By Camerron Martin
In the fall of 2015 the General Classroom Building was opened on the western side of the Colorado State University Pueblo Campus and with it came a new environment for faculty and students to teach and learn.
The GCB has sat vacant for a good while now this semester. The building was subject to a fire that naturally caused the buildings fire suppression systems to activate which in return caused a list of damages. While the fire itself was reportedly smaller and dispatched of rather quickly, it still caused a portion of the total damages through the fire itself and the smoke residue. However, despite the fire being the major threat to the property the smoke and burn damage and contaminations were a smaller percent of the entire problem.
Once the GCB’s suppression system began its process, the building’s sprinkler system dispensed water that time had not not been very kind to. The old water that had been present in the building’s pipelines since its early years of life did contain the fire, but it also caused more damage in the end than the fire itself. When fire sprinkler systems are left unchecked for long periods of time they run the risk of encountering an array of problems. Rust and corrosion buildup over time and cause the stagnant water within them to become murky and gray which can cause internal damage to the system itself such as causing leaks in the pipes, but should the system kick on that bad water will cause damage to the site as well. The sprinkler heads in these systems dispense water that is highly pressurized which on its own can cause damages in some cases, but in others such as with the GCB where the water is already contaminated in some way the damages from possible flooding or structure damage is increased due to the negative contents of the water such as mold buildup or other bacterias.
As a result of these damages the GCB has been closed for repairs; however, for many individuals on campus there are still important and personal belongings that were left in the building during the incident that many have not been allowed to go back and retrieve until the building is hopefully soon to be deemed safe again.
