(St. Louis, MO, Sept. 30, 2020) Western Specialty Contractors proudly announces the appointment of Alex Jeffries of Ballwin, MO as its Safety Director.
Jeffries will be responsible for directing, developing and overseeing the general health and safety policies of the organization, plus ensuring compliance with OSHA and other state, local and industry-specific regulations.
Safety is a top priority at Western Specialty Contractors, which is recognized nationwide for its industry-leading safety ratings.
“Safety will never be compromised for any reason at Western,” said COO Tom Brooks. “Our line of work often requires workers to be hundreds of feet in the air on suspended scaffolds, underground or perched on rooftops, bell towers, or monuments. We work hard to ensure that every employee returns home safely to their families every night. Alex, who is a tremendous asset to our company, has the experience, leadership, and conviction needed to maintain our extremely high standards for safety.”
Jeffries has had a successful 16-year career in construction safety, having previously held the title of Director of Safety at Clayco, Murphy Company, and Haberberger Mechanical; and Safety Engineer at McCarthy Building Companies, all in St. Louis.
He is a member of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSE) and Associated General Contractors (AGC). Jeffries has a Bachelor of Science in Safety Management from Central Missouri State University.
“My goal is to develop systematic processes to collect data and analyze the causes of injuries,” said Jeffries. “I plan to initiate safety initiatives aimed at reducing and preventing injuries on the job, occupational illnesses, and exposure to long-term health hazards. I will also work closely with Western’s regional safety managers across the country to address their specific safety concerns.”
When not at work, Jeffries enjoys spending time with his wife and three sons, hunting and fishing, golfing, and running. He is also a coach to his son’s hockey team, the Kirkwood Stars.
About Western Specialty Contractors
Family-owned and operated for more than 100 years, Western Specialty Contractors is the nation’s largest specialty contractor in masonry and concrete restoration, waterproofing, and specialty roofing. Western offers a nationwide network of expertise that building owners, engineers, architects, and property managers can count on to develop cost-effective, corrective measures that can add years of useful life to a variety of structures including industrial, commercial, healthcare, historic, educational and government buildings, parking structures, and sports stadiums. Western is headquartered in St. Louis, MO with 30 branch offices nationwide and employs more than 1,200 salaried and hourly professionals who offer the best, time-tested techniques and innovative technology.
More than 40 years of exposure to the corrosive seaside environment took a toll on this concrete structure.
Saint Andrew by the Sea Catholic Church—North Padre Island, TX
(St. Louis, MO, Sept. 15, 2020) St. Andrew by the Sea Catholic Church in North Padre Island, Texas is an open-air, concrete pavilion designed in 1973 to resemble the ancient Greek temples that once dotted the Mediterranean shoreline almost 2,000 years ago. One of the only open-air parishes in the world to celebrate mass year-round, the 6,100-square-foot seaside church was deteriorating from decades of exposure to one of the most corrosive environments in the U.S.
The Diocese of Corpus Christi contacted the concrete restoration experts at Western Specialty Contractors – San Antonio, TX Branch to restore the church to its original beauty and integrity and to protect and extend its service life. The church had numerous chips, cracks, and spalls on the concrete pews, under the roof structure, and around repair patches. Every structural beam and column within the pavilion also needed repair, as well as a wooden cross and bell tower at the top of the church. In total, approx. 2,300 square feet of repairs were needed.
Safety, Access and Site Preparation:
Safety was paramount at the site, and considerations were made at every step to ensure the health and safety of all those involved in the project. The pavilion remained closed during the entire construction process and fencing surrounded the perimeter to protect the work zone and limit entry. Custom scaffolding was erected with an elevated “dance floor” platform to provide access to the entire workspace while protecting the floors and pews below. This setup enabled workers to ergonomically perform repair duties to the underside of the roof structure. Proper PPE was required while on-site and measures were taken to adhere to OSHA’s Crystalline Silica Standard which went into effect just before the construction project began. The structure was protected from the outside elements allowing work to continue regardless of weather conditions. Health and safety were considered in the selection of the materials, placement methods, and equipment used. Low-dust repair mortar was selected, dust collection systems with HEPA filters were employed and the use of monopod jackhammers contributed to the comfort and productivity of the crew. All deteriorated/delaminated concrete was identified and marked using a sounding hammer, then extended a minimum of six inches and configured in square or rectangular patterns.
