Lawsuit filed over structural issues at airport facility

LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) - Court documents are detailing allegations of neglect during a construction project that the Lawton Fort Sill Regional Airport claims led to structural issues in one of its new facilities.

The airport’s governing board has filed the suit against the seven construction companies involved in the construction of the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Building, also known as Station 2.

Five months after the building’s completion in 2020, a firefighter assigned to the airport reported major cracks in the floor and walls.

According to the suit, these issues date back to before the construction began.

Court documents allege that, in 2016, a consulting firm recommended that the soil on-site should be tested, warning that excess moisture could lead to severe cracking or damage.

Documents say the firm also recommended that a specific fill material be used under the building’s foundation.

But the suit claims testing was not sufficiently done prior or during construction - even after a period in 2018 that saw significant rainfall in Lawton.

When the cracks were reported, the original consulting firm reportedly tested the building’s foundation, and found that the fill material used under the slabs did not meet the specifications outlined in their initial report.

Each of the companies named in the suit are accused of breaching contract and negligence by failing to adhere to the 2016 engineering report.

The airport authority is now looking for an excess of $75,000 from each of the businesses for damages.