A facelift at Neligh-Oakdale

NELIGH, Neb. — As a person ages, facial muscles sag and wrinkles development. Some people turn to face-lifts to remove these lines.

As a building ages, cracks appear, and that structure just might need a “facade-lift.”

Neligh-Oakdale High School is sporting its new look after receiving a $150,000 “facade-lift” over the summer to repair a large crack that had developed on the exterior walls of the front building.

The school is actually a complex of three buildings that were built in different eras and are connected by walkways.

It was the newest building, constructed in 1965, where the problems arose. The building houses the gymnasium, computer labs, the distance learning room and a science room.

Ron Brandl, superintendent of Neligh-Oakdale Schools, and Larry Rezac, head custodian, spotted the fissure in the building’s facade in May 2008. They kept an eye on it, and over the following months they watched the crack widen considerably.

Brandl contacted a structural engineer, who brought in Thrasher Basement Systems of Omaha. That company took numerous measurements and found that the northwest corner of the building had sunk more than an inch due to unstable footings.

The school contracted Thrasher to fix the problem. Brandl said it was necessary to “stabilize the building to prevent more settling.”

In order to do this, Thrasher dug down to the original footings.

This required the removal of a substantial amount of concrete, including the front entry steps and a sidewalk that hugged the building. When the footings were uncovered, it was discovered that the fill dirt around them was inadequate and had shifted to such an extent that the footings were settling unevenly.

Thrasher stabilized the footings and lifted the building half an inch, but the northwest corner is still a bit lower than the other three corners.

The building has been stabilized, and no more sinking will occur. Thrasher has guaranteed its work for 25 years.

After the footings were stabilized, Don Zegers of Neligh was contracted to install new front stairs and to re-landscape the area around the building. He and Brandl agreed on a new design for the front entrance that incorporates railings and a large open area for gathering.

“Access into the building will be safer because of the railing and wider steps,” Brandl said.

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