From The Daily Graphic Jan 4 2017
A new pool roof report reveals the City of Portage la Prairie and the RM may have fallen victim to bad advice: it got what it paid for, but not what it wanted!
The Portage Regional Recreation Authority (PRRA), the City of Portage la Prairie and the Rural Municipality released its findings Tuesday uncovered in a building assessments of the PCU Centre.
In a report completed by Winnipeg-based Testlabs International, it was learned recommended stainless steel purlins in the roof above the pool are rusting and cracking due to high levels of humidity and chlorine.
Since 2013, David Sattler, PRRA general manager, said spots on the roof were noticed, but discounted as possibly being dirt or oily spots. Subsequent work near the roof over the pool revealed the spotting was rust. At that time, Sattler explained, the PRRA decided to budget to sand and paint. Fast forward to Fall 2015, “we started having a few other things (go wrong) and spoke to legal counsel.”
The PRRA was advised to get a building condition assessment. In May 2016, the PRRA sent a climber to the roof to cut a sample. “In cutting this with a side grinder, the vibration actually made it fall off and into the pool.
“That was the first indication that this is a serious issue and that further work needed to be done,” Sattler said. Two 12-inch samples were determined to have stainless steel corrosion cracking.
Stainless steel is not a recommended product to be used in a high chlorine, high humidity environment, Sattler said. In August 2016, severe stress corrosion cracking was found in at least six purlins – the beams that transfer the load of the roof to the structural steel.
“The purlins are the wrong type of material for a pool and wrong design. It should have been known to those who were designing it that stainless steel reacted this way in a pool environment,” Sattler explained. “That essentially is our case on the pool roof.”
Subsequent research, Sattler learned since 1985 there has been more than one severe pool roof collapses in Eastern Europe “strictly because of stainless steel.”
A tour Tuesday of the pool area revealed areas in the water where metal debris from the roof – metal particles – was evident.
Sattler said with stainless steel structure corrosion cracking, “there are no signs before a collapse. It just happens. So far so good. Every snowfall is another question.”
“Samples were taken and it was determined there was stainless steel stress corrosion cracking,” said Sattler. “Essentially, being in a high chlorine and high humidity environment, stainless steel is not a recommended option (as purlin material) because it does not hold up well (in those conditions).”
Originally, plans had called for galvanized epoxy purlins to be used above the pool – which are more suited to the conditions of an indoor pool – but according to Sattler, a change order recommended by Crane Steel Structures Ltd. and brought to the city for approval, indicated that the stainless steel option was ordered under the pretence that there would be no additional upkeep or maintenance costs that can be associated with the epoxy covered purlins – which is why the city is pursuing legal action.
A Testlabs International report made available at the press conference also stated that “the structural designers and the persons supplying the Type 304 stainless steel purlins should have been aware of the severe corrosive environment existing at the ceiling height in indoor swimming pools,” and that “there is a significant body of corrosion engineering/ structural engineering knowledge in existence outlining the hazard of using Type 304 stainless steel for structural components in the ceiling space of indoor swimming pools for the approximate 18 years prior to the construction date of the Shindleman Aquatic Centre.”
As ongoing legal action unfolds, the city of Portage la Prairie plans to tender out the repair job by the beginning of March so work can begin to repair the roof come spring in order to meet the Oct. 2017 reopening date.
“We don’t have a time frame,” explains Ferris. “We have been told it could take years to wind its way through court. There is possibility that there is settlement outside of court – that’s up to the parties that are being taken to task. We are confident going forward we will be successful…this money will be recovered.”
The city and the RM will dip into their General Reserve Funds in order to cover costs with the expectation that the legal proceedings will recoup the money spent.
Despite two Colorado lows dumping record December snowfalls, the fear a major snow load on the roof might affect its ability to stand, has not happened.
“The structure is still standing,” Ferris said. “The information we were given at the end of August, we really felt that for the safety of our staff and for the users, the decision had to be made to close (the Shindelman Aquatic Centre) at the end of October because of the chance of a snowload. You can’t take that kind of chance.”
