帮助康涅狄格州的房主

Environmental Science Program faculty and students address crumbling concrete foundations.

The laboratories in 全球十大网赌正规平台’s Environmental Science Program were buzzing with activity this summer as students and faculty members conducted tests on samples of concrete foundations, searching for the presence of the mineral suspected of causing basements across northeastern 康涅狄格 to crumble.

Working with the grassroots organization 康涅狄格 Coalition against Crumbling Basements (CCACB), Trinity faculty members have developed more affordable and definitive tests for the mineral pyrrhotite [PEER-row-tight], which has proven difficult to detect in concrete core samples. This service is beneficial to homeowners whose foundations are showing signs of deterioration or those whose homes may be at risk.

乔纳森·古尔力, senior lecturer and laboratory coordinator in the Environmental Science Program, and 环境科学与物理学教授 Christoph角膜, who also serves as director of Trinity’s Environmental Science Program, said that their method involves testing for pyrrhotite based on its magnetic properties. “The application is new,” 角膜说, “but the technique is not.结果是, 古尔力补充道, is that “we have created a test that is more reliable for homeowners, and we can do it at a lower cost than what engineers were charging.”

According to Tim Heim, founder of the CCACB, up to 33,000 homes may be affected. “We’ve got to test these homes and find out what the scope of the problem is,他说. There is no way to repair the crumbling concrete; the only remedy is to replace the entire foundation, which could cost more than the home is worth and often is not covered by insurance. 房主面临如此多的挑战和成本, Heim said he is grateful to the Trinity scientists for developing this less expensive method of testing for pyrrhotite. Through the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG)—a federation of towns in the 哈特福德 region—homeowners can be reimbursed for 50 percent of the testing costs up to $2,000, 海姆说. “With the CCACB and Trinity in their partnership doing coring samples and testing, 费用是1美元,900, 哪个小于最大值,他说. “Before this, the testing could cost $3,000 or $4,000.”

首页s currently showing signs of crumbling basements are largely concentrated in northeastern 康涅狄格 around a quarry in the town of Willington where the pyrrhotite-rich pieces of rocks used in the concrete mixture originated. Heim said that homes built from the early 1980s up to 2017 could be impacted and noted that homeowners would want their foundations tested for pyrrhotite for many reasons. 如果混凝土已经有开裂的迹象, a positive result can make the homeowner eligible for grants funded by the state government. Concrete with pyrrhotite could take years to show signs of cracking, so a negative result can bring peace of mind to homeowners and reassurance about the longevity of the foundation to banks, 房地产经纪人, 家检查员, 保险公司.

CCACB管理样本的收集, and Trinity faculty and students complete the testing and provide written reports. “We involve our students in everything,” Gourley said. “They do fieldwork, collect samples, and contribute to the research.”

乔·鲁杰罗，19岁, an environmental science major and history minor from Manchester, 康涅狄格, has been working to determine the lowest concentration of pyrrhotite that will affect concrete. “Several of my neighbors have experienced extensive cracking, so I have seen the financial burden that this issue carries,鲁杰罗说. “我相信创造一种节约成本的方式, comprehensive guide for homeowners will ultimately reduce the stress on families and lead to better legislation protecting homeowners.”

Sam March 21, 格拉斯顿伯里大学环境科学专业的学生, 康涅狄格, is gathering rock samples from across the state to test their pyrrhotite and sulfur concentrations. “This project motivates me because it’s applicable to the real world,” March said. “我相信，随着这项研究的进展, we can begin to explain why basements are crumbling and eventually prevent this from happening in the future.”

Geiss and Gourley estimate that with the help from students, Trinity can process five to 10 concrete foundation core samples per week. 角膜说, “这是学术的完美结合, 教学, and outreach to the community because we are providing a service that did not exist and that may help people quite significantly.” They hope to teach their methods to engineering firms and inspectors who will continue to run these tests.

两人参加了艾灵顿的一个社区论坛, 康涅狄格, in November 2017 when they told concerned homeowners about their testing methods and the new partnership between Trinity and CCACB. Heim said, “It’s been an honor working with Trinity and with Christoph and Jonathan. They have such passion in creating a more affordable means of testing so that the victims are not victimized again.”

Written by:安德鲁·J. Concatelli