Teams assess condition of Gasson

In anticipation of Boston College's 150-year anniversary, Gasson Tower is set to undergo restorations that would replace much of the exterior stone and windows. Although the construction would not begin until after commencement in 2007, pending approval, architects and structural engineers are currently assessing the building in preparation for the project.

According to an executive summary detailing the restoration process, the goal of the project is to "address the major building envelope issues … [that include] the rebuilding and replacement as necessary of all deteriorated elements." Work will include the "four spires, crenulations, all cast stone coping, structural and ornamental components, flat roofs, tower landings, and all windows."

Before construction can commence, testing must be conducted on the building by specialty service teams including "waterproofing, masonry conservator, cost estimators, materials testing, and masonry subcontractors," according to the summary. This testing is currently underway.

"The scaffolding that is up right now is to support the design work and investigations going on," said Jake Mycofsky, construction project manager.

Earlier this summer, a team of experts had been evaluating the tower by "dangling from ropes" suspended from the building, said Mycofsky, to investigate the integrity of the masonry. Starting next week, examination of the building's four sides will begin, this time from the support of a lift.

The purpose of these evaluations is to determine the extent of damage to the building's exterior - caused mostly by age and weather - and to conduct a physical analysis of the stone itself. "Some concrete core samples are being cut out for assessment," said Mycofsky. "They are being tested for accelerated aging and physically analyzed for the composition of the stone."

In addition to extracting samples of the stonework, the architects are formulating drawings of the building that specify where each problem or concern exists. "The architects have with them tablets with drawings of the building," said John Romeo, director for capital construction. "They can choose what issue affects what specific part of the building from a pull-down menu on the tablet."

These schematics will be compiled in a book that spells out the information gleaned during the assessment for a bidding process, which Romeo projects will begin in December.

Of special concern to the design team is the coordination of the color between the new and old stonework. "Over the years the building has developed different hues because of soot and grime," said Mycofsky. "We want the same colors on the new pieces of stones as on the old ones."

Romeo said the hope is that end result achieves color uniformity between the replacement stone and the existing stone. "We don't want any blotchiness," he said, "so we are using various testing methods to make sure that doesn't happen."

Gasson Hall, the University's flagship building, was constructed between 1909 and 1913. After almost 100 years of use as an academic and administrative building, problems like the ones being investigated currently are to be expected, said Mycofsky. "But they really knew how to build them back then," he said.

"Some stone pieces are coming off the exterior and some water is coming in through the exterior," he said.

Romeo said the structural integrity of the building is still intact, and the construction is not being done because of the building being potentially unsafe. "By no means is this being done because of danger of it falling down," he said. "It is Boston College's signature building, and we are doing this in time for the 2013 anniversary of the campus and the building."

The project, if approval is granted, would have three phases, the first of which would begin this summer. "The first phase is just the tower," said Mycofsky. "Lots of the pieces being replaced are decorative that are cracking and weathering."

Construction is being scheduled to create the least amount of inconvenience to those who use Gasson as a classroom, office, or meeting space. "We are coordinating to impact the least number of people possible," said Romeo, "but it is next to impossible to do quiet work on stone."

The second and third phases, which are projected to take place in 2008 and 2009, will each deal with two sides of the building. "The main building is made of puddingstone, and we will be looking at the mortar joints that are holding it together," said Mycofsky.

While talk of the project has been underway for a year and a half, Mycofsky said it was hard to find people to comprise a design team diverse enough to run all the necessary tests. "Gasson is so prestigious and lots of people would have liked the opportunity to work on it," he said.

Gasson has historically not had any other major structural issues, according to Al Travaglini, the facilities manager who has worked in the building in the past. Besides the need for the restoration of the artwork in the rotunda and water damage in the cupola, it has held up well, he said. "It is a beautiful old building, but it has recently reached a stressing point. We are mindful of that, making sure it holds its structural integrity for another 50 to 100 years."