REFUGIO — Work on the Refugio County Courthouse rehabilitation remains on schedule despite contractors uncovering unexpected concrete below ground along the historic building’s foundation, county officials said Tuesday, Aug. 25.

Commissioners received an extensive update on the courthouse project during their regular meeting as crews continue drainage, waterproofing, roofing and window restoration work.

Project Manager Mark Williams said contractors encountered old concrete while excavating along the east side of the courthouse for installation of a French drain. The concrete appears to predate the existing courthouse construction and includes old foundation elements that were not shown in project documents.

Crews are documenting the locations of the concrete, footings and grade beams so the county has a record of what was discovered.

Some of the concrete extends into areas where the building’s foundation must be waterproofed and will have to be removed.

“These were unforeseen conditions,” Williams said.

One particularly large mass of concrete beside the eastern foundation will have to be jackhammered away before contractors can prepare the wall for waterproofing. Officials said the material contains debris, including lumber and roots, suggesting it may have been poured into an excavation during earlier construction.

Removing the unexpected concrete could result in a project change order and additional cost.

 

Waterproofing work approaches

Williams said waterproofing of the foundation is scheduled to begin Aug. 31.

Crews must first remove remaining obstructions, pressure wash the brick foundation and allow it to dry before applying the waterproof membrane intended to help prevent moisture from entering the basement.

Roof No. 2, located over the district courtroom, has been completed. Roof No. 3 over the courthouse’s central section and skylight remains unfinished.

Officials are exploring whether supplemental Texas Historical Commission funding could be used for the remaining roofing work and possible HVAC improvements.

Masonry pressure washing has been completed along the eastern side of the courthouse and much of the south side. Work remains on the north and west sides and on the brick-covered elevator structure.

Williams said the project remains in good shape and praised the contractor for performing some work outside the normal construction sequence to keep the schedule moving.

 

Historic windows to remain

One of the most significant discussions involved the courthouse’s historic wood windows.

County officials had been evaluating whether to use laminated safety glass or replace portions of the windows to provide better storm protection. Instead, the current plan is to restore the historic wood windows and place hurricane-resistant storm windows over them.

Williams said Texas Historical Commission representatives indicated funding provided for window restoration could be withdrawn if the county replaced the historic windows with new aluminum units.

The storm-window approach would allow the county to retain the appearance of the courthouse while adding hurricane protection. County Judge Gigi Poynter said preservation, safety and insurability all had to be considered.

“You want the building to maintain its historicity,” Poynter said. “It should look like a historic building. But also, it needs to be safe, it needs to be insurable, and those things are all equally weighted.”

Poynter thanked the architects, project officials and Texas Historical Commission representatives for working through the issue.

The commission will review proposed storm-window designs before installation.

 

 

Courthouse shutdown expected Sept. 11

Officials also said the courthouse is expected to be without electricity Sept. 11 while contractors perform electrical changeover work. The shutdown was deliberately scheduled for a Friday so crews would have the weekend to address problems if the work takes longer than expected.

Commissioners said they will need to determine how the closure affects county employees, including whether employees outside the courthouse would work normally and whether employees whose offices are affected could work remotely.

The issue is expected to return for discussion at the next meeting.

Future window restoration could create similar scheduling issues. Officials said work could affect two offices at a time for approximately two weeks each, prompting commissioners to consider developing a broader policy for courthouse construction-related closures.

 

Additional work considered

Officials also discussed deteriorated brick and structural conditions uncovered near a demolished exterior stairway and concrete near a porch that is being reviewed by structural engineers.

At least one additional change order could result from deterioration discovered after roofing materials were removed. Workers found a wood roof structure suspended several feet above the concrete roof, portions of which had rotted and required repair.

Weather delays could also require an extension of the construction contract.

Despite those issues, project officials said the rehabilitation remains generally on schedule.