Dobyns-Bennett’s Malachi Hale (23) goes up for a shot against Farragut’s Carter Mayfield (14) at Buck Van Huss Dome on March 7, 2022 in Kingsport, TN. Photo: Todd Brase
A closeup on the Buck Van Huss Dome roof at Dobyns-Bennett High School Monday afternoon, Aug. 8, 2022. Kingsport City Schools has ceased using the dome because of structural concerns. Taken from the J. Fred Johnson Stadium side.
Dobyns-Bennett’s Buck Van Huss Dome remains off-limits to school use because of potential structural issues.
Kingsport schools have stopped using the Buck Van Huss Dome because of structural concerns. Assistant Superintendent of Administration Andy True said the dome has wooden infrastructure dating back to the construction of Dobyns-Bennett, which started in 1965 and was completed by fall 1967.
Dobyns-Bennett’s Buck Van Huss Dome, shown here during last season’s sectional game against Farragut, has been closed as the roofing structure is undergoing a safety analysis. No. 0 is guard Jonavan Gillespie.
Dr. AndyTrue, Kingsport City Schools assistant superintendent of administration
Reporter
Dobyns-Bennett’s Malachi Hale (23) goes up for a shot against Farragut’s Carter Mayfield (14) at Buck Van Huss Dome on March 7, 2022 in Kingsport, TN. Photo: Todd Brase
A closeup on the Buck Van Huss Dome roof at Dobyns-Bennett High School Monday afternoon, Aug. 8, 2022. Kingsport City Schools has ceased using the dome because of structural concerns. Taken from the J. Fred Johnson Stadium side.
Dobyns-Bennett’s Buck Van Huss Dome remains off-limits to school use because of potential structural issues.
Kingsport schools have stopped using the Buck Van Huss Dome because of structural concerns. Assistant Superintendent of Administration Andy True said the dome has wooden infrastructure dating back to the construction of Dobyns-Bennett, which started in 1965 and was completed by fall 1967.
Dobyns-Bennett’s Buck Van Huss Dome, shown here during last season’s sectional game against Farragut, has been closed as the roofing structure is undergoing a safety analysis. No. 0 is guard Jonavan Gillespie.
KINGSPORT — Renovations to the gym and surrounding areas at the former Sullivan North High School, to be used for this season’s Dobyns-Bennett High School basketball games instead of the D-B dome, are expected to be done by December.
Kingsport City Schools also announced on Friday that bids on part of that work, including seating and other projects not already approved, are to be opened Sept. 14. The Board of Education voted last month to spend $636,100 on heating and cooling in the North gym and adjoining lobby.
Meanwhile, work soon will be underway shoring up D-B’s still-closed Buck Van Huss Dome as a safety precaution, and a more detailed report on its condition from an Idaho-based firm is expected soon. Wise, Virginia-based Thompson & Litton, an architectural and engineering firm, performed an initial assessment.
The dome remains off-limits to school use because of potential structural issues, although as previously reported the classrooms around it, the swimming pool, and auxiliary gym again are being used after they and the dome initially were placed off limits in early August.
KCS closed the dome because of low moisture and low density issues in the more than 50-year-old wooden structure, and the school system is awaiting additional engineering data from the Idaho firm specializing in wooden domes.
“During ongoing review by local and national engineering consultants, Kingsport City Schools is continuing the closure of the Buck Van Huss Dome at Dobyns-Bennett High School while awaiting a final report on the gymnasium’s wooden lamella dome structure,” according to a “Fast Facts” news release Friday morning.
Contingency plans are being pursued to renovate the gymnasium at the former Sullivan North “to prepare the facility for long-term use by the Kingsport community and Kingsport City Schools, as well as for the upcoming Dobyns-Bennett High School basketball season,” the release said.
The release didn’t mention a time frame for how long the dome might be closed, but in approving more than $600,000 for heating and air conditioning upgrades at North last month, school system officials talked about KCS use for three years and Parks and Recreation use in the long run.
“KCS, D-B and city of Kingsport officials believe strongly that Kingsport students and the community deserve a quality facility that will serve both the short- and long-term needs of the Kingsport community,” the release said.
Dr. AndyTrue, Kingsport City Schools assistant superintendent of administration
Assistant Superintendent of Administration Andy True in an interview said plans are for a new gym floor, new lighting, new ceiling tiles and new locker rooms in the gym, a new concessions area and replacing the North letters on bleachers with a solid color. He said the possibility of temporary D-B Indians branding also exists.
The “Fast Facts” include:
• While preparing for a campus-wide roofing project at D-B, KCS had structural testing during Summer 2022 on the wooden lamella dome structure in the dome, started circa 1965 in a building completed in 1967.
”Results of the initial test indicated reduced moisture content and density in the dome’s upper wooden rings. Out of caution while seeking additional information, KCS and Dobyns-Bennett High School closed use of the gymnasium, relocating school and athletic activities to other areas of the D-B campus, the Civic Auditorium, and other locations in Kingsport.”
Physical education classes were moved to the Civic Auditorium adjoining campus, while volleyball practices was moved to a private facility downtown and games to Sevier Middle.
• During the week of Aug. 15, engineers from Dome Technology, “a recognized leader in dome engineering and construction, visited the Dobyns-Bennett campus to physically inspect the dome structure and review the previously collected data. The initial response from the engineers while on-site confirmed the previous decision to stop use of the dome out of an abundance of caution while a final analysis and report was produced. Officials with Kingsport City Schools and Dobyns-Bennett High School expect the final report to be received in the coming days.”
• Although KCS has yet to receive a final report from Dome Technology, “KCS has not received any initial indication that a recommendation to immediately restart activities in the dome is forthcoming. Because of this and to best safely prepare for any upcoming recommendations, KCS has decided to proactively install shoring supports to the dome structure’s upper rings. This shoring is intended to provide an added layer of support while any final resolution is determined and is anticipated to be a component of such scenarios.”
Further, the release said no specific event or incident led to the dome closing, but that testing of the wood before a school-wide roofing project revealed lower-than-optimal moisture content and density in the wood in the three uppermost wooden rings of the dome.
”Once received by KCS, the written report by Dome Technology will provide information that will guide next actions by district and city officials. It is anticipated that this analysis will include a recommendation as to the usage plan for the facility, as well as if potential remediation/repair needs to be explored,” the release said.
TriPride and RISE: Health for Life members attended meeting with signs but could not speak.
The Kingsport City Schools Board of Education will hold a called meeting Tuesday with an amended agenda involving the former Sullivan North High School.
However, areas illuminated by the “lights of the gym” remain off limits, a school system official said.
Physical education classes and other school-related activities are being held during school hours at the auditorium.
The dome itself will remain off-limits for an undetermined time longer.
The school system has stopped using the dome because of structural concerns following an architectural study.
Whether Dobyns-Bennett will get to defend its boys basketball state championship playing home games at the Buck Van Huss Dome remains to be seen.
Votes on bids to refurbish the gym and athletic areas are to be Friday.
Reporter
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