Brick veneer crumbles off of Whitley Hall

Local News

Related Photos

The section of Whitley Hall where brick fell off of the building, damaging several cars. The exact cause of the incident is unkown at this time. Caleb Slinkard / Journal Staff

January 16, 2012

No students injured in incident

By Caleb Slinkard Journal Staff The Commerce Journal Wed Jan 18, 2012, 06:01 PM CST

Commerce —

Dozens of bricks fell from Whitley Hall’s 12th floor cooling tower Sunday night, prompting university officials to temporarily shut down both entrances to the building. No one was injured in the incident. At approximately 8:30 p.m. Sunday night, students were advised via the university’s IRIS alert system to avoid the building, and at 11 p.m. they were allowed back into the building, but only through the north entrance. The south side entrance to the 12-story residence hall remains closed.

According to a news report from KETR, bricks were still falling off of the building an hour after the initial IRIS alert. University police department officers led students out of the building with hard hats on Sunday night to locate their cars, inspect them for damage and move them to a safer distance. There are no confirmed reports of vehicles damaged by falling debris.

Monday morning, structural engineers from JQ Dallas, LLP inspected the residence hall and declared it to be structurally sound.

“Earlier today, we observed the area of detached brick veneer located on the east wall of the cooling tower enclosure, 12th floor, at Whitley Hall,” the engineers’ report read. “The brick veneer is an exterior finish material, and is not part of the structural frame that supports the building. During our limited observations, we did not observe any deficiencies or signs of distress in the reinforced concrete frame of the building. In our opinion, it does not appear that the detached brick veneer has compromised the structural integrity of the concrete frame of the building.”

The engineers did recommend that the university block off certain areas of Whitley Hall.

“We did observe that the detached section of brick lacked metal brick ties, which secure the brick veneer to the concrete masonry unit (CMU) backup walls,” their report read. “Until further notice, we recommend that areas adjacent to the east and west exterior walls, and the plaza area on the south side of the building be barricaded to prevent pedestrian access to these areas.”

According to Director of Facilities David McKenna, a locking system will be installed to secure the bricks.

“Based on yesterday’s investigation, the incident was a unique situation where bricks pulled away from the building and not by a structural defect,” McKenna said, in a university press release. “Going forward, we plan to install a locking system that will ensure that the brick veneer and other exterior building elements are secure and do not pose a risk to the university community.”

Whitley Hall, constructed in 1969, is home to 466 students this semester. Repairs to the brick veneer will be scheduled after a thorough inspection of the entire building exterior is completed, according to university officials.

Story updated Jan. 18 at 6 p.m.

Falling debris from the top of the Whitley Residence Hall on the Texas A&M University-Commerce campus damaged several cars, prompting university officials to shut down access to the building temporarily. At approximately 8:30 p.m. Sunday night, students were advised via the university's IRIS alert system to avoid the building, and at 11 p.m. they were allowed back into the building, but only through the north entrance. According to a university source, a section of brick approximately 20 by 20 feet large fell, but no students were injured in the incident. The south side entrance to the 12 story residence hall remains closed.

More information will be made available as it is released.

Text Only

Local News

Jalinna Jones wins ‘Citizen of the Year’ at annual banquet
Commerce community leaders, business owners, citizens, and local and state politicions were all on hand at the 103rd annual Commerce Chamber of Commerce Banquet last Thursday night. The event featured a mixer, dinner, speech by keynote speaker Taylor Fore and an awards ceremony.

February 17, 2012 1 Photo
Two students robbed by masked men at gunpoint last night
Two Texas A&M University-Commerce students were robbed at gunpoint by two masked men on the 1800 block of Mayo Street at approximately 9:45 p.m. last night.

February 9, 2012
Commerce moves from 3A to 2A after realignment
While Commerce just missed the University Interscholastic League’s (UIL) population requirement for classification 3A, the Tigers’ new football district is shaping up to be as challenging as their 3A district was last year.

February 9, 2012
Speed limits along Interstate 30 increased
Motorists will soon be able to legally drive a little bit faster while traveling west or east through Hunt County, not counting the construction zones that is.

February 8, 2012
Lions, Javelinas to face off at Field House
Lion fans, don't forget tonight's A&M-Commerce basketball doubleheader against Texas A&M-Kingsville will be streamed live online at FoxSportsSouthwest.com. A&M-Commerce looks to rebound from a pair of heartbreaking losses to the Javelinas Saturday with the women coming up short 75-72 and the men falling in a triple overtime thriller 104-94.

February 6, 2012
Best Super Bowl ad? Vote for your favorite
Naked M&Ms, an out-of-shape dog on a mission and Clint Eastwood delivering a passionate speech about American adversity -- these are among the favorite commercials that aired during Sunday's Super Bowl.

February 5, 2012 1 Photo
Thornton prepares to open up sports academy in Commerce
New businesses continue to spring up in Commerce and the most recent, Monster Sports Academy, intends to provide both entertainment and traning to Commerce youth. Lance Thornton, who co-owns and manages the Academy, has taught baseball in Commerce for the past six years and saw the need for an indoor facility for both select teams and individuals simply looking for something to do in Commerce.

February 3, 2012 1 Photo
Skatepark project to enter planning phase
With $15,000 in the bank and two large grant proposals under consideration, the Commerce Parks Foundation is getting ready to enter the beginning stages of building the Commerce skatepark. While the foundation still has a long way to go before they can break ground on the project, donations of money, services and supplies from local companies and organizations like Atmos Energy, the Commerce Lions Club and Hayter Engineering have them on the right track, according to Commerce Parks Foundation President Barbara Lenington.

February 3, 2012
Commerce Community Plaza sanctioned by Mexican consulate general of Dallas
Hispanic and local community leaders met Monday night to celebrate the opening of the Commerce Community Plaza at the A.C. Williams Elementary School. Officials from the Commerce Independent School District, Texas A&M University-Commerce, the Mexican Consulate in Dallas, L.U.L.A.C were present at the event, which featured a ribbon-cutting, a salsa and enchilada cook-off and a performance by the Fusion Dance Group from A&M-Commerce.

January 30, 2012 1 Photo
Bonham Street receives historical district designation
Bonham Street has been a unique street in Commerce for decades, and now the historical area is finally getting the recognition, and hopefully the face lift, it deserves. The Commerce City Council has designated Bonham Street as a historical district, thanks to the efforts of the Bonham Street Association, and as soon as a design is finished, signage relating that information will be erected along the street. It’s clear just by driving down the street that a lot has happened on Bonham, and the street is special to residents who have lived there since the early 60’s and newcomers who fell in love with the street.

January 25, 2012
More Local News Headlines

Where is your favorite place to study?

Local News

Search Results

Related Photos