The everyday hustle and bustle of the Quad was interrupted Monday afternoon by the sound of concrete crashing against the ground.
Facility Services employees roped off the area around Hill Memorial Library soon after several pieces of the building’s facade fell.
Grady Caldwell, maintenance superintendent, said the side of the building had simply deteriorated, and damage wasn’t visible until pieces began to fall off.
“Sometimes you just can’t see it until it happens,” he said. “These old buildings, you can’t ever tell anymore.”
Sam Territo, associate director of Facility Maintenance, said the building’s crumbling could have been caused by age, but it also could have been caused by rainwater seeping into the facade and breaking the bond between it and the structural wall.
Caldwell said Facility Services employees are conducting a safety inspection of the rest of the building.
Employees will repair any more loose concrete found on the side of the building, which could mean replacing the building’s entire facade, Caldwell said.
Territo said it will probably take employees the rest of the week to determine which parts of the building are structurally sound and which need to be replaced.
“They’ll do a full assessment,” he said. “They’ll also determine any costs at that time.”
Territo said small pieces fall off buildings once in a while, but this is the biggest piece he’s seen in several years.
Caldwell said no one was hurt by the falling pieces.
“I’m just glad it’s not in a high-traffic area,” he said. “That’s lucky.”
 
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Contact Rachel Warren at [email protected]