In January of 2022 we were contacted by board members of the Cortland Rural Cemetery in Cortland, NY with an inquiry directed to our office’s structural engineering discipline. We were asked to review an existing mausoleum structure regarding concerns for its structural integrity and signs of water intrusion. KHH conducted an initial site visit to the C.W. Sanders Mausoleum to observe the existing conditions. Through this assessment it became evident that our office needed to also engage our landscape architectural and civil engineering discipline to assist with the conditions review. Both structural and site restoration measures were needed to ensure the mausoleum’s future integrity.

Built into a hillside, the structure experienced displacement of its heavy granite elements at the entrance face of the mausoleum. Facade movement was determined to be caused by the earth pressures on the exterior granite wing walls. Drainage concerns, minor in nature, were also discovered and determined to be due to hillside hydrology and the aged construction below grade. The timing of the owner's attention to this aged structure, originally built in 1888, was important to avoid substantial repairs "down the road" if left unaddressed.

The solution consisted of supporting the granite wing walls with the proper backup retaining walls set below grade to relieve earth pressure and impacts that had caused the shift of the structure elements. The top of the mausoleum, constructed of solid granite slabs, was provided with a concrete topping slab and waterproofing system along with under drains to alleviate water intrusion through the granite head joints.

The success of the project can be credited to the combination of several entities working purposefully together. The owner should be recognized for addressing the concerns in a timely manner and not ignoring the importance of executing corrective measures that, if ignored, could have developed into a much larger undertaking in years to come. KHH unified our internal disciplines of structural engineering, landscape architecture and civil engineering to achieve the final design of this project. Just as important is the engagement by the Cortland Rural Cemetery of a highly qualified masonry contractor who is familiar with and experienced in mausoleum restoration. That contractor, R. E. Kelley, was tasked with a challenging excavation of the hillside to unearth the buried portion of the mausoleum that needed to be addressed, along with providing skilled tradespeople for specialized restoration work.

This high-profile project of the Cortland Rural Cemetery was important to the owner and its cemetery community, warranting them to work with designers and a contractor who would uphold their expectations. The final product of our restoration efforts is a successful and admired effort by the Cortland Rural Cemetery for all visitors to their sacred property to carry on the legacy of the Sanders family that rests in the mausoleum. Our office was honored to work closely with the owner on this prominent project.

A detailed description of the progress of the project can be found in the Spring 2024 Cortland Rural Cemetery newsletter which can be found here.

For a fascinating deep dive of the person whose name is inscribed above the mausoleum entrance click here.

By Jim D'Aloisio, P.E., LEED AP

Some people think of polyurethane spray foam insulation as a go-to solution – it has a high R-value (conductive thermal insulation) per inch and air barrier properties. However, in our recent forensic engineering work, we have come upon several cases where the use of spray foam insulation has caused thermal envelope, as well as structural, problems.

Case One – A contractor in the North Country installed spray foam between and around existing wood roof joists in an old commercial building. A few years later, a portion of the roof collapsed, and the joists were found to be severely rotted. What transpired in the time between those events was the roof leaked, but the properties of the spray foam prevented detection of the leak (since closed cell spray foam is impermeable to water and water vapor). The wood absorbed the moisture and it spread across the entire roof bay with the spray foam acting like a watertight bathtub.

Case Two - A similar situation occurred in a single-family residence in the Finger Lakes region - a contractor applied spray foam between and around the floor joists, visible from the basement. When a bathroom fixture developed a water leak, the adjacent floor joist became saturated, and the moisture spread throughout the nearby joists and beams, trapped by the spray foam. The floor became structurally compromised by wood rot.

To read another case study and learn the properties that cause the limitations of spray foam click here.

While our office has become adept at identifying and offering solutions to mitigate the structural damages described in the case studies, we would rather see fewer of these cases if it meant that structures were being maintained properly. Contact KHH if you need help identifying the cause and extent of damage to your thermal envelope or structure.