Engineering report: Summit’s tier garage safe for now but roof and waterproofing need immediate work; repairs estimated at $2.91 million

ONS Associates’ chief structural engineer, Suchi Jayasena, told the Summit Common Council that the city’s five‑level tier garage is structurally stable for continued use but that the roof level and traffic‑bearing waterproofing are in deteriorated condition and need prioritized repairs.

Jayasena summarized a visual condition assessment, “chain‑drag” testing and photographic documentation performed by ONS. She said the garage is a roughly 45‑year‑old cast‑in‑place, post‑tensioned concrete structure with a roughly 7‑inch slab on the upper levels and beams spaced about 18 feet on center; the lower on‑grade parking area is asphalt. Her team found the roof level “in very poor condition” with spalls, open tendon pockets, damaged tendons in isolated areas, and ponding where the roof is not sloped to drains. The lower levels were described as in “fair to good” condition.

The firm recommended starting with the roof level to stop ongoing water entry and deterioration, followed by repairs to stairs, parapets, drain piping and isolated beam/column patches. Jayasena told council members the city should remove the…