Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RICHARD JENKINS
Ironwood Township — The Ironwood Township Board of Trustees heard several options for repairing the damage to the township gym’s roof Monday, but needed more information before it could act.
The township building’s gym has been closed to the public since two of the roof support beams cracked under the apparent weight of the snow load March 11.
The lack of damage to the building’s exterior walls and construction of temporary support structures meant the township offices could re-open March 14.
Structural engineers who inspected the damage determined two of the double trusses were cracked and “damaged beyond repair,” according to Deputy Supervisor LeRoy Johnson, and needed to be replaced. Johnson told the Daily Globe the cracks mostly happened along the bolt lines in the beams.
There are three basic repair options to replaced the damaged beams, Johnson said Tuesday.
One would involve replacing the old trusses with three “laminated trusses.”
“This system will fit into where the other trusses were ... so the load-bearing will go right back down into the basement and use the same pillars that are there,” Johnson said.
Another option involves installing new wood trusses supported by steal beams to bear the weight.
A third option involves converting the building to a flat roof rather than keeping its current pitch.
No choice was made Monday, according to Johnson, although the flat roof didn’t seem to be a popular option among the board members.
Township officials said they needed to hear from the township’s insurance company regarding its opinion on the options before the township proceeds.
With the roof cleared up snow, along with wooden interior supports and steel I beams bracing the outside walls, Johnson said the immediate danger has passed and damage limited so there was time for the board to make its decision.
