beci

barry engineers and constructors, inc.

176 churchill street, pittsfield, massachusetts 01201

January 24, 2017

Russell A. Sprague, Director of Buildings & Grounds
Roman Catholic Bishop of Springfield
65 Elliot Street
Springfield, MA 01105
RE:

Structural Assessment of Church Buildings and Dangerous Conditions at

Mater Dolorosa Church, 25 Maple Street, Holyoke, MA 01040

Dear Russ:
Barry Engineers and Constructors, Inc. (BECI), structural engineers, have performed a
number of structural assessments in 2011, 2015 and 2016 of the Mater Dolorosa Church
for the Owner, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Springfield (the Diocese). BECI first
visited and inspected the Church and bell tower steeple in July 2011when the Church was
in use and occupied at that time. The Church was later closed by the Diocese and has
been unused for a number of years. Recently in December of 2016, pieces of the steeple
tower were found by the Diocese on the ground in the public way. On December 21,
2016, the Dioceses contractor, Adam & Ruxton, Inc., and BECI used an equipment lift
to investigate the steeple tower from the exterior. We observed a marked increase from
our 2011 observations of critical degradation of the tower steeple roof and top of the
brick masonry tower (See attached photographs documenting the 2011 and 2016
conditions.)
In September 2011, BECI reported that it was our professional opinion that the Church
steeple tower was not structurally sound and would require a full major building
renovation to properly repair the structure. In addition, we reported numerous structural
and architectural deficiencies with the Church and Rectory buildings. Our findings are
defined by the current building code to be dangerous conditions in that elements could
collapse or become dislodged under normal service loads such as gravity, wind and
earthquake.
Engineering Design Associates, Inc. (EDA), structural engineers, had performed an
independent structural conditions assessment and issued their findings in two reports
dated March 2011 and May 2011. EDA found numerous significant structural
deficiencies and they identified an imminent danger stating that it would only be a matter
of time before a partial collapse or a complete failure of the wood framed steeple

413-443-6591

structure and associated brick masonry tower. EDA warned about the danger to the
occupants and public safety. Our 2011 conclusive findings were in agreement with the
EDA conclusive findings.
At the request of the Diocese in 2015, BECI provided another structural review with
preliminary construction cost estimates for architectural, structural, mechanical,
electrical, fire protection and barrier free disciplines for the required repair and
renovation. The scope of work included code required upgrades that would be required
to reopen the buildings and obtain a Certificate of Occupancy. The total cost was
estimated to be $5.3 million dollars. We understand that the Diocese has not been
successful in attempts to raise funds to renovate the buildings or sell the buildings and
property.
This letter is to notify the Roman Catholic Bishop and for your use in communicating
with the appropriate Building Officials of Holyoke, MA that it is our professional opinion
that an emergency situation exists regarding dangerous conditions at the unoccupied
Mater Dolorosa Church, 25 Maple Street, Holyoke, MA 01040. Based on our past
structural investigations of the Mater Dolorosa Church and Rectory and based on the
recent event of steeple pieces falling to the public way below, it is our professional
opinion that the building structure represents multiple dangerous conditions, as defined
by the building code, and immediate action needs to be taken to secure and make safe the
public way below and to begin the immediate demolition of the entire Church and
Rectory building structures. Making safe the public way and street will require
appropriate closing of sidewalks and portions of streets. Consideration of steeple
collapse and nearby buildings must also be considered by the Building Officials.
Background
The Mater Dolorosa Church structure is circa 1902 and consists of a single story Church,
Church bell tower and steeple and attached adjacent two-story Rectory. The Church is
approximately 108 feet by 67 feet or 7,236 square feet, of wood framed and brick
masonry bearing wall construction and the Rectory is approximately 6,440 square feet of
similar construction. The Church roof framing is conventional timber truss with wood
roof deck and slate roof. The Church brick masonry tower is approximately 16-6 by
16-6 outside dimension and the top elevation is approximately 80 feet above the
Church floor. The wood timber framed steeple is approximately 40-0 tall above the
brick masonry tower with a total height of approximately 120 feet.
BECI Structural Evaluations
On June 01, 2011 a tornado damaged many structures owned by the Diocese in the
Springfield, MA area. BECI was retained as the engineer of record for the badly
damaged Cathedral High School and the Diocese requested that BECI visit Mater
Dolorosa and perform a structural inspection mutually exclusive from the EDA studies.
BECI was not given the EDA studies until after we completed our 2011 investigation of
Mater Dolorosa, Holyoke, MA
Structural Assessment of Dangerous Conditions
January 24, 2017

