Columbus, OH
The Ohio State University, Orton Hall
Scope/Solutions
Constructed in 1893, Orton Hall is one of the oldest remaining buildings on The Ohio State University main campus and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. SGH investigated reported leakage and evaluated the condition of the roof perimeter gutters and the foundation wall waterproofing as part of an overall enclosure condition assessment of the building, which houses classrooms, faculty offices, and a museum dedicated to the geology of Ohio. The university later retained us to design repairs.
Our assessment involved reviewing existing documentation, conducting a hands‑on survey from the ground and aerial lifts, and performing water testing to determine leakage paths. We identified:
- Ineffective foundation drainage and foundation walls lacking waterproofing causing water to infiltrate below-grade spaces
- Unreliable perimeter flashing at the clay tile roof that was allowing leakage into the attic and the masonry on the upper floor
SGH developed short- and long-term repair options for the university’s consideration and served as the designer of record for the building enclosure repairs, including:
- Replacing copper gutters and stepped flashing at the Bell Tower and elevator tower
- Installing copper through-wall flashing under the existing coping stones and new sealant at all sky-facing joints
- Repairing and repointing stone masonry at the foundation walls
- Waterproofing the below-grade walls on the north elevation and portions of the east and west elevations
Repairing damaged plaster
Project Summary
2022
715K
Key team members
