839CM3028_3030 Lodge Struct Assessment Culpeper.pdf

April 8, 2019

Culpeper National Cemetery (Veterans Administration)

305 US Ave

Culpeper, VA 22701

Attention: Jessica Potempa (Architura); Joy Carl (Architura); Michael Conly (Architura)

Subject: Structural Assessment of Superintendent’s Lodge at Culpeper National Cemetery

KCI Technologies, Inc. (“KCI”) was requested by the Veterans Administration (“VA”) to assess the conditions of the Superintendent’s Lodge residing on the Culpeper National Cemetery property. A site assessment was conducted on February 7, 2019.

Limitations

KCI was limited to assessment/observations of visible structural building elements that were not covered by finishes. All observations were conducted from ground level or within the lodge. KCI did not gain access to the lodge’s attic and roof, thus conditions could not be observed. Also, foundation conditions could only be determined by observing the exterior building envelope for signs of settlement and distress; actual foundations were not exposed.

Observations and Discussions

The Superintendent’s Lodge is a two-story residential structure with a basement. The original lodge was built on a rubble stone wall extending to the underside of the second floor. The remaining structure

(second level, roof, and floor framing) was built using wood timbers. It appears that a building extension was added at a later date and is constructed using conventional brick and mortar. There are also two porches constructed with wood timbers and sawn lumber. The foundations are assumed to be continuous spread footing beneath the walls with a slab-on-grade basement floor.

Exterior Walls:

Deteriorating mortar and mortar loss was observed throughout the lodges exterior walls. Without proper mortar support, stone and brick units will eventually fall out of alignment.

Structural Assessment Superintendent’s Lodge (Veterans Administration) 2

Culpeper National Cemetery

Interior Wood Framing:

Interior wood was observed to be in serviceable condition with no immediate signs of distress. However, there were localized areas of wood rot, water damage, and deterioration. This damage was evident along and under the soffits on the lodge’s exterior. It was also present in the floor joists and floorboards supporting the first level. The extent of these conditions is unknown because the wood has been painted over and cannot be observed.

A support beam spanning above the main staircase appears to have a bow; the bottom of the beam has a slight curvature and is not straight. The beam has deflected roughly ½-in to 1-in and appears to be at rest but is not known for certain. The beam does not contain noticeable stress cracking, and therefore there are no immediate structural concerns.

Porch Framing and Stairs:

Porch framing at the lodge’s main entrance was in good condition, with only minor wear present, and was not observed to be in distress. However, a couple of the wood blocks supporting the screen wall columns are severely damaged and have section loss due to wood rot. The stairs servicing the entrance porch have shifted out of alignment. Grout/mortar used to support paver steps was found to be either missing or deteriorated.

Porch framing at the lodge’s rear was also observed to be in good condition with no immediate signs of distress. The stairs servicing this porch have separated and are moving away from the main structure.

The stairs also appear to have settled slightly which increases the top tread high by roughly ¾-in. The parged cementitious coating was cracking and peeling at the base of the stairs.

Foundations:

There were no signs or indications of settlement throughout the building's envelope. If soil settlement were present, the exterior walls would be cracked vertically, and there would be distinguishable elevation changes, which there were none. It is safe to presume that the lodge foundations are adequate and in serviceable condition.

Refer to the following pages for pictures, detailed descriptions of damage, and recommendations regarding the building and miscellaneous structures:

Structural Assessment Superintendent’s Lodge (Veterans Administration) 3

Detached Stair Pavers

Damaged and Missing Joint Material

Deteriorating mortar and mortar loss present in stone rubble wall. Without proper mortar support, stone and brick units will eventually fall out of alignment.

Stone pavers have shifted from their original placement. The mortar between each paver has deteriorated and is no longer adequately supporting the stairs. Some pavers have settled and are no longer flat/plumb. The middle paver has moved enough to create a

1-in gap between the support stone rubble.

Structural Assessment Superintendent’s Lodge (Veterans Administration) 4

Missing Mortar and Loose Stones

Missing Joint Material between Bricks

Mortar joint material is missing in several areas of the exterior brick wall of the lodge building addition. All mortar joints shall be routed, infilled, and repointed.

Mortar joint material is missing, leaving loose stones without support or adhesion.

Loose stones have the potential to fall out of the wall and onto the surrounding surfaces.

Structural Assessment Superintendent’s Lodge (Veterans Administration) 5

Deteriorated Wood Along and Under Soffits

Damaged Floor Joist

A perimeter floor joist pressed against the exterior basement wall has water damage and is deteriorating. Note: the termite inspector pointed out that this particular member showed signs of past insect infestation. The wood crumbles when physical contact is made with the member.

Photo shows an example of deteriorated and damaged wood along and under soffits.

This is a similar case throughout the perimeter of the lodge.

Structural Assessment Superintendent’s Lodge (Veterans Administration) 6

Damaged Floor Boards

Loose and Missing Mortar and Loose Stone in

Retaining Wall

Support Beam at Main Stair Case

Support beam spanning above the main stair case appears to have a bow; the bottom of the beam has a slight curvature and is not straight.

The beam has deflected roughly ½-in to 1-in and appears to be at rest but is not known for certain.

Mold or possible wood decay seen within the floor planks/panels boards. This is present in multiple areas of the basement.

Structural Assessment Superintendent’s Lodge (Veterans Administration) 7

Decayed Blocking under Screen Columns

Stairs at Rear Porch of Lodge

Wood blocks supporting the screen wall columns are severely damaged and have section loss due to wood rot.

The stairs servicing this porch have separated and are moving away from the main structure. The stairs also appear to have settled slightly which increases the top tread height by roughly ¾-in.

Structural Assessment Superintendent’s Lodge (Veterans Administration) 8

Rear Stairs Separating from Lodge Porch

The stairs servicing this porch have separated and are moving away from the main structure.

The parged cementitious coating was cracking and peeling at the base of the stairs.

Structural Assessment Superintendent’s Lodge (Veterans Administration) 9

Recommendations and Conclusions

The overall Lodge structural integrity is in an adequate serviceable condition. There are structural elements throughout the lodge, however, that need attention and repair to prevent building instabilities in the future.

All deteriorated and missing mortar from exterior building walls shall be routed out, surface prepared, replaced, and re-pointed.

Any wood framing showing signs of deterioration, wood rot, or water damage is recommended to be removed and replaced in-kind. Continued decay of damaged wood framing will become unstable and will be a safety risk. See photographs and descriptions for areas of concern.

The support beam above the main staircase is not an immediate structural concern with the loading that is currently applied to it. If large loads are to be supported by the beam in the future, a structural stress check should be conducted to determine if the member needs additional reinforcement.

Stairs that service the lodge should be repaired so that the treads are level/plumb. Re-pointing deteriorated mortar joints and realigning paver steps can achieve thread levelness. The staircase at the rear porch may need to be removed and rebuilt on a level base, possibly a crushed aggregate. The other option is to pump grout under the stairs to improve the soil condition.

There are no visible concerns the with Lodge foundations.

These professional services and conclusions have been provided in accordance with all applicable structural engineering principles, practices, and codes. The possibility always exists that the conditions at the site may vary from these design values and assumptions. KCI cannot be held responsible for unforeseen or unknown conditions.

Please contact KCI with any questions or for additional information. We look forward to being of further service to you in this as well as any future matters.

Very truly yours, KCI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Philip Beardsley Alison L. Koss, P.E.

Senior Design Engineer Practice Leader

KCI Building Structures KCI Building Structures