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Mater Dolorosa Church and Rectory buildings. Our conclusive findings were in
agreement with the EDA conclusive findings.
In 2011, we also visited the Church a number of times to inspect for three distinct severe
natural events which included the already mentioned tornado, a separate wind microburst
and a separate eastern seismic event.
The current and applicable building code used is referenced below.

International Building Code 2009 (IBC)

International Existing Building Code 2009 (IEBC)
Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Building Code, the 8th Edition, the
Massachusetts Amendments to the IBC 2009.

Under the provisions of the IEBC Section 506.1 General. Structural repairs shall be in
compliance with this section and Section 501.2 Regardless of the extent of structural or
nonstructural damage, dangerous conditions shall be eliminated. The IEBC defines
dangerous conditions as follows:
1. 202 Definitions - Dangerous. Any building, structure or portion thereof that
meets any of the conditions described below shall be deemed dangerous.
a. The building or structure has collapsed, partially collapsed, moved off its
foundation or lacks the support of ground necessary to support it.
b. There exists a significant risk of collapse, detachment or dislodgement of
any portion, member, appurtenance or ornamentation of the building or
structure under services loads.
c. Commentary: This includes any building element that could become
detached and potentially result in the failure of one or more of the
building's inherent systems.
In 2011, we reported that the steeple had severe brick masonry decay with cracks and
movement. The wood steeple frame was badly split, had large gaps at joints and had the
original rusted nailed connections with unknown structural capacity. The steel tension
rods at each interior corner were observed and we reported that the timber beams
anchoring the rods into the cracked brick masonry piers were badly split and the rods
were loose and not structurally engaged and were ineffective in anchoring the steeple.
The worst corner of the tower at the bell level was the NE (parking lot side) corner where
the brick masonry was badly cracked and opening up at the mortar joints. We also
reported multiple required building repairs including water entry, brick masonry
degradation, attic and roof wood framing deficiencies including areas of sag and
deflection. The slate roof was found to be unrepairable and a full reroof of the existing
slate roof would be required. We reported that any major renovation would likely trigger
structural, architectural, mechanical, fire protection and barrier free required building
code upgrades (See attached 2011 photographs.)
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Structural Assessment of Dangerous Conditions
January 24, 2017

