Owner: Diocese of Pueblo
Client: Saint Michael’s Parish, Canon City, Colorado
Completion Date: 2007
Services: Existing Structures, Forensics Engineering, Condition Assessment, Foundation Repair

Summary:

During the construction of a new church for Saint Michael’s Parish, the roof structure failed immediately after the removal of temporary shoring, requiring emergency stabilization. The Diocese of Pueblo retained J.R. Harris & Company to perform a peer review of the original structural design and design necessary repairs.

Our review extended beyond the roof failure, revealing significant deficiencies in the foundation, masonry walls, and lateral load-resisting system. For the roof, we worked closely with the contractor and Diocese to design a new steel truss system that integrated with the existing wood roof structure, providing both structural integrity and a roof framing system that followed the original architectural aesthetic while keeping repair costs to a minimum.

In addition to the roof repairs, we strengthened other critical structural components. The foundation system was reinforced with helical steel piers to supplement undersized footings. The original design lacked a lateral load-resisting system, so we implemented masonry shear walls that not only provided necessary lateral stability but also reinforced under-designed load-bearing walls and improved resistance to gravity and wind loads. All new framing was designed to fit within tight dimensional constraints with minimal impact on the original floor plans.