Biblioteca Mariana Suárez de Longo

Ponce, Puerto Rico

FEMA Funded Post-Hurricane Repair & Mitigation Project

The Mariana Suarez de Longo Library suffered extensive damage due to winds and water infiltration during the crossing of Hurricane Maria through Puerto Rico in September 2017. Some repairs were conducted post-event by municipal government personnel and private contractors. The long lasting effects of a compromised standing seam roof, resulting from the wind uplift and allowing for continuous infiltration of water, impacted all elements related to ceilings, flooring and interior finishes in general. The scope of the damages was not readily evident to the MAP personnel conducting the first inspections and preparing a preliminary Damage Description and Dimensions document (DDD) for an official FEMA claim. The Autonomous Municipality of Ponce engaged the services of Ayala Rubio Arquitectura to prepare an Initial Task Report in order to assist in the definition of a detailed Scope of Work and the submittal of a final DDD. 

The original list of damages and project cost estimate does not compare with the estimate resulting from our evaluation, surpassing two million dollars in damages, not including A/E, testing and permitting expenses. This result is expected, as the evaluation conducted by MAP personnel was carried out shortly after the hurricane, during a period when MAP personnel was dealing with an extremely difficult situation, hurrying to cover a lot of ground in a short period of time and without the needed resources. The Initial Task Report was completed following MAP guidelines, producing a detailed list of damages documented through reference drawings, photographs and a detailed estimate of construction cost. The analysis of the project covers site, building shell, building interior, structure, electrical systems, mechanical systems, cultural and historic preservation issues, schedule, and construction and development cost. Concerns such as mitigation and resilience are also addressed. 

The Mariana Suarez de Longo Library is a relatively recent project, completed in 2006. The construction code implemented during the design phase was the UBC 1996, which is similar but not as demanding the current ICC Codes recently adopted in Puerto Rico. Thus, the project requires that several life safety and MEP improvements are implemented. Our evaluation also considered various improvements related to sustainability and resiliency. Some of the components that require attention are part of integrated systems and need to be addressed as such. Some systems were found to be non-functional and render the facilities unsafe.

THIS PROJECT IS CURRENTLY BEING REVIEWED BY FEMA FOR THE APPROVAL OF FUNDS THROUGH THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.