Central Washington University CHCI Assessment Report 12-10-13
• The building is fully protected by an automatic fire sprinkler system except in the indoor cage areas. Seismic • The building uses a combination of reinforced masonry and cast concrete walls and steel moment framing to resist seismic loading. • Our investigation did not include calculation of seismic load resistance to current codes. General Given its construction in 1993 and the past surveys conducted by the University, the CHCI building has been determined to be clean of asbestos-containing building materials (ACM), lead-containing paint (LCP), other lead-containing building materials (LCM), polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-containing light ballasts, and mercury (Hg)-containing light tubes. While these materials were known to be absent, there was concern about the impact of chimp urine saturation on the indoor care areas and the possibility of moisture/mold in the exterior walls. On October 14th and 15th, 2013, EHS-International, Inc. (EHSI), an environmental health and safety consulting firm, conducted a mold and moisture assessment in accessible areas of the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute (CHCI) building located on the campus of Central Washington University (CWU), in Ellensburg, Washington. In addition to the mold and moisture assessment EHSI investigated for the presence of urine and the depth of urine penetration into concrete flooring in the chimpanzee enclosure portion of the facility. The assessment was requested due to potential up-coming renovations. EHSI conducted a walk-through assessment of accessible areas of the subject building to visually identify areas with evidence of previous or current water intrusion; used moisture meters to determine the moisture contents of building materials in areas suspected of being impacted by moisture; collected surface tape lift samples of suspect visible mold growth (SVMG); and cut five (5) access ports in lower GWB walls to allow direct visual inspection of wall cavities in areas suspected of being impacted by moisture. In addition, EHSI used an ultraviolet light to investigate the presence of urine in chimpanzee enclosures as well as the depth of urine penetration into concrete flooring. During the assessment EHSI identified one limited area, Closet 104, with approximately six (6) square feet of mold growth on lower gypsum wallboard (GWB). Several areas of the building exhibited “ghosting” which is essentially “shadows” of framing studs appearing on interior walls due to temperature differentials. Several limited areas of the building had evidence of minor efflorescence, water vapor passing through concrete masonry units and depositing salts on interior surfaces. While efflorescence is evidence of limited moisture intrusion it is not necessarily associated with microbial growth. Use of ultra-violet light during an inspection of chimpanzee enclosures revealed that there was limited evidence of urine stains on concrete at the time of the assessment and when HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
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