Western Specialty Contractors

Master Craftsmen in Building Envelope Restoration

St. Louis Concrete Restoration

Clayton Police Headquarters/Municipal Facility

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Western Specialty Contractors – St. Louis, MO branches (formerly named Western Waterproofing Company), are earning praise for their role in the LEED Platinum restoration of the Clayton Police Headquarters and Municipal Facility in St. Louis County, Missouri. The project earned 80 out of a possible 110 points to qualify it for LEED Platinum certification through the United States Green Building Council. The project was a joint venture for Western’s St. Louis Masonry Branch and St. Louis Concrete Branch; St. Louis Masonry was contracted to restore the building’s exterior and St. Louis Concrete was contracted to restore the building’s attached, 168-space parking garage.

The Clayton Police Headquarters and Municipal Facility occupies 22,000 square feet of a historic, six-story structure in Downtown Clayton at 10 S. Brentwood Ave. The primary goal of the restoration project was to maintain the building’s historic character while incorporating modern, sustainable technology and design.

Green features of the project included on-site energy generation using the largest, single-site solar array in the state of Missouri; high-efficiency HVAC, lighting and water systems; a refurbished and improved exterior envelope; and a commitment throughout the facility to indoor air quality and environmental controls for all building occupants.

The scope of work for Western’s St. Louis Masonry branch (building’s exterior) included:

  • Tuckpointing
  • Brick replacement
  • Caulking of settlement cracks
  • Removal of efflorescence and stains

The scope of work for Western’s St. Louis Concrete branch (attached, three-level parking garage) included:

  • Partial depth concrete slab repairs
  • Full-depth concrete slab repairs
  • Vertical concrete repairs
  • Overhead ceiling concrete repairs
  • Post-tensioning tendon repairs
  • Installation of a urethane traffic coating

Maintaining proper dust control during both projects was a major challenge for Western and extremely important to preserving the function of the solar panels, which are located on the roof of the parking garage.

“Our biggest hurdle on the project was keeping dust off the panels,” said Western St. Louis Masonry Branch Manager Jason Holtman. “We were told at the beginning of the project that dust would damage the solar panels and we were responsible for protecting them. Our solution was to use shop vacuums while cutting out the mortar. We also utilized a combination of swing stages, pipe scaffolding and aerial lifts to get the job done efficiently.”

The garage’s restoration and maintenance was vital to providing a strong foundation for its rooftop deck where the solar panels are attached.

Work on the parking garage repairs began on the top-level parking deck with the identification of delaminated concrete by chain dragging. With engineer approval, Western crews began removing and repairing the damaged concrete. During the process, Western crews discovered that several post-tension tendons were broken or severely corroded. Western was authorized to shore the structure down to the slab-on-grade level before continuing with the restoration work.

Once the top-level garage repairs were made, Western went on to complete the required deck and overhead repairs as planned, just before the winter set in. Installation of the heavy duty urethane traffic coating membrane to protect the existing structure and the repaired concrete decks was applied the next spring when the weather allowed the work.

The project received its LEED Platinum certification in July, 2014.

Photo credits – The Lawrence Group and Energy Company, Brightergy, Clayton PD’s solar partner

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Lindenwood Stadium

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In the spring of 2011, Western Specialty Contractors’ Concrete Restoration Department joined a team of consultants and contractors tasked with renovating the football stadium at Lindenwood University’s Belleville, IL campus. During this phase of the project, the team utilized Western’s experience to discuss the concrete restoration work on the north and south seating sections, as well as applying a waterproof urethane deck coating upon completion of the concrete repairs. Once the design phase was finalized, Western was contracted by Blanton Construction and Lindenwood University to complete the concrete and deck coating scopes of work. It was scheduled to begin in the spring of 2012.

With a tight overall schedule to complete the work in time for the upcoming football season, the stadium renovation project hit the ground running in the spring of 2012. Blanton Construction served as the Construction Manager for the University; therefore, handling replacement of the playing surface, site improvements, and construction of new buildings. After the existing seating and mounting brackets were removed, Western’s craftsmen completed a sounding survey to identify delaminated concrete areas and mark for repair.

Inclusive of both the north and south seating sections, approximately 800 square feet of both full and partial depth slab repairs were completed in the seating areas and adjacent concrete stairs and nearly 240 square feet of concrete wall was repaired. Due to extensive age and deterioration, the entire back concrete wall of the south seating section was removed, formed, and re-poured with ready mix concrete. Upon completion of the concrete repairs, a waterproof urethane deck coating system manufactured by LymTal International was applied. In addition, the deteriorated expansion joints in both seating sections were removed and replaced with a firerated, silicone-faced compressible expansion joint manufactured by LymTal.

Another mutually successful stadium renovation project completed by Western’s Concrete Restoration Department.

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Edward Jones South Campus

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In 2011, seismic upgrades and structural improvements were taking place all over the St. Louis area. Passersby seemingly couldn’t travel more than a mile without driving passed a bridge being repaired and upgraded with seismic strengthening. The Edward Jones South Campus in St. Louis joined the movement and approved a project to strengthen and upgrade the building’s column to beam at each floor of the 9-story office building. The Concrete Restoration Branch of Western Specialty Contractors was selected to complete the project.

The project included seismic strengthening to approximately 360 concrete column to concrete beam connections at the West Tower’s exterior columns. Access to the strengthening locations proved no easy task, as it required removal of a grid ceiling, removal and relocation of electrical conduits and equipment wiring, and removal of metal stud framing with drywall sheathing in the plenum space above the ceiling grid.

