A fact-finding committee reported Wednesday that an improper cement mixture in the King Memorial Commons seems to have led to $40,000 worth of damage.

NIU President John La Tourette said it seems the cement repairs will be covered under a one-year warranty with Alliance Contractors, Woodstock, Ill., who laid the cement.

The first results of the tests reported to the Board of Regents indicate the cement chipping, or “spalling” has most likely occurred because of a lack of air bubbles within it, said committee member Eddie Williams, vice president for Finance and Planning said.

La Tourette said, “Basically, the tests so far show that the mix did not have enough air content. It appears the majority of the problems are due to the mix.”

About 4,000 out of the total 36,000 square feet of cement has spalling damage, Williams said. However, about 8,000 square feet of cement needs to be relaid, because even partially damaged blocks have to be totally replaced, he said.

“The university also looked at the types of de-icers used and what dates they were applied,” Williams said. There were “four or five applications” of de-icers in the mall beginning in December, he said.

Two more test results are expected within the next two or three weeks, at which time the committee will meet again, Williams said.

Committee member Paul Hanley, representative from Perkins and Will architects, said four cement samples were taken from the mall for examination by professionals.

Erlin Hime Associates laboratories, Northbrook, Ill., was hired by NIU to run spectographic tests on the samples of damaged cement.