Weatherproofing maintains MSU building integrity

Georgia College’s ongoing preventative maintenance program seeks to maintain the structural integrity of the Maxwell Student Union dining hall, as well as the Centennial Center, through vertical waterproofing. As workers continue to weatherproof the buildings, student and faculty safety remains a high priority.

The vertical waterproofing, carried out by Suncoast Restorations and Waterproofing Inc., includes maintaining the caulking around windows, in between control joints and also between expansion joints on the buildings. This is important because every ten to 12 years the caulking in the joints begins to dry out.

The preventative maintenance program aims to replace this caulking before damage can be done to the buildings such as leaks and surface cracking. Over time, all buildings move subtly with the constantly changing landscape. The vertical control and expansion joints located every several feet exist to “control” the subtle changes and expansions that the brick experiences every year. Thus, the caulking is an integral part of the buildings structure as it seals the tiny gaps in control joints that allow the building to essentially be flexible.

“Middle Georgia is one of the few places where we have 20 degree winters and 100 degree summers,” said Donnie Beasley, plant operations project manager. “And with this extreme weather comes a lot of contracting and expanding.

In order to keep the students and faculty safe a lot of the contracted work takes place in the evening.

To replace caulking, it must first be cleaned with high-powered water hoses, which is one of the main safety concerns. Working at night provides for a safe environment during school hours. Once the caulking has been cleaned, they essentially dig it out and replace it with fresh caulking.

“We try to be conscientious of our buildings which is why we always keep our eyes open around campus,” Beasley said. “It’s all about the students and faculty, and we want you guys to be comfortable, but primarily safe.”

Each year Georgia College has a budget allocated for major repairs and renovations. This year, the vertical waterproofing taking place is part of the requested budget from the Board of Regents. The repair and replacement of the rubber caulking on MSU and the Centennial Center is costing $165,500 for each building.

GC is known for its beautiful landscaping and stately structures. In order to maintain the 88 buildings owned by the university, Plant Operations works diligently to keep up with the structural integrity of all buildings. With the vertical waterproofing being a main priority this year, workers will be moving around MSU frequently. Because of this, all students are encouraged to use a little caution when navigating weatherproofing areas.

“I know that Georgia College always has the best interest of the students in mind,” said senior psychology and criminal justice major Caitlin Steinhour. “I’m not really concerned for my safety because I know that the university would not do anything that would put students in harm’s way.”

Posted by Chelsea Hinkel on Sep 8 2011. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.