Repair & Restoration: Projects

University of Virginia - Bice House Dormitory

Charlottesville, Virginia

Bice House is a 12 story dormitory building built in the early 1970’s for nursing student housing. The building was constructed using a reinforced concrete frame clad with brick veneer over light gage steel studs. The original construction lacked adequate expansion joints which led to excessive stresses within the veneer causing cracks and buckling of the brick masonry walls. Also, poor waterproofing features allowed water penetration to the structural steel shelf angles supporting the veneer at each floor and lintel angles over windows and doors.

Subsequently, the steel corroded severely in many places, resulting in expansion which caused additional distress within the masonry. The walls were laterally supported in the original construction by corrugated steel wall ties, which had also suffered from advanced corrosion exacerbated by chloride contamination of the mortar. Due to the alarming nature of these actions which manifested themselves in the form of palpable bulges, large cracks, and stains, WDP was hired to perform a condition assessment to determine the causes and extent of the problems and to make recommendations for remedial action. The findings of the study indicated that complete replacement of the exterior wall system was the most cost effective solution.

During reconstruction, WDP performed construction monitoring tasks including submittal review and site inspection.

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Fred Hartman Bridge

Baytown, Texas

The Fred Hartman Bridge near Baytown, Texas is a 2-1/2 mile (4 km) long-span, cable-stayed bridge, currently one of only two cable-stayed bridges in the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) inventory. The Fred Hartman Bridge opened to service in 1995 crossing the Houston Ship Channel to connect Loop 201 in Baytown with State Highway 225 in LaPorte. The bridge consists of twin decks, each approximately 78 ft (24 m) wide. The main cable-stay unit is 2,475 ft (754 m) long and consists of five spans. The main span length is 1,250 ft (381 m). The cable-stay unit superstructure consists of steel girders, transverse floor beams, and a composite concrete deck. The 192 stay-cables project in a fanned configuration from each side of four diamond shaped concrete towers and attach to the outside edges of the bridge decks.

Large amplitude stay-cable vibrations were observed numerous times shortly after opening the Fred Hartman Bridge, usually during a rain storm with relatively low winds. Approximately 100 welds connecting the steel transition pipes to the superstructure eventually cracked or failed from large amplitude, low cycle fatigue caused by the vibrating cables. The large amplitude vibrations, transition pipe weld failures, and concerns regarding the durability of the stay-cable strands and corrosion protection grout prompted TxDOT to initiate an evaluation and repair of the bridge. These concerns regarding the observed large amplitude vibration of stay cables prompted a review of the in-service performance of the bridge.

The evaluation consisted of several components including a comprehensive design/construction document review, literature review, aerodynamic analysis, dynamic response analysis, component analysis, failure analysis, wind tunnel evaluation, continuous field monitoring, field evaluation of stay tension and damping, and the development of various repair options. The evaluation was performed as a team effort among WDP, TxDOT, and several universities with WDP acting as the overall project manager.

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Church of the Immaculate Conception

Trenton, New Jersey

WDP was asked to perform a building condition assessment of the Church of the Immaculate Conception with particular emphasis on the structural integrity of the roof framing, water infiltration sources, and condition of the stone, mortar, and mortar joints.

The Church was built in 1888 and is an active Church within the Diocese of Trenton.  The historic nature of the project was preserved during the inspection and assessment of the Church and was reflected in the selection of materials used in the repair design documents.

The first stage of the project included structural repairs to ensure safety and stability when subjected to design loads prescribed by the current Building Code.  A structural analysis of the existing roofing system was performed with the assistance of computer analysis software. Repairs to select members were designed as necessary based on the results of this study.

Additional phases of work are scheduled in the near future to address water infiltration and mitigate degradation of the stone walls.

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University of Virginia – Chapel Bell Tower Restoration

Charlottesville, Virginia

WDP was asked to investigate the structural stability of the Chapel Bell Tower with particular emphasis on the condition of the stone, mortar, and mortar joints.

The Chapel was built in 1885 and is registered on the U.S. Department of the Interior’s National Register of Historic Places as a contributing structure in University of Virginia’s Historic District. This historic designation was both recognized and considered by WDP during the inspection and assessment of the Tower as well as in the development of the repair design documents.

As a part of the masonry restoration project, WDP developed repair documents that met with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and the Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring and Reconstructing Historic Buildings. A cleaning process was investigated and specified that removed the efflorescence from the stone without causing any damage to the surface of the stone.

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