Western was contacted to review the condition of an existing 500’ long concrete barrier wall at the Federal Reserve Bank in Minneapolis. The structure experienced multiple vertical cracks and various signs of deterioration. Western injected 750 lineal feet of vertical cracks in the concrete structure to essentially “bond” the wall back together to prevent further deterioration. The cracks were prepared for injection by mechanically grinding and surface mounting ports over the existing cracks. The cracks were then buttered with Sikadur 31 gel epoxy and the ports were injected with Sikadur 52 structural epoxy. Once the material had cured, the excess epoxy was ground off and the ports were removed; the structural strength had been restored to the wall. A protective waterproof elastomeric coating was applied over the entire concrete surface to add years of protection and resistance to the elements.
Financial
Commerce Trust Building
From Spring 2004 to Winter 2006, Western Specialty Contractors’ Kansas City branch performed restoration work on the exterior of the Commerce Trust Building at 922 Walnut in downtown Kansas City.
The scope of work included replacement of approximately 250 pieces of deteriorated terra cotta, restoration of the granite facade, restoration and recoating of brick on the north elevation, as well as removal and replacement of the historic clock.
Access to the work was a challenge because of an eight foot cornice at the top of the building. This was overcome by fabricating attachments for the lookouts that allowed access under the cornice. A light weight, air-entrained concrete mix was used to fabricate the terra cotta replacement pieces. After installation, the areas were coated with a high quality elastomeric coating that matched the existing coating. Western also completed approximately 14,000 lineal feet of tuckpointing on the granite facade on the bottom four floors. On the north elevation, craftsmen removed brick to expose corroded shelf angles. The shelf angles were cleaned, coating, and new brick was installed. The existing coating on the north was removed using a paint stripper and recoated with a breathable acrylic coating.
Wells Fargo Place Plaza
The plaza at Wells Fargo Place in St. Paul, MN has undergone years of exposure to harsh Minnesota winters. Western Specialty Contractors was contacted to investigate water issues the plaza planters were experiencing.
Granite capstones and panels were removed to access the planters, concrete foundation and water tests were then per-formed on the leaking planter. There were no indications the foundation was leaking. Western was then contracted to remove a total of 2,500 LF of deteriorated caulking on eight planters and replace 40 broken granite panels throughout the plaza.
Western worked with Zeller to come up with a cost-effective solution to salvage some existing granite panels, and completed epoxy patch repairs for minor damage to 15 planters. Western was able to salvage over half of the existing panels for replacement of smaller panels throughout the plaza.
This project is the first phase of a two year project. The work consisted of the removal and replacement of the new granite panels including caulking all the planter joints, building granite panel replacement, granite epoxy patch repair, stair landing repair, and installation of anti-skateboard protection.
US Bank – Parking Ramp Repair
Twenty years ago, the Minneapolis branch of Western Waterproofing Company coated the parking ramp at the US Bank facility in Bismarck, North Dakota. After years of exposure to harsh winters and daily vehicular use, it was time to recoat the concrete surfaces.
After a thorough review, it was determined that concrete patching along with caulking work was required, followed by the application of a two coat water-proofing membrane.
Through a series of negotia-tions, Western was able to meet the bank’s budget constraints and complete the project in a timely manner.