Western’s craftsmen were then able to drill holes into the concrete column, install a saturated carbon fiber reinforcing fabric manufactured by Sika at the underside of the beam, and install a steel angle secured to the column faces with high-strength stainless steel dowels set in an epoxy adhesive. Each column had a different seismic design, thus the number of holes to drill and the number of layers of carbon fiber varied with each column. Overall, our craftsmen drilled over 1,400 holes, in some occasions completely through a 24” thick column, and installed over 7,500 square feet of carbon fiber. The work was completed during off-business hours to minimize the impact on office personnel. Therefore, daily cleanup and demobilization were a must with a high expectation for cleanliness. All interior finishes, utilities, and wiring had to be reinstalled upon completion of the work.

Hilton at the Ballpark

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In 2011, the Hilton at the Ballpark moved forward with St. Louis’ first outside rooftop bar and dining area. In order for the existing rooftop to handle the increased weight from the new amenities and building structures, the strength of the existing rooftop structure needed an upgrade. Installing carbon fiber reinforcing fabric onto the overhead ceiling directly below the addition was an ideal solution, providing for the required strength upgrade without extensive structural modifications. Western Specialty Contractors, Inc. was awarded the task of installing the carbon fiber reinforcing.

This project included installing the carbon fiber reinforcing in a project-specific design consisting of multiple strips of the MBrace Carbon Fiber in various orientations and layers. In all, a quantity of 2,300 square feet of carbon fiber was installed overhead to meet the carbon fiber design.

First, the existing ceiling finish of plaster with a “popcorn” finish had to be removed by light chipping and residual grinding. Independent pull-off testing was completed to evidence proper surface adhesion upon completion of the ceiling finish removal. Next, lines could be snapped to ensure proper placement of the carbon fiber strips and the saturated carbon fiber could be applied and rolled out onto the ceiling. The challenge for this project was coordinating layout and sequencing of the installation with multiple other trades in tight quarters. Daily coordination meetings with other trades was crucial to a timely completion.

1133 Washington Avenue Apartments (Days Inn)

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The three branches of Western Specialty Contractors of Saint Louis; Masonry Restoration, Concrete Restoration, and Roofing were involved in a unique project to roof and restore the old Days Inn Hotel in the Downtown area. The building was constructed in the early 1960s. It had experienced several decades of exposure to the elements and heavy use. For a number of years, the building was vacant and neglected.

Over the past 20 years, the Saint Louis Downtown area has undergone extensive revitalization. Many of the older buildings have been converted into residential living spaces. Such is the case with the Days Inn. Plans were formulated to convert it into a new apartment/condo building. Klitzing Welsh Associates was selected as the architect and EM Harris, the general contractor. As mentioned, the three Western Waterproofing branches were chosen for roofing, facade, and concrete restoration.

Roofing
One of the first items to be addressed was the replacement of the old built up roofing system on the main roof and third floor elevation. The canopy roofs on the first floor also had to be addressed. Once the old roof assembly was removed, new insulation board was installed. A white Carlisle fully adhered 60 mil TPO roofing membrane was chosen for the replacement system. The white sheet will aid in future energy savings because of its reflectability. The first floor canopy roofs were covered with the same system. A total of 14,500 square feet of new roofing was installed.

Facade Restoration
The building’s exterior facade was in need of an extensive face lift. Western’s masonry restoration branch had several major items to address. Three swing stages were utilized to accomplish most of those tasks. Included in the masonry restoration were the following items:

  • 16,400 square feet of pointing and cleaning, followed by priming and the application of two coats of elastomeric coating.
  • Damaged concrete floor sills and columns were patched. All exposed concrete surfaces were then primed and coated, not just those areas that were repaired.
  • A minimal amount of new brick and block work was completed. (Closing in doors and windows and building some new partitions.)
  • More than 1,000 2’ x 3’ granite panels were installed over the existing facade on the south and west elevations. New shelf angles were installed at each floor to help support the weight of the new panels.
  • The joints between the granite panels (5,600 lineal feet) were caulked and metal closure strips were installed at the top of the granite facade and at some end locations.

Parking Garage Restoration
A three-level parking garage – one exposed top deck and two lower levels are located beneath the hotel. Exposure to moisture, road salt, and lack of maintenance had caused extensive concrete deterioration throughout the structure. An intrusive restoration program was required.

A great deal of deteriorated concrete had to be removed. The entire garage was shored from the bottom level up. Work began on the top level of the garage so that restoration could continue on the two lower levels during the winter months.

The top level of the garage covers 6,000 square feet. More than 4,500 square feet of old concrete had to be repaired, including full depth replacement over the entrance ramp. Once the repairs were completed and the new concrete placed, the slab was waterproofed with a Carlisle “hot applied” membrane system.

The lower levels of the garage suffered extensive damage, both overhead and on the floor slabs. More than 18,000 square feet of concrete had to be repaired or replaced. New 5,000 PSI concrete was used as the replacement material. New reinforcing steel was added as required. Gunite, air placed concrete, was utilized for beam and column repairs. To protect the slabs against future moisture and chloride attach, a heavy duty Iso-Flex vehicular deck coating system was installed on the lower levels.

Western’s portion of the project lasted 12 months. The three Western branches are proud of their work on this “new” downtown building.

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