The independent engineer inspecting various areas of the Scarborough High School project found no major problems with the school’s construction in a final review last week.

Po-Shang Chen, of C and C Consulting, a Boston-based engineering company that was hired by the town for the review, found no problems with the foundation or the bolts on two columns inside the building.

Chen flagged those areas during his initial review because there was not enough information for him to make a determination about their quality. In order to get more information, including letting him inspect the areas, the district had to dig them up.

He had previously recommended the district get long-term insurance in case of future problems with the building. Norm Justice, district facilities manager and owner’s representative, said he believes the schools no longer need insurance because the information gathered during the latest review has satisfied Chen.

The first area of question was the foundation, which was reported to have numerous hairline cracks. It was unclear how many or how large the cracks were because they were not detailed in any construction documents.

In order for Chen to sign off on the foundation, the district excavated about 30 feet of the foundation in two areas to let him inspect and measure the cracks. The cost of that excavation and restoration, and other work associated with the inspection, has not yet been calculated, Justice said.

According to Justice, the hairline cracks were normal with the construction process and Chen approved the foundation.

The second area in question was the welding done to two base plates. Both of these areas had to be dug up for further review. One of the columns did not contain any problems and was installed exactly to the manufacturer’s specifications.

On the second column Chen required that some additional support be welded onto the base because it had not been done as specified in construction documents. After the repair was completed, Chen accepted the column.

The final area of debate is an anchor bolt that was bent during installation of one column. It is unclear if the type of metal used for the bolt can withstand the bending and tests will be conducted on a similar bolt to determine its strength. The results are expected in a week or so, Justice said.

The Scarborough Code Enforcement Department required the final review before it would issue an occupancy permit for the new gymnasium, even though none of the areas in question were in that portion of the building. The town has issued a temporary occupancy permit until the problems are repaired.

These are the final areas of question in C and C’s report. Five of the areas reviewed were found to be acceptable. Two other areas were found to be slightly inconsistent with construction documents or building codes, but Chen said that they would have little or no impact on the building’s structural integrity.

At this point the school is cautiously optimistic that all the issues surrounding the project have been answered.

“Who knows,” Justice said. “We’re hoping it’s done, but really it’s up to Code (Enforcement).”

Po-Chang Chen, president of C and C Consulting, the company performing an engineering review of the high school, investigates a portion of the foundation last Wednesday.