Students walking across Maucker Union’s rooftop may have noticed some uneasy square pavers when entering the building through the double doors by the Center for Multicultural Education entrance. 

Some of these square pavers are minutely loose. However, there are a few that cave in at the slightest touch. Mike Zwanziger, director of the physical plant, explained why the pavers were loose in an email correspondence.

The pavers, which were installed about 20 years ago, are supported by pedestals at each corner, according to Zwanziger. But neither the pedestals nor the pavers are permanently attached to the structure of Maucker Union for the building’s safety.

“Attaching the pedestals to the structure would create hundreds of penetrations and leak opportunities,” Zwanziger said. “Connecting them to the pavers limits access to the roof to clear drain clogs or make repairs to the roof when a leak does occur.”

In order to fix parts of the rooftop, Zwanziger said the areas are “being addressed.”

The physical plant isn’t the only authority addressing these issues though. Lisa Kratz, director of Maucker Union, said she and the Facilities Planning staff are currently hashing out a plan for a more comprehensive solution to be worked on over the summer. 

There are no estimated costs as of now.

“We are still in the preliminary stages as far as what we need to do,” Kratz said.

Funding the project will come from the Maucker Union Improvement Fund. This fund is stipend from all revenue generated within Maucker Union, said Kratz. 

Kratz explained this revenue goes towards updating parts of Maucker, such as the newly-constructed Student Involvement Center.

“Just like all building systems, all roofs require regular attention,” Kratz said. “ This is for preventative maintenance and to address problems like leaks and the issue [of broken or loose pavers].”

Because the Maucker rooftop iallows for pedestrian access as well as other activities, the resulting vibrations cause the pedestals to move, which creates loose pavers, as their support is not in the optimal location, said Zwanziger.

As far as injuries go, Zwanziger said there have been no serious injuries as a result of these pavers. Jenny Murphy, secretary at the CME said no one has complained about the loose pavers.