Mid-Atlantic, US
University Residence Hall
Scope/Solutions
Completed in 2017, the residence hall includes two three-story, L-shaped wings connected by a one-story building. Shortly after construction, university personnel reported enclosure defects, slab heave/settlement, water intrusion, and other problems related to the building’s design and construction. As part of a project to address these issues, the architect engaged SGH to evaluate the building enclosure conditions, investigate foundation water infiltration, assess slab heave, and make recommendations for remedial repairs.
SGH visited the site to review the construction of the building enclosure, including the below-grade waterproofing, exterior walls, balcony waterproofing, and roofing. We visually surveyed the building, made observations at exploratory openings, and conducted water testing to identify leakage paths. We compared the as-built conditions to the design and recommended options for repairing the enclosure and mitigating leakage.
We also evaluated the condition of the slab-on-grade and identified water from rain and leaking utilities accumulating below the slab-on-grade and at foundation walls, causing the native expansive clay soils on the site to heave. SGH recommended testing to estimate the total and predicted swell, along with repairs to reduce the risk of additional heave and address the existing damage.
Following our investigation, SGH peer reviewed the final repair design prepared by others and provided expert testimony during dispute resolution.
Project Summary
2022
16M
68.5K
Key team members
