With sales spanning more than 120 countries, the world headquarters of Schering Plough Pharmaceutical Company in Kenilworth, N.J. is a busy place, home to more than 1,300 employees. Two parking garages are located near the main building to accommodate the workers. However, the garages both began showing signs of deterioration and Structural Preservation Systems (SPS) was asked to bid on a project for repairing the damage. After the bidding process, not only was SPS awarded a contract to perform the repairs but also to act as the engineer.

Key to success for this project was finding a cost-effective and aesthetically appealing solution. One task included coating the decks with a Neogard waterproofing sealant and the other involved repairing the cracked column supports. SPS has extensive experience with cracked concrete repair and cracked columns. Choosing to place carbon fiber and epoxy resins around the columns was the best option for this particular garage. Carbon fiber essentially creates a shell for the concrete column to rest in. If ever struck by a car or subject to a blast, the carbon fiber protects the internal concrete and keeps the structure above from collapsing. It provides a lasting solution that is attractive and offers long term cost savings.

SPS also put a fireproofing paint over the carbon fiber to satisfy the requirements of the design. Throughout the entire project, SPS worked in phases, one garage at a time, floor by floor, allowing the 75,000-square-foot and 175,000-square-foot garages to stay in use even during construction. The job was completed on time and under budget and a lasting relationship was created between SPS and Schering Plough.