Station ceilings get close look

Metro managers promised more thorough inspections of subway station ceilings, after a large section collapsed earlier this month at an entrance to the Farragut North station.

Managers blamed faulty installation by a contractor in 1985 for the July 14 collapse that narrowly missed riders. A 24-by-30-foot section came crashing down at the start of the evening rush hour. The fallen section was part of a ceiling made up of wire mesh, wood strips, plaster and concrete.

No one was hurt, and Metro officials said they were lucky, considering the time of day. They said plastic anchors and other materials used at the L Street and Connecticut Avenue NW entrance were not strong enough to support the ceiling.

Engineers re-inspected ceilings in 83 stations and found that 32 locations had plaster drop ceilings. Farragut North was the only one not properly secured, said Paul Gillum, director of plant maintenance. Inspectors also found water damage at the Metro Center and Federal Triangle stations. Officials said the leaks at those stations were being repaired and that neither posed a safety hazard.

Mr. Gillum said Metro would stick with lighter-weight metal drop ceilings at future stations.

“Architecturally, [the plaster] looks a lot better, but you have the potential for a problem because of the weight,” he said.

Structural inspections of stations are conducted annually, and the maintenance division mainly relies on station managers and cleaners to visually inspect and report leaks, falling ceiling tiles and other problems, officials said. There had not been any work on the Farragut North entrance ceiling in years, Mr. Gillum said. He estimated that it last had been inspected nine months ago.

“Instead of being a drop ceiling, it was up against the cement, so there was no way you could get up in there to make sure the anchors were attached properly to the concrete,” Mr. Gillum said.

“Had it been installed properly, it should have stayed up there forever.”

Mr. Gillum defended Metro’s inspection practices. “At your house, how often do you have it looked at?” he asked. “When you put up a ceiling, it’s supposed to be built to specifications so that in theory you’d never worry about it again.”

But he said inspectors now would closely examine the anchors and wiring used to support ceilings during annual checks. In the past, they had looked for obvious signs that a ceiling was falling apart.