The goal: Make Capital's roof safe

OLYMPIA – Roof trusses that were substandard contributed to the Christmas morning cave-in at Capital High School that caused school closures in the second half of the year, according to district officials and a report from an engineering firm hired by the insurance company.

Capital High is expected to be ready and open for students by fall, as crews work through the summer to restore the school from structural and water damage caused by the collapse of the library roof during several feet of snowfall over winter break.

So far, the repairs to the roof and the walls have cost about $2.25 million, which will be covered by insurance, district spokesman Peter Rex said.

The school’s roof caved into the library, breaking a fire sprinkler main that poured water throughout the building. The snow that accumulated in the week before winter break also compressed the roof over adjacent parts of the building, damaging gas lines.

The repairs to the roof have included bringing the damaged sections of the roof up to city code, said district supervisor of capital planning and construction Tim Byrne.

When the main part of the high school was built in 1975, codes allowed for a lighter snow load, and plywood gussets at the time could be glued to the trusses, instead of bolted in.

An investigation by engineering firm PCS Structural Solutions of Seattle and Tacoma also found that some of the original trusses were not built to the original specifications.

According to the firm’s report, some of the roof structure over the kitchen and Vis-Com and Tech classrooms “appears to have not been properly designed or constructed originally. The plywood gussets at these joints are smaller than the size shown on the truss shop drawings.”

The district’s insurance carrier told district officials that the contractor who built the trusses in 1975 is no longer in business, Byrne said.

The engineering firm made short-term and long-term recommendations for Capital’s roof, according to its report.

PCS’s long-term recommendation for the district is to repair or replace all the trusses in the building to meet the city of Olympia’s current requirements.

Olympia generally calls a district-wide snow day if there is an accumulation of 4 inches or more of snow, he added.

The short-term recommendations for Capital include:

 • Repairing the deficient joints.

 • Keeping shoring beams underneath roof top mechanical units.

 • Making sure that roof drains are functional.

 • Clearing snow from the roof when there is an accumulation of more than 4 inches.

 • Checking for signs of structural distress, including sagging ceilings, roof leaks or “popping” noises from the trusses.

The firm also recommended an annual inspection of Capital’s roof.

Officials have adopted the short-term recommendations made by the engineering firm — which would allow occupancy of the building with up to 4 inches of snow on the roof — and the district is looking into its options for the school in the long term, Rex said.

“Obviously, we have an interest in making sure nothing happens even when there’s 8 inches of snow,” Rex said.

The district is looking into purchasing a snow-melting system that would allow the district to clear the roof in case of a heavy snowfall, Byrne said.

The district is working with its insurance company to see how much insurance will cover, Byrne said.

Venice Buhain: 360-754-5445

vbuhain@theolympian.com

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