Hartford Water Pollution Control Facility, Dry Ash Handling Building

SGH visited the site to assess the condition of the partially erected steel building, including columns, beams, connections, baseplates, and anchor rods, and determine the cause of the damage. Highlights of our investigation include the following:

• Evaluated additional bracing installed by the contractor and the erector after the building was replumbed to determine if it had adequate strength to resist code-prescribed wind load for structures during construction
• Developed an inspection plan to evaluate steel components installed during the wind event and to identify damaged components
• Visually inspected anchor rods and nuts for thread deformation and mezzanine beam-to-column connections for plastic deformation
• Oversaw magnetic particle testing of the column-to-baseplate welds by others and recommended repairs for locally damaged components
• Analyzed the structure and developed a sequencing plan for erecting the remaining structural steel, equipment, cladding, and masonry walls that would maintain the stability of the structure
• Performed additional calculations and designed additional temporary bracing to accommodate changes in the erection plan