Slowly the Remote Accessed Telescope Observatory (RATO) building repair is approaching completion. Serious infrastructure problems occurred back in 2016. Members of the Park Authority's Planning & Development Division discovered that the concrete block building was beginning to crumble away in several areas near the base. Internally trapped water within the blocks was freezing each winter, destroying the blocks from the inside out.
So in addition to block repair, the area around the RATO building needed re-grading and installation of a drainage system. The repairs began in February, 2018 and according to the Sun-Gazette "The Park Authority...hired the engineering firm of SWSG to verify the cause of the deterioration, qualify the damage and produce a comprehensive plan to dry and structurally repair the building..." Garland/DBS, Inc. was selected as the contractor to perform the RATO repairs, including:
- Install temporary supports, which will protect the building while structural repairs are being made to the concrete blocks
- Install a rain-dispersal system on its roof perimeter, which will protect exterior walls from continuous exposure to concentrated water runofrf.
- Use abrasive blasting to tremove the existing exterior block coating and re-coat the building with a pigmented, vapor-mermeable acrylic.
- Replace or repair approximately 450 damaged concrete blocks
- Install an interior dehumidification system with equipment that logs data on relative humidity
- Back-vent the structure's interior walls
- Waterproof the structure's foundation and install a building-perimeter drain that carries water away from the building
As of December 6, 2018 construction is approaching completion, with a summarized "punch list" of performing:
- Soil compaction near the building with a fine grade 8% slope will be completed, covering the area with seed and covered with straw mulch
- Provide touch up painting, remove tools/supplies from the building and final clean of the floor.
- Cut and adjust the gutter/faoundation drain pipe ends
- Pressure wash the concrete plaza.
According to the Structural Renovation of the RATO Building Substantial Completion Inspection Punch List (Dec 6, 2018), "It is expected that all punch list items will be complete as soon as the weather allows." The RATO building should be ready for astronomical equipment installation by the end of 2018.