Sam Houston State University filed a lawsuit against contractor and property developer American Campus Communities and its sister companies for more than $9 million.
The problems that plague Sam Houston Village, a dormitory at SHV, are no secret amongst the SHSU community and were brought before a court on June 10.
SHSU is claiming that damages from ineffective and faulty waterproofing of SHV have cost it millions through repair costs, inability to rent rooms, as well as many other factors.
The construction of SHV began Aug. 15, 2003, and promised that construction would be finished by Aug. 15, 2004, for a quoted maximum price of roughly $15.3 million.
During post-construction inspection, the Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. of engineers, architects and material scientists found suspicious points around the perimeter of SHV leading to the belief that the waterproofing could be faulty.
During the following months and rainy seasons several spots of water leakage arouse leading to cracks in numerous corners of walls.
The seepage and cracks resulted in SHSU having to hire another company to reinforce and re-waterproof the erring walls of SHV.
WJE returned Nov. 23, 2010 to investigate the parking structure at SHV and found multiple cracks in the podiums and columns throughout the foundational structure and concluded them to be caused by forces derived from Hurricane Ike’s winds.
ACC and their sister companies have denied any and all responsibilities for the damages caused by the SHV and faults within it.
They have claimed that all responsibility for any problems resulting from SHV are the responsibility of Capstone Building Corporation; Jaster-Quitanilla & Associates, Inc.; HBC Engineering Inc.;d/b/a Sytems Associates, Inc.; N/K/A Terracon, Inc.; Craycroft Price Architects; Craycroft McElroy Hendryx Architects LLC; CAI, Inc.; and the owners John Thomas Craycroft and Don H. Price.
The case is still on going and hasn’t yet been heard by a jury.
Calls to ACC and SHSU offices were not immediately returned by press time.