Structural analyses identify water as main threat to Cape County courthouses

A structural analysis report on Cape Girardeau County's aging courthouses ordered by county commissioners has revealed water infiltration to be the main concern for both.

The report states the biggest problem in the structure of the Common Pleas Courthouse in Cape Girardeau is the condition of the basement walls. According to the report, if the condition is not addressed, water will continue to deteriorate the wall mortar and cause the building to settle. In the county courthouse in Jackson, the report says, a general recommendation for ongoing maintenance and repair to the roof to avoid leaks.

According to project manager Lee Cooper with ASDG LLC, the engineering firm contracted by the county to perform the analyses, the Jackson courthouse is in good condition compared to structures of similar age. The courthouse was built in 1908. A comparison for the Common Pleas Courthouse was more difficult because the firm has not evaluated a lot of structures of similar age. The building is 157 years old.

According to the report on the Common Pleas Courthouse, the firm could not estimate a time frame the building could remain serviceable but said that if problems with the foundation are not addressed, it was conceivable that stability issues could arise in the next five to 10 years. The Jackson courthouse would remain serviceable for at least another 50 years if repairs were made to masonry, the roof and the cupola. An earthquake, however, could void those estimates.

The report said neither building has the level of public safety consistent with newer buildings and that buildings of unreinforced masonry, like the courthouses, are not expected to perform well during a significant earthquake. According to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the New Madrid Seismic Zone appears to be about 30 years overdue for a magnitude-6.3 earthquake. The estimate is based on a historical schedule of intervals between large earthquakes.

The analyses were performed as walk-through inspections March 15.

The firm made seven recommendations for repairs to the Common Pleas courthouse and five recommendations for the Jackson courthouse.

Commissioner Paul Koep­er said he reviewed the reports several times and that the work required to fix the Common Pleas Courthouse would take a lot of money.

"It's over 150 years old, and I hope we can just get out of there before we really have to do anything with it," Koep­er said.

He said the condition has become worse with hail damage from spring storms in the time since the firm performed the analysis.

The Cape Girardeau County courthouse is prominent in uptown Jackson. (Fred Lynch)

Repairs to the Jackson courthouse roof and cupola are scheduled to begin Aug. 15 for $121,000. Koeper said tuckpointing is being done on the building to correct other problems.

Koeper, a former civil engineer, reviewed qualifications of firms and costs for the analyses. County Clerk Kara Clark Summers said the cost for the analysis of both courthouses was $4,830.

eragan@semissourian.com

243-6635

Pertinent address:

44 N. Lorimier St., Cape Girardeau, MO

1 Barton Square, Jackson, MO