University of Rhode Island housing officials are closely monitoring a structural crack in Brookside Hall’s north tower, determining the issue is cosmetic and not a safety concern, according to Tim Valton II, associate director of facilities for housing and residence life at URI.
The 15 to 20-foot crack was discovered in early March in a fifth-floor room in the North Tower of Brookside Hall, according to Valton.
A structural engineer confirmed the crack resulted from a fabrication error during construction and does not compromise the building’s structural integrity, according to Valton. The crack is not a load-bearing issue or a result of the building not handling stress.
“It’s more of a fabrication problem or mishandling during installation,” Valton said.
The crack extends from a student’s bedroom through the hallway and will be monitored using a specialized computer system to follow the crack’s progression during the summer, according to Valton.
Brookside Hall was constructed in 2019, and is experiencing typical settlement issues common in new buildings, according to Valton.
“As buildings mature, the weight settles into the ground,” Valton said. “Structural engineers account for this, but you can’t always predict exactly how the ground will settle.”
Brookside officially opened on Feb. 10, 2020, adding an additional 500 beds complete with full kitchens and living rooms giving residents a more apartment-style experience, according to Rhody Today. The construction company that built the residence hall was Bacon Construction Company.
Facilities operations personnel, URI’s structural engineering team and an outside contractor that worked on the construction of the building have examined the crack, according to Valton. They concluded it poses no immediate risk to residents and plan to take the affected room offline during the summer for further investigation.
The discovery comes as URI prepares to expand housing options, with two new apartment-style dormitories scheduled to begin construction in August 2025, adding approximately 900 new beds to campus housing.
The new apartment style dorms will be built across Flagg Road and include minimal parking, avoiding spreading too far into the south side of campus, according to an Oct. 10 Good Five Cent Cigar article.
As of March 26, URI won’t be using the same contractors that built Brookside for the new dorms being built, according to Valton.
Valton mentioned the importance of student reporting in identifying potential issues.
“We’re really thankful the resident reported this crack,” Valton said. “We don’t see these rooms often, so student communication is crucial.”
The university encourages students to submit work orders for structural concerns, with facilities operations typically responding to emergency issues within 24 hours, according to Valton.
“Our goal is always to not have any issues after construction,” Valton said, “but it would be unrealistic to expect a building to be 100% perfect.”
For more information, students can contact URI’s Housing and Residence Life office. Students can report dormitory issues to their Resident Assistant or through the MyHousing portal.