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In December 2015, BECI was asked to review the Church again and we could not access
the interior of the steeple tower due to large amounts of hazardous bird waste. We
viewed the exterior and interior of the Church and Rectory from the ground level and
under the Church crawl space without accessing the interior of the tower. In 2016 we
performed a number of visits and we reported that the brick masonry at the same NE
tower corner as identified in our 2011 report had visible discoloration or moisture
retention and appeared to have moved or separated more along the step cracking at the
mortar joints. BECI was asked to provide renovation cost estimates. Based on our
Cathedral High School construction cost data, we recommended either a major
renovation of the Church property which was estimated to be $5.3 million or to demolish
the Church and Rectory buildings. It is our understanding that the cost to renovate the
unoccupied Church and Rectory is extremely high and unrealistic.
Based on the recent detachment of steeple tower parts and our exterior inspection of the
Church steeple from an equipment lift on December 21, 2016, the structural condition of
the steeple appears to have deteriorated considerably at an accelerated rate since our first
assessment in 2011. The following are our key findings from this latest review.
1. The NE (parking lot side) corner had shown the worst brick step cracking from
the outside and inside in 2011. At our latest inspections, the triangular corner
dormer valley flashing was found to have totally rotted away at the base and is
now wide open to the weather. Water entry has accelerated and the brick step
cracking appears to have increased and the brick appears dark and to be retaining
the moisture. This corner appears very fragile and most likely to fail under
normal service loads such as gravity and wind forces. The NE corner is
susceptible to water entry which will now accelerate the deterioration of the wood
and brick masonry and the Church interior finishes below the tower. The tower is
currently not accessible and our review was only from the exterior from the
equipment lift. For clarity, we have included our 2011 interior photographs at this
location which show the interior brick masonry cracking and separation.
2. The NW corner on the same north brick elevation appears fairly intact in
comparison to the NE corner and the brick is unremarkable. The 2011 interior
photographs indicate some step cracking of the interior brick masonry.
3. The wood pointed arch vent frames have not been painted in years and appear
badly dry rotted. Parts of these vents became dislodged and fell to the sidewalk
below.
4. The north elevation (parking lot side) roof drip edge and wood trim is bare from
weathering and appears dry rotted and swollen or buckled from moisture. The
slate roof requires a total reroof repair and replacement.

Mater Dolorosa, Holyoke, MA

Structural Assessment of Dangerous Conditions
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The south elevation brick masonry appears in better condition than the north elevation
with no visible exterior step cracking. This would be expected with the south sun
exposure. The interior photographs from 2011 show interior cracking. The south
elevation wood trim and framing at the drip edge is dry rotted and badly swollen with
major movement and open space between the brick tower. The slate requires
replacement and shows signs of movement and pieces are dislodged. The south elevation
drip edge and trim has failed and is susceptible to wind driven water entry which will
now accelerate the deterioration of the wood and brick masonry and the interior Church
finishes below the tower (See attached photographs.)
It is our professional opinion that time is of the essence and full demolition of the Church
and steeple is the only option to create a safe condition. Partial demolition or removing
only the upper steeple and attempting to cap the tower are not feasible. As reported, the
brick masonry tower, which is integrally constructed with the Church framing and walls,
shows signs of degradation including cracking and separations at the lower choir loft
level. The Church roof framing has visible sagging areas near the steeple tower and the
roof framing is integrally tied to the steeple tower. The Church exterior brick walls and
foundations require major repairs and these structural deficiencies would not be
addressed or made safe with a partial demolition. The height and size of the building
structure with the existing structural deterioration of the Church and steeple tower renders
it not possible to safely and with certainty brace, shore, support or stabilize.
The buildings have numerous reported deficiencies and would require a complete and
major renovation and the design service loads for any new construction would have to
meet the building code for new buildings and also would likely have to be supported by
portions of the existing building. Such work, even if temporary, would likely trigger
other reinforcing and stabilizing requirements to the existing remaining building parts.
Independent Structural Evaluations by Others
In 2011, Engineering Design Associates, Inc. (EDA), structural engineers, had performed
an independent Structural Conditions Assessment and issued their findings in two reports.
EDA found numerous significant structural deficiencies and they also provided
preliminary cost estimates in order to repair the Church. The EDA study was limited to
visible deficiencies and priorities were assigned with identification of immediate repair or
replacement categories and the study was not a complete structural review. EDA
identified an imminent danger stating that it would only be a matter of time before a
partial collapse or a complete failure of the wood framed steeple structure and associated
top of brick masonry tower. EDA warned about the danger to the occupants and public
safety. EDA estimated the cost for the repair of the structural deficiencies in 2011 dollars
to be $475,535.00 with a major portion comprising the steeple repair and partial slate roof
replacement. The estimated repair costs were limited to structural deficiencies and no
review or cost estimate was provided for architectural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing,
fire protection or barrier free building deficiencies or building code upgrade
requirements.
Mater Dolorosa, Holyoke, MA
Structural Assessment of Dangerous Conditions
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The Parish organization, Friends of Mater Dolorosa, requested an independent

