A methane gas leak may be the cause of the explosion that occurred Sunday afternoon at the University's Highway Research Council Building.
State fire investigators located a gas leak away from the building, said Ralph O. Allen, director of the Department of Environmental Health and Safety.
Allen said the gas leak may have come into the building through a sewer line.
There was "little in the room that may be able to explode," so the gas leak would be the most probable conclusion for the cause of the explosion, he said.
He added that when the leak was repaired the gas was gone.
The explosion, which occurred at 4:00 p.m., blasted through a cinder-block interior wall and forced it to fall into the adjacent hall.
The explosion did not create a fire, but additional damage occurred when light fixtures and windows in the building broke.
Allen said he was not sure of what the total cost to repair the building will be, but a previous estimate put the cost at $250,000.
"Some cleanup has been done," he said. "We will look rather carefully to avoid having this happen again."
University Police have also been involved in investigating the case.
The explosion set off a motion sensor in the building, prompting police to respond to a possible intruder.
Upon finding evidence of the explosion, police contacted the fire department.
Police believe the explosion was not intentional, although the incident is still under investigation, Sgt. Cassandra Carter said.
Police have said there was no evidence to suggest a break-in.
The University leases the building, which is located on Edgemont Road off Alderman Road, to the Virginia Department of Transportation.
The Department had been using the building to investigate the effects of time and weathering on concrete.
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