Robbinsville – As the emergency repairs to the Robbinsville Elementary School Gymnasium near completion, it has been found that new bleachers will also be needed, on top of the work done on the structure’s floor and walls.
Graham County Schools Assistant Superintendent Robert Moody confirmed that new bleachers were necessitated by damage done to the former bleachers by the floor moving.
However he said that the district’s insurance would cover the bleachers, meaning that the replacement would come at no cost to the school district.
“The old bleachers were damaged enough by the floor shifting that the insurance company agreed to let us get new bleachers,” Moody said.
He said the price tag on new bleachers was approximately $100,000.
“That’s what we don’t have to pay,” Moody said.
Moody said the previous bleachers had not been installed correctly when they were first put in place approximately two decades ago and should not have been bolted to the floor.
“As the floor moved, it moved the bleachers as well – causing them to distort – and that’s how the damage was caused, and pushed against the wall as they bulged out,” Moody pointed out.
Moody also said that some of the other parts of the bleachers had failed, including the motors that extended and retracted them.
In the meantime, he said most of the other work on the gym was complete, with the building being able to serve as a gym and hold events not requiring bleachers likely starting this week.
Moody said there would likely be a long lead time on the new bleachers, an issue faced with many building components during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’ll be glad when we get them and everybody can start using it,” Moody said.
The building was found to not be structurally sound in late spring and was subsequently closed until tests could be completed to find the root cause of the issues. Steel supports were attached to the walls and the floor was replaced, prior to the work on the bleachers.