{"id":893556,"date":"2018-02-01T12:46:40","date_gmt":"2018-02-01T19:46:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myconstructionexpert.com\/blog\/?p=893556"},"modified":"2025-12-17T11:45:19","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T18:45:19","slug":"utahs-portable-classrooms-put-kids-risk-engineering-experts-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myconstructionexpert.com\/blog\/utahs-portable-classrooms-put-kids-risk-engineering-experts-say\/","title":{"rendered":"Utah\u2019s Portable Classrooms Put Kids at Risk, Engineering Experts Say"},"content":{"rendered":"

Benjamin Wood | Salt Lake Tribune<\/a> | January 24, 2018<\/p>\n

Civil engineering and architectural groups urge tougher building standards on 100s of units, saying Utah lacks clear rules for anchoring modular classrooms to the ground, potentially putting thousands of students in danger.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Each school day, tens of thousands of Utah children make their way into stand-alone classrooms a stone\u2019s throw from the main campus buildings where their peers study.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Commonly known as \u201cportables,\u201d these modular structures occasionally get moved around, or they remain in place for decades as a low-cost alternative to constructing newer and bigger schools to relieve overcrowding.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

But what, beyond gravity, secures these buildings to the ground?<\/p>\n

\n

That question lacks a clear answer in Utah, with a decentralized network of boards for 132 school districts and 127 charter schools in charge of overseeing structural planning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

And while most of the hundreds of portable school buildings in use in Utah are similar in construction, minimum architectural and engineering requirements that cover them are loosely defined, beyond rules that seismic and soil conditions where they are located be studied.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cThey\u2019re not required to be on a permanent foundation,\u201d said Natalie Grange, an assistant state superintendent for the Utah Board of Education. \u201cWhen they\u2019re installed, they are hooked to the ground in some way that satisfies safety and seismic requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

On Wednesday, leaders of Utah civil and structural engineering groups issued a joint statement urging new, more stringent standards on modular buildings, including portable classrooms and offices.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
When these modulars are used for more than 180 days \u2014 virtually all portable classrooms in Utah are used beyond that timeline \u2014 they should be considered \u201cpermanent\u201d structures and subject to more rigorous structural codes, the professional groups said.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

\u201cUnanchored and\/or unbraced structures intended for occupancy do not meet the provisions of the building code and present a risk to the health and safety of the occupants,\u201d said the statement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Issued Wednesday, the statement is signed by Anthony Schmid, president of the American Society of Civil Engineers Utah Section; Conrad Guymon, chairman of the Utah Section\u2019s Structural Engineering Institute; and Troy Dye, president of the Structural Engineers Association of Utah.<\/p>\n

\n

Matt Roblez, a past president of the the American Society of Civil Engineers Utah Section, said he became concerned about the regulatory ambiguity surrounding construction of portables after inspecting a series of modular units intended for use at Utah schools.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Building codes did not appear to be enforced, Roblez said, but unlike some states, Utah does not have clearly defined requirements or guidance for prefabricated classrooms.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cAt the minimum, Utah schools should adhere to the code more strictly by securing portable classrooms to the ground with use of a permanent footing and foundational system,\u201d Roblez said. \u201cUntil this code can be properly enforced, Utah should write an adopted standard for schools to follow.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Supply and demand<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Salt Lake County\u2019s five school districts operate a combined 604 portable classrooms, according to district spokespeople. The numbers range from a high of 250 portables in the fast-growing Jordan School District to six portables in the comparably small Murray City School District.<\/p>\n

\n

Utah\u2019s two largest school districts, Alpine and Davis, operate 363 and 347 portable classrooms, respectively.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n