Western Specialty Contractors – Denver Branch has renovated the concrete entry drive and plaza to Monroe Pointe Condominium’s underground parking garage in Denver, CO. A significant part of the renovation included the installation of a hydronic snow melting system to prevent snow and ice from accumulating on the entry drive and plaza surfaces.

Hydronic systems heat a mixture of water and propylene glycol (anti-freeze) in a centrally located water heater or boiler, which is then pumped through a network of polymer tubing embedded in concrete, asphalt or other types of medium to warm its surface. In cold climates such as Colorado, where snow and ice are prevalent, hydronic systems help to minimize damage to driving surfaces caused by traditional melting chemicals and removal equipment and make driving surfaces safer for tenants.

The Monroe Pointe Condominium Association contracted with Western’s Denver Branch and Martin & Martin Consulting Engineers to perform the work. Built in 2008, the parking garage’s concrete topping slab had passed its useful life. It was spalling, cracking and deteriorating, having been patched with concrete and asphalt multiple times over the years.

The HOA investigated many repair alternatives, which included installing a 3-inch asphalt topping or slurry coating or using precast concrete slabs to replace the deteriorating cast-in-place topping.

“We knew there was a drainage issue with the various landscape islands, so simply covering the old concrete topping slab was doomed to fail even though the old in-slab drains had been replaced. The decision was made to replace the concrete topping slab and install a snow melting system to minimize future damage,” said John Meyer, Denver Branch Project Manager.

Western started the project by removing the existing concrete topping slab and waterproofing membrane on the garage’s main entry drive and plaza. Crews then repaired the structural concrete slab as needed and installed an American Hydrotech 6125 fabric-reinforced waterproofing system, followed by the glycol/hydronic snow melting system, then finally, a new concrete topping slab.

The parking garage plaza and entry ramp are the condo’s only entry point into the parking structure. The necessary repairs and associated closures posed a real challenge for the homeowners and delivery vehicles to access the building. Through creative planning, Western was able to phase the project to allow for continuous garage use and limit the inconvenience to homeowners. Western was able to complete the project on time and within budget.

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. For more information about Western Specialty Contractors, visit https://WesternSpecialtyContractors.com.

For over 50 years, Memorial Park in Houston, Texas, has been divided in half by Memorial Drive and its heavy traffic, but all that has changed. Human and animal traffic now have a seamless and safe way to enjoy both sides of the 1,500-acre park with the construction of a land bridge over recently completed vehicular tunnels.

Western Specialty Contractors – Houston Branch was tasked with waterproofing the project’s two sets of 25-foot-tall, 54-foot-wide concrete traffic tunnels that replace Memorial Drive and provide for land bridges across their tops. In August 2020, the Construction Manager at Risk Tellepsen Builders started moving dirt to facilitate the erection of 300 6-foot wide precast segments that would become the new tunnels.
Waterproofing work started five months later, in January, upon the arrival of the first set of precast panels.

Western's experts applied approximately 160,000 sqft of the specified Bentonite clay waterproofing with drain mat to the tunnels' exterior walls. Bentonite is an absorbent swelling clay that is durable, long-lasting, and environmentally friendly. The waterproofing sequencing followed the installation of the precast panels, and the entire process took about 15 months to complete.

“We are so proud to have been able to play a role in this innovative project for the Memorial Park Conservancy. And while it may have been a small part of this expansive project, waterproofing plays a critical role in maintaining the longevity of concrete structures. The Bentonite clay waterproofing we applied will mitigate the risk of water intrusion and small planting roots from penetrating the tunnel through the soil backfill. Utilizing the right type of waterproofing system is vital to protecting the integrity of these underground tunnels long term,” said Western Specialty Contractors Branch Manager Brian Dolezal.

The two sets of waterproofed tunnels were then each covered with 35-foot-tall dirt mounds that became a land bridge with a network of trails for pedestrians that overlooks the park with views of the city and a greenspace covered with trees and grass for birds and other wildlife.

The new eastbound vehicle tunnels opened to traffic in March 2022, with the westbound tunnels opening in May 2022. The architect on the project was Gunda Corporation, with Walter P. Moore and Henderson Rodgers serving as the structural engineers.

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. For more information about Western Specialty Contractors, visit https://WesternSpecialtyContractors.com.

Western Specialty Contractors – Chicago Concrete Branch recently completed concrete repairs at BMO Harris Bank Center, home to the NHL Chicago Blackhawks’ AHL affiliate Rockford IceHogs.

The multi-purpose arena in Downtown Rockford, IL, was constructed in the late 1970s with an exterior, reinforced concrete concourse on all elevations. A condition assessment of BMO Harris Bank Center conducted by Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE) revealed that the split slab waterproofing on the elevated concourse had passed its useful life resulting in water intrusion into the concrete structure. The moisture caused the internal reinforcement to rust, which in turn caused the concrete to delaminate and spall.

Western Specialty Contractors was contracted by venue management and services company ASM Rockford to complete localized concrete repairs at deteriorated locations on the underside and vertical surfaces of the elevated concourse.

Utilizing scissor lifts, Western’s craftsmen removed the damaged concrete one elevation at a time, then sandblasted and applied a rust-inhibiting coating to all the internal steel reinforcement.

Western then installed supplemental rebar as directed by WJE to replace any severely corroded or missing reinforcement. Due to the structural design of the concourse, a decision was made to use either form-and-pour or shotcrete methods to place new concrete in each repair location. Western’s crew utilized full-height heating enclosures due to cold temperatures to prepare the substrate conditions for the new concrete properly.

The final repair quantities totaled 600 square feet on all four elevations of BMO Harris Bank Center. The project started in October 2022 and was completed in three months, on time and within budget.

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. For more information about Western Specialty Contractors, visit https://WesternSpecialtyContractors.com.