Athens, Ga. – Review of the University of Georgia’s parking decks by an independent structural engineering firm has confirmed their structural integrity and maintenance. President Michael F. Adams instructed Senior Vice President Tim Burgess to have the decks inspected in the wake of a parking deck’s collapse in Atlanta in June.
“The design and construction of all the decks are consistent with the standard of practice in the area,” the report by KSi/Structural Engineers of Atlanta states. “No structural deficiencies that would pose a risk to the public were found. It is our professional opinion that the eight parking decks have been and are suitable for their intended use.”
“We are pleased with the findings of the third-party review, which validate the work we have done to manage deck construction and keep the facilities in good working condition,” said Burgess. “Our primary concern was to verify the safety of our decks for the faculty, staff, students and visitors who use them every day. We’ve gone to great lengths to scrutinize them and to receive a maintenance plan to ensure the safety of their continued operations in the years ahead.”
KSi, which has designed, reviewed and field-observed precast and conventional concrete structures across North America since 1999, was hired by Parking Services to conduct the on-site structural reviews of the existing decks. KSi’s services were further contracted by the UGA Real Estate Foundation to inspect two new decks being constructed on campus at the intramural fields and Performing and Visual Arts Complex. The contractor of those decks-Hardin Construction Co. of Atlanta-covered the cost of those inspections.
Similar to its conclusion for the existing decks, KSi found no structural deficiencies in the decks under construction. The company’s oversight will continue until those decks are completed later this fall.
KSi’s report does include routine maintenance issues which need to be addressed by the university. In a report that the University will receive shortly, another engineering firm-Timothy Haas and Associates, Inc. of Philadelphia-will prescribe a preventive maintenance plan for all the university’s decks which prioritizes tasks and recommends a timeline for their completion. The university’s Physical Plant will oversee this work on an annual basis.
The University of Georgia has 10 decks in its inventory. The oldest deck, the South Deck, was constructed in 1986 and expanded in 2005. The newest decks, being built to accommodate demand at the intramural fields and the Performing and Visual Arts Center, will be completed in late August and November, respectively.