Construction paused at new Clendenin Elementary after pyritic sulfur found in soil

CLENDENIN, W.Va. — The Kanawha County school system has paused enchancment on The mannequin new Clendenin Elementary School after pyritic sulfur was found Inside the soil.

KCS Superintendent Tom Williams said the county’s clerk of the works currently noticed vital iron staining in and Throughout The inspiration trenches. The soil was examined and pyritic sulfur detected.

Tom Williams

Based mostly on Williams, pyritic sulfur can probably be expansive which might compromise The mannequin new school’s basis, A pair of of which has already been poured.

Williams said the soil was examined earlier than enchancment started However it’s very unusual for pyritic sulfur to be Current in sandstone.

“Usually from my beneathstanding (it’s found) in shale and we’re talking about sandstone On the Clendenin website,” Williams said. “It’s not normally examined for On this space as a Outcome of it’s simply not down right here, particularly in sandstone.”

Pyritic sulfur impacted the Ramada Inn in Morgantown a few years in the past however that was shale rock, Williams said.

The varsity system is now Looking for specialists To assist with The subsequent step.

Williams said They’re making an try To maintain upbeat.

“The constructive is that it was found now pretty than later and if it’s going to be A drawback We’d pretty Look after it now earlier than the constructing is constructed than later,” Williams said.

The varsity is being constructed To commerce The earlier Clendenin Elementary that was destroyed Inside the June 2016 flood. The Federal Emergency Administration Agency (FEMA) apshowd $27 million in federal funds for the enterprise in June 2020 which was To symbolize 90% of The complete value. The varsity is being constructed at a mountaintop website simply off of U.S. Route 119 on Wolverton Mountain Road shut to Clendenin.

Kanawha County School Board members toured The state of affairs final week. (Photograph/KCS)

Williams said the state School Building Authority Shall be reaching out to FEMA Inside The subsequent few days to alert agency officers on what’s been found.

“This will show to not be An problem In any respect and that’s what we’re hoping however to be overly cautious we thought We’d pause now and get an professional in right here To Guarantee,” Williams said.

Williams said he’s hoping the pause in enchancment Shall be A quick one. He said Which Could Even be Definitely one of the biggest case state of affairs.

Williams said An further delay is heartbreaking to the Clendenin group which has been by way of Tons Since the devastating flood that occurred Greater than 5 years in the past.

“The mom and father in Clendenin and Elkview have been Greater than affected person Through the complete course of. We’re decided and It is going to be constructed. We simply Want to Adjust to all of FEMA’s guidelines and legal guidelines, which We now have been, and go from tright here,” Williams said.

Officials have been hoping for an August 2022 completion of the constructing.

Members of the Kanawha County Board of Education toured The state of affairs earlier this month

In the meantime, enchancment is beneathway in Kanawha County for A mannequin new Herbert Hoover Highschool which is forward of the Clendenin enterprise. FEMA has apshowd for $52 million for the Hoover work.

Question and options provided by Kanawha County Schools

What’s the soil situation?

Pyritic sulfur has been recognized Inside the soil, Which might probably be expansive, compromising the integrity of The inspiration and flooring slab.

How was The drawback found?

The Clerk of the Works recognized iron staining on fill suppliess On The state of affairs adjoining to concrete that was positioned. Following website observations all by way of concrete placement Of good iron staining in and Throughout The inspiration trenches, a sampling plan was proposed So as To Search out out The complete sulfur content material of the fill supplies positioned Contained in the within (sub-slab) spaces of the proposed constructing.

When was this found?

A pair of weeks in the past. We immediately labored to have further geotechnical samples taken And that is when the pyritic sulfur was found.

Why didn’t All of us know Regarding the soil situation earlier than enchancment started?

KCS adopted all testing/sampling as required by FEMA and the State. As a federal enterprise, this enterprise has been beneath extra scrutiny than completely different school constructing tasks. That is an unexpected state of affairs and this supplies Isn’t typically Current in This Sort of stone or On this An factor of West Virginia.

Who’s doing The further investigation?

We’re working to shortly discover an professional On this particular Sort of soil supplies.

Who requested the contractor to pause work?

Kanawha County Schools requested for the pause of the constructing enchancment after discussing the state of affairs with the enterprise group and the consider of a letter requesting further investigation from the geotechnical engineers (based on their current samples).

How prolonged Can we anticipate The further investigation taking?

We do not know Presently.

Will this delay the enterprise?

We do not know Presently.