More problems with ceilings in Bishop Feild, engineering report shows

A new report warns there are "several other areas of concern" when it comes to ceiling corrosion in Bishop Feild Elementary that require major repairs.

• No hint of problems before ceiling collapse at Bishop Feild, school district says

"We recommend ... removal of all plaster ceilings given that it is impractical, if not impossible, to inspect and retain them without extensive destructive testing," says a report from Nova Consultants Inc., an engineering consulting firm. 

The report, dated Oct. 26, was conducted in the wake of a ceiling collapse in the St. John's school gym.  

The school on Bond Street was shut down on Oct. 24 after the collapse. No one was injured. The 304 students have been moved to the former School for the Deaf off Topsail Road.

The ceiling is made up of metal lath — which is a like a metal wire mesh — and plaster is applied over it. 

There was such "extensive corrosion" of some of the metal elements that make up that lath in the gym's ceiling that "it was unable to support the weight of the ceiling construction," reads the report. 

Classroom ceiling corrosion

Small samples of the ceilings were collected, from the gym and the main and second levels of the classroom wing.

Those revealed "the condition of the metal lath varied considerably," the report states.

For example, the sample from the gym ceiling showed "advanced corrosion," according to the report. 

The one from the classroom "disintegrated into a dust form" when it was being drilled and there was no metal mesh even visible. 

The rest of the samples ranged "from a minor extent of surface corrosion to an appreciable amount of corrosion" and some samples contained "small stone fragments and horse hair."

A walk through the classroom wing noted cracks in parts of the ceiling and evidence of previous patchwork and repairs, among other issues. 

"It is felt that the ceiling failure in the gymnasium was the result of water penetration through the building envelope in the vicinity of the failure," the Nova Consultant's report states. 

"Over the some 90 years since the building was constructed there are, quite possibly, locations where leaks have been occurring undetected and unrepaired for years, if not decades."  

Another review needed

The Newfoundland and Labrador English School District said last week it hoped students would be back in Bishop Feild after Christmas break. 

It remains unclear if that timeline can still be achieved, since the Nova Consultants report has additional recommendations — on top of removing all of the plaster ceilings in the building.

Officials with the School District told CBC Wednesday no one was available for an interview about the report.

In an emailed statement, the district said, "It is in discussion with the Department of Transportation and Works for the next steps."

"With respect to the future of the school, the District remains focused upon providing a safe and welcoming learning environment at the new Bishop Feild Elementary school site and having the comprehensive structural review undertaken."

A more comprehensive review is needed, according to the report, due to "the high degree of uncertainty regarding what other building elements may have been affected by water infiltration in the past 90 years."

Ceilings not the only issue

The report also highlights other issues unrelated to ceiling problems.

It suggests the following should be considered on "a broader scope":

• Deterioration of the exterior masonry wall construction.
• Lack of a mechanical ventilation system in the building.
• Possible lack of compliance related to aspects of relevant fire code.
• Facility is not accessible for the mobility impaired and cannot feasibly be renovated to be made so.
• Lack of adequate parking for school staff and parents.

The abandoned boiler room and the large chimney should also be removed, according to the recommendations by Nova Consultants.