“It is important that we get this done, we have a lot of groups and individuals that use this pool and depend on it so we really want to limit the closure to the end of August,” said Portage la Prairie Mayor Irvine Ferris. “We are very confident going forward that we will be successful (with the legal action being taken). This money will be recovered. We feel that citizens of Portage la Prairie and the RM did not get what they paid for here.”
But the roof is not the only problem. The dehumidification system in the pool area is lacking. “It is not designed for a pool. It doesn’t provide enough dehumidification for the size of the pool.”
The concrete under the Portage Mutual floor is being monitored – a building condition report does not indicate any other major structural concerns with the centre’s foundation – with core samples taken Dec. 22, 2016. “We won’t hear back with results for six to 10 weeks” Sattler said. “The core sample that was taken was to determine the grade of concrete used underneath the ice surface. The concrete that was used underneath the ice surface area appears not (recommended) to be frozen or thawed. The concern there is, is it is crumbling?”
A building envelope assessment conducted by KGS Group uncovered that the pool’s duct system was improperly installed along with ventilation. The ducts were installed at ceiling level, rather than at floor level like a typical pool air distribution design suggests. As a result, the units exhaust 56 per cent more air than required.
It is expected that KGS Group will release another report documenting repair costs in the coming weeks.
The pre-engineered building system for the pool was $2,667,000 with additional change order costs of $135,600 for a total of $2,802,600. Ferris said it is not known yet how much the city and RM is suing for.
As ongoing legal action unfolds, the city of Portage la Prairie plans to tender out the repair job by the beginning of March so work can begin to repair the roof come spring in order to meet the Oct. 2017 reopening date.
“We don’t have a time frame,” explains Portage la Prairie Mayor Irvine Ferris. “We have been told it could take years to wind its way through court. There is possibility that there is settlement outside of court – that’s up to the parties that are being taken to task. We are confident going forward we will be successful…this money will be recovered.”
The city and the RM will dip into their General Reserve Funds in order to cover costs with the expectation that the legal proceedings will recoup the money spent.
Despite two Colorado lows dumping record December snowfalls, the fear a major snow load on the roof might affect its ability to stand, has not happened.
“The structure is still standing,” Ferris said. “The information we were given at the end of August, we really felt that for the safety of our staff and for the users, the decision had to be made to close (the Shindelman Aquatic Centre) at the end of October because of the chance of a snowload. You can’t take that kind of chance.”
“It is important that we get this done, we have a lot of groups and individuals that use this pool and depend on it so we really want to limit the closure to the end of August,” said Ferris. “We are very confident going forward that we will be successful (with the legal action being taken). This money will be recovered. We feel that citizens of Portage la Prairie and the RM did not get what they paid for here.”
But the roof is not the only problem. The dehumidification system in the pool area is lacking. “It is not designed for a pool. It doesn’t provide enough dehumidification for the size of the pool.”
The concrete under the Portage Mutual floor is being monitored – a building condition report does not indicate any other major structural concerns with the centre’s foundation – with core samples taken Dec. 22, 2016. “We won’t hear back with results for six to 10 weeks” Sattler said. “The core sample that was taken was to determine the grade of concrete used underneath the ice surface. The concrete that was used underneath the ice surface area appears not (recommended) to be frozen or thawed. The concern there is, is it is crumbling?”
A building envelope assessment conducted by KGS Group uncovered that the pool’s duct system was improperly installed along with ventilation. The ducts were installed at ceiling level, rather than at floor level like a typical pool air distribution design suggests. As a result, the units exhaust 56 per cent more air than required.
It is expected that KGS Group will release another report documenting repair costs in the coming weeks.
The pre-engineered building system for the pool was $2,667,000 with additional change order costs of $135,600 for a total of $2,802,600. Ferris said it is not known yet how much the city and RM is suing for.