Cathedral of St. John the Baptist Renovations

The Client

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston. The Diocese owns and manages several churches and catholic schools in South Carolina.

The Challenge

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston commenced a large renovation project of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. The renovations included interior plaster repair and replacement, interior lighting and audio upgrades and various other interior upgrades. Prior to these repairs, GEL was contracted to perform an asbestos assessment of the interior plaster system and collect pre-renovation lead wipes of various surfaces throughout the area of renovation.

GEL Engineering Services Provided

GEL provided South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) licensed asbestos building inspectors to first assess the interior plaster system and determine if the material would be deemed an Asbestos-Containing Material (ACM) per the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) asbestos regulation. After completion of the assessment, and return of the laboratory analytical results, GEL determined that various areas of the existing plaster system were ACMs. Due to this determination, GEL provided asbestos and lead air monitoring services during the abatement of the asbestos containing plaster systems. The lead air monitoring was performed in accordance with the cathedral's age of construction and likelihood of the paint covering the plaster to contain lead. In addition to monitoring for asbestos and lead in the air during the abatement activities, GEL provided oversight to the abatement to ensure all SCDHEC regulations were being followed and implemented.

After the completion of the abatement activities, GEL performed clearance air and surface (lead only) sampling for both asbestos and lead. All areas passed the clearance criteria, and the plaster restoration, lighting and audio companies were able to begin their necessary repairs and upgrades.

The Result

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist reopened on August 1, 2020, and is a stunning visual and audio experience that everyone should experience in Charleston, South Carolina.