32A-099 2 Bridge Report 2011-06-23! RYAN S. HELLWIG, PE ! STRUCTURAL ENGINEER !
June 23, 2011
Ben Coggins
141 Main Street
Northampton, MA 01060
Re:2 Bridge Street
Northampton, MA
The following is a summary report of my inspection yesterday of the collapsed exterior wall of the above-
mentioned building. This is a single story structure with a low-slope roof and a full basement, and it is
constructed with unreinforced brick masonry exterior walls and wood-framed floor and roof.
A section of the west wall of the building has collapsed. Some of the wall was patched in the past with concrete
block. At this point the cause of the collapse is not known, although there are several possibilities:
•General deterioration of the old masonry containing soft, lime-based mortar;
•Torque applied to the wall by the fence post attachment plates, possibly increased by vines on the fence;
•Lateral pressure against the wall by the embankment of the railroad tracks;
•Accelerated deterioration of the masonry caused by surface runoff down the bank against the wall;
•Vibrations from passing railroad trains.
Regardless of the exact cause, certain steps must be taken to secure the building against further collapse:
1.Clear the bank of debris and growth;
2.Provide temporary shoring of the rafters. This is likely to be set on the exterior of the building, to avoid
interrupting the restaurant;
3.Stabilize any loose masonry.
Because this wall must retain some backfill from the embankment that is above the floor level, I recommend
that it be re-built with reinforced concrete block. More steps are required before engineering the repair:
4.Get measured plans of the building;
5.Determine the thickness of this masonry wall;
6.Determine if there are any connectors between this masonry wall and the stud wall inside the restaurant;
7.Devise a method of waterproofing the wall and of guiding surface water away from the building.
With this information, I would be able to provide you with engineering for the concrete block and reinforcing.
Respectfully,
Ryan S. Hellwig
Massachusetts Professional Engineer #37300 - STRUCTURAL
cc:Louis Hasbrouck (Building Commissioner) - lhasbrouck@northamptonma.gov
Kevin O’Brien - boxeraj@aol.com
! 28 ALDRICH STREET ! NORTHAMPTON, MA 01060 !
! Voice = 413-584-HLWG (4594) ! Fax = 413-584-HLWFax (4593) ! Email = rshpe@crocker.com !