Concrete Spall Repairs:
In cases where the repair area was equal to or less than an inch in thickness, BASF MasterEmaco N 425 vertical and overhead repair mortar was applied by hand. All repair areas were first marked, chipped back to sound concrete with a chipping hammer, and finally, saw cut to square. Additionally, any exposed rebar was ground down to “clean” and if the rebar did not meet ICRI standards it was removed and replaced. BASF Master Protect P 8100 AP, a one-component epoxy primer for rebar, was applied to the steel when exposed to prevent corrosion. Proper bonding of the repair mortar to the existing concrete was ensured by achieving a CSP of 5-6 in the repair area.
Form and Pour Repairs:
As more of the original coating was removed, numerous deeper spalls were exposed. In these cases, both partial and full-depth form and pour methods were utilized. To match the existing decorative concrete, custom forms were created, paying special attention to clean carpentry. Surface preparations were completed in accordance with ICRI Guidelines and careful attention was paid to the proper cleaning, preparation, and quality of the existing rebar. When corrosion was present, the concrete was completely undercut from around the corroded reinforcement to ensure long-term performance, and primer was applied to the rebar. In many cases, the reinforcing steel was placed too shallow (less than 0.75 inches between exposed steel and surrounding concrete), and additional sound concrete had to be removed and the rebar replaced in compliance with ACI standards. BASF MasterEmaco S440, a low-dust, pre-extended, pourable and pumpable, self-consolidating repair mortar, was selected for this repair method.
Crack Repairs and Existing Concrete Repair Patches:
All non-moving cracks were treated with the same methods as the spall repairs, and existing concrete repair patches were removed and retreated properly with either the hand-applied or form and pour method. This method of treating the cracks and redoing the existing patches ensured the lines would not show through, and to mitigate any further corrosion caused by exposed rebar.
Bell Tower and Cross:
Cracks were observed along the exterior faces of the bell tower on the base, walls, and edges. The wood frame was also rotted and corrosion was present along the steel framing at the base. Ultimately, the entire bell tower and cross had to be shored up and rebuilt while kept in place. The Garland Company, Inc. worked with Western to complete the repairs, replacing all the wood wrapping around the cross’ aluminum frame, and applying the texture and coating to match the existing structure.
Texture and Façade Coating:
Because the pavilion had been previously coated with a thick, textured elastomeric coating, and subsequently removed in the marked areas for repair, a challenge then arose to match the existing texture and hide the transitions. After multiple, unsuccessful attempts to match the existing surface texture with acrylic coatings, the unique solution to spray-apply the MasterEmaco N 425 with a hopper gun created the seamless transition from existing surface to repair surface. When a final all-over coating of an elastomeric waterproof coating was applied (BASF MasterProtect EL 750), the structure was additionally protected and appeared flawless. St. Andrew by the Sea Catholic Church has been completely restored to its original glory. Expertise, artistry, and creativity were applied daily during the rehabilitation which resulted in a flawless, gleaming structure the ancient Greeks would be proud of. Western’s full-time crew of six finished the project within nine months.
About Western Specialty Contractors
Family-owned and operated for more than 100 years, Western Specialty Contractors is the nation’s largest specialty contractor in masonry and concrete restoration, waterproofing, and specialty roofing. Western offers a nationwide network of expertise that building owners, engineers, architects, and property managers can count on to develop cost-effective, corrective measures that can add years of useful life to a variety of structures including industrial, commercial, healthcare, historic, educational and government buildings, parking structures, and sports stadiums. Western is headquartered in St. Louis, MO with 30 branch offices nationwide and employs more than 1,200 salaried and hourly professionals who offer the best, time-tested techniques and innovative technology.
