Two articles: University of Texas at San Falling Apart

[Guest guest]

WOAI.com - Radio

Exterior Falling Off Downtown UTSA Buildings

Listen...

Less than five years after they were constructed, portions of the outside facing have begun to drop off the two buildings in the University of Texas San 's downtown campus, 1200 WOAI news reported this morning.

http://www.woai.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=97e1cd89-ca82-4481-bd43-5276781b38e1

San Express News

UTSA's buildings prompt concerns at Downtown Campus

“Barely 6 years old, the distinctive sandstone and tile exteriors of UTSA's Downtown Campus already are showing signs of wear…

It cost $32 million and opened in January 1999. The general contractor for both buildings was San -based SpawGlass Contractors.’

http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla=saen & xlb=180 & xlc=1116160

Janet Ahmad

President

HomeOwners for Better Building

San , Texas

http://www.hobb.org/

Phone: 210-402-6800

WOAI.Com

Exterior Falling Off Downtown UTSA BuildingsLAST UPDATE: 1/19/2004 6:18:27 PMPosted By: Jim Forsyth

Listen...

Less than five years after they were constructed, portions of the outside facing have begun to drop off the two buildings in the University of Texas San 's downtown campus, 1200 WOAI news reported this morning.

Netting has been installed to catch heavy chunks of mortar and other materials that have begun dropping off the side of the buildings, and chain link fences are blocking students and faculty from walking in certain areas that are prone to getting hit by the material, according to UTSA Vice President Gabler.

"We're having engineers look at the cladding on the building while we do what he can to make sure everybody is safe on the campuses," Gabler said. "We're still checking on what has come down and might come down. So far, only mortar pieces have come off, no entire tiles have fallen."

He said UTSA is in touch with the contractors who built the buildings to see what kind of repairs are necessary.

"We have restricted access to the main entrance to the building and have used netting and scaffold and chain link fencing to make sure that happens. Engineers are looking at the situation right now. Our main concern is to make sure everybody is protected in the facilities."

He stresses that the buildings are 'not falling down,' and says the problems are with the 'cladding,' the tile covering that gives the buildings their colorful exterior.

"Sure, it is a disappointment, but we're going to do whatever we need to do with the architects and the contractors who worked on the buildings, because these are new buildings."

He says UTSA is also worried about it's perennial 'space crunch.' So far, he says no classrooms have had to be closed due to the falling items, but with student populations continuing to go up, space is always a problem.

San Express News

UTSA's buildings prompt concerns at Downtown Campus

By Tom Bower

San Express-News

01/20/2004

Barely 6 years old, the distinctive sandstone and tile exteriors of UTSA's Downtown Campus already are showing signs of wear.

On Monday, workers were putting the finishing touches on a series of temporary covered walkways and chain-link fences designed to protect passersby from falling chunks of mortar and other material from the multicolored facades.

"What's going on is that we are putting these scaffolds in place as a safety measure until we get the results from an engineering study that we have contracted for with an independent firm out of Houston," said Gabler, vice president for university communications.

Gabler said the problem was discovered by campus maintenance employees and brought to the attention of administrators in mid-December. The decision to erect the covered walkways and fence off the building exteriors was made by UTSA President Romo, he added.

Gabler said he knew of only one place where material of any kind had fallen off and that was from the fourth floor exterior wall on the east side of the Frio Street Building. That structure opened in July 1997.

The four-story building cost $20 million and was designed by Humberto Saldaña & Associates. Saldaña designed the five-story Buena Vista Street Building next-door in a joint venture with Kell Muñoz Architects.

It cost $32 million and opened in January 1999. The general contractor for both buildings was San -based SpawGlass Contractors.

Gabler said the university had contracted with Walter P. Engineers & Consultants to conduct a safety investigation.

The Houston-based firm also is looking into an unrelated structural problem with a concrete beam inside the theater of the Buena Vista Street Building. Cracks were discovered in the exterior finish of the beam, forcing the theater to remain closed for the past 10 months.

Otherwise, Gabler said, there had been no disruption of classes or activities at the Downtown Campus and access remained open to all areas, with the exception of the exterior patios.

tbower@...