structural inspection to verify the findings of the EDA study. This study was performed
by Neil Mitchell, structural engineer, and a report dated July 15, 2011 was issued by Neil
Mitchell Associates (NMA). NMA did not perform a comparable structural assessment
and limited its reporting to a review of the required repair work identified in the EDA
study. NMA disagreed with the EDA reporting of an imminent danger of collapse but
did acknowledge and agree to the key items requiring structural repair (e.g. deteriorated
tower brick masonry, cracked main framing timbers and loose tension tie rods). NMA
did not provide comparable estimates of construction cost per line item as presented in
the EDA report. NMA rendered an opinion that the Church could be repaired at less cost
than the estimate provided by EDA. However, a major difference in opinion was that
NMA assumed repointing of the brick masonry was a possible solution and did not
address shoring or removal of the steeple to properly dismantle the brick tower walls and
repair the badly decayed multi-wythe brick tower wall construction above the bell tower
floor as clearly identified as necessary by EDA.
EDA published a letter dated December 22, 2011 that rebutted the opinion of NMA and
pointed out that NMA was using the wrong building code, the wrong code wind speed for
Holyoke, MA and the wrong geometry and code required wind force coefficients. BECI
notes that both the EDA and the NMA studies did not provide any cost estimates or
review for architectural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection or barrier free
building deficiencies or building code upgrade requirements. It is the professional
opinion of BECI that a full building renovation would be required to properly repair and
rehabilitate the Church and Rectory in order to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy and
BECI estimated the total renovation cost to be $5.3 million dollars.
Summary and Recommendations
It is our professional opinion that the steeple has deteriorated badly and at an accelerated
rate and now has new openings that allow water to directly enter. This water entry will
quickly rot the wood construction and increase brick masonry and slate roof movement
from freeze and thaw cycles. The interior Church mezzanine plaster walls and finishes
will be exposed to water entry. It is our professional opinion that for the reasons outlined
above, the Church structure has many dangerous conditions that must be eliminated. The
recent discovery that significant pieces of the steeple fell off to the public way below and
the newly discovered degradation of the steeple tower roof that is now directly open to
water entry underscores our opinion. Under code required service loads including
gravity, wind and seismic, possible partial or full collapse of the Church high brick
masonry walls, brick masonry tower and wood framed steeple are all possible.
It is our professional opinion that the building structure has decayed to a point that partial
or larger scale progressive collapse is possible and time is of the essence. In addition, the
height and size of the building structure with the existing structural deterioration of the
Church and steeple tower renders it not possible to safely and with certainty brace, shore,
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Structural Assessment of Dangerous Conditions
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support or stabilize. It is our professional opinion that there is no safe way to prevent
building materials from falling onto the public way without completely removing the
Church building and tower steeple. Complete demolition would include the adjacent and
connected Rectory. The Church and steeple tower abut the north and south sidewalks
and no fencing or barriers could be designed or would safely guard the public way with a
level of certainty that we could certify as professional engineers. Great care will be
required when working on the removal of any building element to avoid likely
progressive collapse of major portions of the building.
We recommend an immediate course of appropriate action in order to protect the public.
Please let us know if you have any questions.
Sincerely,

Dr. Bernard J. Hunt, PE, AIA

Architect & Structural Engineer
Cc

Father Richard Bondi, Chairman of the Diocesan Building Commission

Msgr. John Bonzagni
Fr. Albert Sherer
Fr. Michael Wood
William LaBroad, Finance Officer
Robert Quinn, Attorney at Law
Robert Kirchherr, Hazardous Materials & Safety Officer
William M. Barry, PE

Mater Dolorosa, Holyoke, MA

Structural Assessment of Dangerous Conditions
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