$1.2 Million Approved To Fix UW Bricks

A $1.2 million project to keep unsuspecting pedestrians from being clonked on the head by falling bricks has been approved by the University of Washington Board of Regents.

The panel voted Friday to approve a plan to repair and strengthen the brick facades on the Atmospheric Sciences Building, one of nine that were built in the same style in the 1970s.

Techniques for binding bricks to the poured concrete walls were not well-developed at the time, and water seepage has caused cracks and weakened the structure of the facade, said Connie Miller, assistant vice president of capital projects at the school.

The work will be done on the other eight buildings as money becomes available, officials said.