Western would like to recognize Kayla Peppenhorst in this month's Employee Spotlight.
Kudos, Kayla—and thank you for being a valued member of the Western team!
Interview with Kayla Peppenhorst
What is your role at Western?
“I am the IT Systems Trainer at Western. I work with my team to implement software that improves efficiency and processes for both the home office and the branch offices. After implementation, I typically travel to the branches and train our employees on how to use the software to its full capabilities.”
What do you like most about Western?
“Western is a family-owned company. The thing I like best about this is the company culture. Here, it feels like people are “family,” not only from people at my office but also from the branch offices. It’s an excellent opportunity to build relationships and friendships with people across the country. I get to know people on a personal level, which makes what I do, that much sweeter. I also like that everyone comes together to support each other across different departments and branches, for the success of the company.”
What are three words to describe Western?
“Three words to describe Western are progressive, welcoming, and collaborative. Western is continually growing in the construction industry, and they welcome all employees. Everyone is friendly and helpful. Western does a great job of planning team events outside of the office to build relationships with others.”
What is your proudest moment at Western?
“My proudest moment was my promotion to the IT Systems Trainer role. I have always had a passion for teaching/training others. After teaching, I started working at Western as an IT Analyst. Eventually, a new position was created, and I was chosen for the IT training role. I’m excited to have the opportunity to travel and work with the branches to educate and collaborate.”
What has been your favorite project at Western?
“My favorite project was moving Viewpoint from our servers here are home office, to the cloud. Many details were crucial to the success of the migration. I enjoyed planning, problem-solving, and discovering discrepancies in the details that needed to be fixed before Go-Live. Being an integral part of this project was rewarding. Our hard work, planning, and testing everything, paid off, making this project successful.”
How did you first learn about Western?
“I learned about Western from a posted IT Analyst position on LinkedIn. I was looking to get back into business after being a high school business/computer teacher for six years. LinkedIn was the first place I looked, and I immediately applied.”
Before working at Western, what was the most unusual or interesting job you've ever had?
“Although not unusual, the most exciting job I had was working as a dietary aid at a nursing home. I was responsible for the dietary restrictions of about forty residents, which wasn’t particularly interesting. However, it was interesting getting to know those residents. I got to hear all the stories they had from the past. They talked about wars they were in, kids, and life lessons, as an eighteen-year-old, it was refreshing to hear about the “old days” first hand from people who grew up in the 1940s.”
What advice do you have for prospective Western candidates?
“Work well with others and be willing to listen and take advice from peers within the company. Western has a lot of employees who have been here for years. They have valid information and experience that will help you as you start your new position.”
What have you gained from Working at Western?
“I have gained a sense of self-efficacy regarding the workplace. This self-awareness helps me showcase my strengths while improving upon my weaknesses, here at Western. This has allowed me to grow as a professional in my position.”
What is on your wish list for the next 10 years with Western?
“With the company growing, in the next ten years, there will probably be a need for more training positions within the IT department. I want to develop training material while becoming the manager of the IT training section of the department.”
What about you? What do you personally enjoy?
“Almost everything I do revolves around some type of sport, whether it is watching or playing. My favorite sport to watch is hockey. I have been a fan for about fifteen years. So far, I have attended games in three NHL cities, St. Louis, Nashville, and Minneapolis. My goal is to add more arenas to that list, including Vancouver. I like playing golf and continuing to improve. I also play in softball and volleyball leagues throughout the year, which are my favorite sports to play.”
I think we can all agree that Kayla Peppenhorst deserves plenty of accolades. Regardless of the complexity of the situation, Kayla never loses her calm bubbly personality and her can-do attitude. Her teaching background serves her well in a new training role and she is doing great. Always willing to take on new challenges, she is eager and always willing to learn. Thanks for all you Kayla! Very well deserved.
Tom Brooks Chief Operating Officer Western Specialty Contractors
