Work begins on King Chapel following derecho damage

King Chapel is closed for the foreseeable future as structural engineers and specialized contractors work on repairs to the building following the Aug. 10 derecho. 

The original inspection after the storm revealed structural damage including some shingles and movement at the joints of the brickwork. More recently, however, a member of the facilities team removed several layers of insulation to replace a lightbulb and noticed one of the trusses holding up the roof was cracked. 

“We went up and took a whole team and uncovered every support beam or truss up there and dug them out, which wasn’t recommended earlier due to the lack of visible structural damage right after the storm,” said Cornell Project Manager Scott Ladwig.

They now know that several support beams are cracked and in need of repair.

The crew is working on temporary fixes for the severe storm season and long-term repairs that will take at least a year to complete and possibly longer. The team will take the historic nature of the building, constructed in 1882, into consideration with each step.

“The companies we are hiring specialize in historical preservation,” said Ladwig. “We’re not only talking about the repairs to the roof, but we’ll need to take great care with preserving everything from the beautiful windows to the pipe organ as the work gets underway.”

Contractors will replace the wood trusses with steel beams to prevent these types of structural issues in the future. Work will begin this spring.

The derecho brought on sustained winds of over 100 mph to much of eastern Iowa. It caused damage to several campus buildings and hundreds of trees. Repairs are actively underway and new trees will be planted during the spring and fall.