County hires engineer to assess Randle Rather façade

Gonzales County will pay Curtainwall Design Consulting a $11,700 fee to perform a “limited cladding assessment” of the Randle Rather Annex building to determine the scope of damage and distress on the building’s south-facing limestone façade.

Commissioners voted unanimously to hire Curtainwall Design Consulting during their special called meeting Tuesday, Sept. 3.

The front portion of the building at 427 St. George St. has been buffered by orange safety fencing for several months after pieces of exterior from upper floors had crumbled and fallen off, creating a potential hazard for those trying to go into and out of the building.

County maintenance employee Brian Kloesel has been in contact with a third-party stone/masonry contractor about sealing cracks in the façade or performing repairs, but was told the county would need to hire a forensic consulting engineer first to get up in a boom lift and perform and record observations about the current condition of the limestone exterior elements that are showing signs of distress.

Curtainwall Design Consulting (CDC) has an Austin office and has performed similar work on a number of high-profile buildings, including the Anatole Hotel, Atrium and Tower in Dallas; Williams Square in Las Colinas and the E.M. Dirksen Federal Courthouse and J.C. Kluczinski Office Building in Chicago.

They will recommend any areas for “selective demolition and/or removal of façade elements” and will “observe and document the conditions behind the façade cladding elements to get an understanding of the wall construction as well as condition of hidden components within the wall.”

Items to be looked at include limestone deterioration, stone anchorage, brick masonry anchorage, water management behind façade elements and sealants.

“Based on the observations, CDC will provide a written report, documenting observed conditions. The report will include conceptual recommendations for improvements and/or replacement options for conditions that are noted, as well as photographic documentation of deficiencies,” the engineering firm said in documents sent to the county.

Building cladding is defined as the components attached to a building's primary structure, forming the external surface. This can include limestone, brick, veneer systems, metal paneling and other materials, depending on the building.+

In other action Tuesday, the commissioners voted unanimously to approve the following:
• A memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the provision of certain psychiatric services to inmates in the Gonzales County Jail between Gonzales County, Texas and Bluebonnet Trails Community Services.

• A contract for Secure Long-Term Residential Service of Juvenile Offenders between Gonzales County Juvenile Probation Department and Rite of Passage, Inc. (which includes the following contract facilities: The Oaks, Lake Granbury Youth Services, and Monarch Academy for Girls).

• A contract for Secure Long-Term Residential Service of Juvenile Offenders between Gonzales County Juvenile Probation Department and Gulf Coast Trades Center.

• An Interlocal Agreement (ILA) for Detention of Juvenile Offenders between Fort Bend County Juvenile Board and the 2nd 25th Judicial District Juvenile Probation Board serving, Gonzales, Lavaca and Colorado County.

• A contract for Secure Short - Term Detention of Juvenile Offenders between Gonzales County Juvenile Probation Department and Guadalupe County Juvenile Services Facility.