292 Market St. following Monday’s roof collapse, even though some equipment, including the backdrops, is buried under wood and bricks. The back of the building could cave in as well from a heavy snow load, officials said Tuesday.
Trusses from the archery club’s building kicked into a wall of an adjacent building, rented by Goodwill for storage. The Goodwill building also has structural damage and city code enforcement recommended it remain unoccupied until split beams are fixed and snow is removed from the roof.
The roofs were not very similar in structure, said Jim Kenworthy, Klamath County Fire District No. 1 fire marshal.
It’s possible for snow to drift from winds and collect on roofs at unequal loads, he said. Now that snow is melting, it is adjusting and collecting at the lowest point it can find, which results in a great deal of weight on one spot.
“I won’t be surprised if we have another one, two or three before enough of that snow is melted and drained from the roofs,” Kenworthy said.
Making repairs
Harry Mauch, owner of the Egyptian Event Center, is making temporary repairs until summer, when larger repairs can be done.
A portion of the building’s roof collapsed Feb. 4 because of snow load.
This week, crews worked on custom-built steel braces placed around the building’s exterior to hold in the walls. The front part of the building, which was recently renovated, will be open for scheduled events later this month, including a bridal show.
Mauch intended to turn the unfinished portion that collapsed into a retail
center.
“We’re not even sure yet, financially, where we’re going to be,” he said.
Snow loads
The state requires that structures be built for snow loads of 22 pounds per square foot, said Nabil Taha, a structural engineer and president of Precision Structural Engineering in Klamath Falls.
The previous standard was 30 pounds. Based on recent snow loads, the decision was not a step in the right direction, Taha said. He suggests people build structures to withstand a snow load of 40 pounds per square foot.
Roofs with about 18 inches of freshly fallen snow, 12 inches of compacted snow or five inches of water are at risk, he said.
The lower portions of a roof collect snow naturally, Taha said. Snow should be removed from lower portions of roofs and from flat areas.
Now building owners are trying to decide how to recover from the losses.
“Nobody knows what to do because of the magnitude of it,” said Harry Mauch, owner of the Egyptian Event Center. The roof over a portion of the former Balsiger building at Esplanade Avenue and Main Street collapsed Feb. 4.
The Kingsley Bowmen Club on Market Street caved in Monday. The former Graphic Press building on Market Street collapsed Feb. 3, and a storage building at C-2 Hydraulics at 5156 Harlan Drive also collapsed last week.
Older structures also should be checked more frequently, said Nabil Taha, a structural engineer and president of Precision Structural Engineering in Klamath Falls.
A building that has stood for 100 years still needs to be evaluated, he said, adding, “It does not mean it will stand up tomorrow.”
No one is allowed in the Kingsley Bowmen Club at 292 Market St. following Monday’s roof collapse, even though some equipment, including the backdrops, is buried under wood and bricks. The back of the building could cave in as well from a heavy snow load, officials said Tuesday.
Trusses from the archery club’s building kicked into a wall of an adjacent building, rented by Goodwill for storage. The Goodwill building also has structural damage and city code enforcement recommended it remain unoccupied until split beams are fixed and snow is removed from the roof.
The roofs were not very similar in structure, said Jim Kenworthy, Klamath County Fire District No. 1 fire marshal.
It’s possible for snow to drift from winds and collect on roofs at unequal loads, he said. Now that snow is melting, it is adjusting and collecting at the lowest point it can find, which results in a great deal of weight on one spot.
“I won’t be surprised if we have another one, two or three before enough of that snow is melted and drained from the roofs,” Kenworthy said.
Making repairs
Harry Mauch, owner of the Egyptian Event Center, is making temporary repairs until summer, when larger repairs can be done.
A portion of the building’s roof collapsed Feb. 4 because of snow load.
This week, crews worked on custom-built steel braces placed around the building’s exterior to hold in the walls. The front part of the building, which was recently renovated, will be open for scheduled events later this month, including a bridal show.
Mauch intended to turn the unfinished portion that collapsed into a retail
center.
“We’re not even sure yet, financially, where we’re going to be,” he said.
Snow loads
The state requires that structures be built for snow loads of 22 pounds per square foot, said Nabil Taha, a structural engineer and president of Precision Structural Engineering in Klamath Falls.
The previous standard was 30 pounds. Based on recent snow loads, the decision was not a step in the right direction, Taha said. He suggests people build structures to withstand a snow load of 40 pounds per square foot.
Roofs with about 18 inches of freshly fallen snow, 12 inches of compacted snow or five inches of water are at risk, he said.
The lower portions of a roof collect snow naturally, Taha said. Snow should be removed from lower portions of roofs and from flat areas.
Reader Comments
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anon wrote on Feb 13, 2008 1:50 PM:
" To J.M.: How about you pay for insurance and not rely on other people to foot the bill when your roof caves in!!! Come on I feel bad but my house is my responsibility why cant everyone take care of themselves, relying on others to "get you on your feet" that is stupid! "
Pat wrote on Feb 13, 2008 12:10 PM:
" 22 pounds!?? The subdivision I lived in in Northern California required 80 lbs per sq inch on residential structures and just across the lake the load was 150 pounds per sq inch as the fire chief figured you add several firefighters to a heavy snowload, you were going to trigger a collapse and he didn't want his men at risk.... let's stop toadying to builders and require some stricter codes. "
J. M. wrote on Feb 13, 2008 10:59 AM:
" I really believe that this is a moment that the people of Klamath Falls can come together to help fellow citizens. I know that the Egyptian Center has a lot of potential and history. If the people of Klamath Falls come together and help the owner, Harry Mauch, get back on his feet and make the repairs he needs then this will be a great landmark that Klamath Falls can cherish for many years to come. My idea is to get some kind of fund going or just make some straight donations to the repair of the building. I know this building means a lot to the citizens that have lived in this town all of their lives. Especially the older generations who once bought their first car at the Ford dealership like myself. "
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J M wrote on Feb 19, 2008 9:22 AM: