Ypsilanti Stone Tower Structural Investigation

Spicer Group was hired by the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority to conduct an important structural investigation of a 123-year-old stone water tower located in the City of Ypsilanti. The tower is 147-feet-tall, has a capacity of 250,000 gallons and is made of unique Joliet stone which was quarried in Illinois and known for its yellow color. The tower is one of the most distinguished landmarks of Ypsilanti and known as a symbol of the community. In 1975, it was chosen as one of the few American Water Landmarks in the country by the American Water Works Association. It has also been designated a Historical Civil Engineering Landmark by the Michigan Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

The Stone Tower was constructed by the City of Ypsilanti in 1889 and put in service in 1890. It brings value to the community not only in its use as an elevated water tower, but also as a historic landmark. Spicer Group compiled a history of prior work performed on the tower, performed a structural condition inspection to serve as a baseline, assessed the structural safety of the tower, and recommend any required repairs. The stone tower was in good condition for its age. And at the conclusion of the inspection, Spicer Group’s structural engineers determined the tower to be in structurally good condition. Suggestions for future repairs to fix localized areas where deterioration was starting were also made.