Western Specialty Contractors’ historic restoration experience was tested on a recent project to restore the entrance to Xavier Hall at the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Kansas.
The University of Saint Mary is a private Catholic university established in 1870. Located at 4100 S 4th Street on the east side of Saint Mary Hall, Xavier Hall was completed in 1915 and houses a large auditorium used for theatre productions and concerts.
The stone, concrete and brick staircase at the Xavier Hall entrance showed signs of deterioration due to weathering and daily wear and tear. In August 2024, Western Specialty Contractors’ Kansas City Branch was subcontracted by Monarch Build to restore the entrance to Xavier Hall, which included concrete repairs and stone replacement at the upper-level stairs and brick and stone replacement at the lower stairs.
Western’s scope of work included:
- Making full and partial depth repairs to the upper-level topping slab, structural slab and soffits
- Removing and replacing a pair of columns on either side of the upper stairs, as well as three pieces of terra cotta on the Xavier Hall entrance/sign
- Replacing the stone caps and brick infill at the lower stairs
- Performing overhead repairs on beams in the basement below the stairs
- Apply waterproofing to the structural slab
The project’s greatest challenge was ensuring that all the replacement pieces appeared cohesive with the existing materials and matched the age of the building. For example, the lower stair sections and backup walls at the entrance were deteriorated, making it challenging for Western’s craftsmen to determine how to anchor the new stones and re-lay the brick walls supporting the stairs. Western’s experts relied on their extensive knowledge of historic restoration to create solutions to the challenges on site.
“The bidding process was a challenge as well because there were just so many unknowns. Having to assume and qualify multiple aspects of the project and really not knowing what we were getting into until components were removed was interesting and frustrating at first,” said Project Manager Jim O’Flynn. “The structural concrete deck of the patio also posed similar challenges. When we were initially bidding this project, we assumed we would be ripping out the entire stair system and only a little bit of the structural concrete deck. The concrete ended up being so bad that we removed a lot more structural deck than we initially planned on, but the three top courses of stairs were perfectly fine. So, we left the stair units we initially planned on removing and demoed more structural concrete instead.”
After removing the damaged terra cotta and columns, Western’s team also realized that the steel support beam on the underside of the patio was corroded. Through consultation with the project engineer, Western’s crew was able to shore the beam up correctly and make the proper repairs to strengthen the beam.
Before the topping slab and stairs were replaced, Western had to determine where to slope the waterproofing to tie in with the structural deck and prevent water intrusion. The previous deck did not slope, which likely contributed to the deterioration.
Western completed the project on December 12, 2024, on budget, to the owner’s satisfaction.
Have a project you need completed? Contact the Kansas City branch today https://westernspecialtycontractors.com/kansas-city/
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.