Long Description:
There is a problem with water intrusion and leakage into the rooms in the basement of this building. There is mold, mildew, and water damage on the interior walls. The walls of the areaways are cracked and bowed. The problem has several sources. The subterranean drain system around the perimeter of the building serves the roof leaders, landscape drains, and the areaways around the building site. The drainage system is terra cotta pipe, now over 50 years old (installed in 1953). The system suffers from blockages due to root intrusion, sediment infiltrations, and soil settlement. There is also a terra cotta foundation drain line located at the footing of the buildings exterior wall. The damp-proofing for this has gone beyond its useful life cycle. The entire system needs to be rebuilt. The entire perimeter needs to be excavated, new drain lines installed, brick entrance ways rebuilt, and the area ways rebuilt.
If these repairs/replacements are not made then water will continue to infiltrate. As the water infiltration continues so too system sister component damage continues. This on going damage makes it more and more difficult to locate and repair leaks. The water intrusion adversely affects the research and support functions contained in this building and consume scarce maintenance resources to stretch the these systems lives to the maximum and to continue to make water damage repairs to the building interior .