Articles and Technical Papers

St. Alphonsus Church: Repair and Spire Installation

Concrete Repair Bulletin, May/June 2009

The repair of capstones and installation of new spires at a landmark church in Baltimore, Maryland.

Corporate Facilities Council Summer Newsletter, August 2009

You realize how important the building envelope is to maintaining a building’s energy efficiency, and the next step is getting help. But how do you know when your building needs attention? And where do you go for trusted advice and solutions? When you’re investing in reducing your building’s energy expenses, you want to be sure you’re making the right decisions.

Electro-Chemical Dewatering System

Structural Engineer, July 2009

For building owners and managers, one of the biggest issues is a damp or moldy basement area resulting from water intrusion through cracked concrete slabs and foundation walls. This is evidenced by the fact that structural engineers are often asked by architects and building owners about the cost to design crack-free concrete structures. Those with experience in concrete repair have found that structural and concrete mix designs must be coupled with exceptional field curing and placement practices in order to achieve “crack-free” or “watertight” concrete.

Church Executive, May 2009

Whether a church is a historic property or a modern facility, it is not immune to problems such as water or air infiltration that may arise with its windows. Many times, decision makers assume replacing the existing windows in their churches is the most economic route. However, numerous factors must be considered before such a decision is made.

Not so ‘shocking' results

Structural Engineer, March 2009

Success with impressed cathodic protection for a National Historic Landmark.

Quorum Magazine, October 2008

Energy efficiency is one of the most pressing concerns for today's property owners. Municipalities are increasingly regulating the energy efficiency of buildings, and owners are becoming more aware of their responsibilities to reduce their buildings' energy consumption. As a result, many property owners are scrambling to do whatever they can to make their buildings more efficient. In the mad rush of updating and making changes, many fail to realize a building system that can have a huge impact on a building's energy efficiency. The building envelope plays a critical role, as it forms the barrier between a building's interior and exterior environments. And with proper management, the building envelope can significantly slash a building's energy demand.

The Florida Preservationist, Fall 2008

Of the components that make up the building envelope, perhaps the most important when determining the source of a problem is the wall system. To function as intended, several factors must be taken into consideration.

School Planning & Management, August 2008

When it comes to aging windows, new replacements don’t always equal a better option. Decision makers must realize that oftentimes repairing or restoring existing windows, rather than replacing with new models, offers the best alternative.

Applicator, Summer 2008

It is inevitable that structures will age and outgrow their original intended function. With changes in technology and lifestyle, construction design is constantly updated to meet modern demands and older structures are left in the wake of change. Those sensitive to history may prefer to restore older structures to their former glory, however, associated costs often make this plan unrealistic. An alternate concept is adaptive reuse - a process of retrofitting buildings for new uses, which allows structures to retain their historic integrity, while providing for the occupants' modern needs.

Identifying Building Envelope Problems

Interface , July 2008

By definition, “envelope” is an encapsulating covering such as an outer shell or membrane. In simple building terms, it consists of the roof, above-grade wall system and the below-grade wall system. An envelope’s purpose is to provide protection from external elements, which, in building construction means protection from moisture, air and temperature ingress and egress.

Revitalization e-Digest, May 2008

About one-mile out from the shore of the Chesapeake Bay stands the nation's last operational screw-pile foundation lighthouse in its original location - Maryland's Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse. The 43-foot-tall lighthouse has withstood the most tremendous weather conditions of the Bay and South River since 1875. Located about four miles from Annapolis, Md., the lighthouse is a beacon of safety for vessels traveling the bay.

The American Institute of Architects, March 2008

Corrosion is present in historic buildings which utilize iron or steel in construction and can cause a variety of failures leading to masonry damage, the loss of original fabric, and even death. Traditional repair techniques can temporarily slow the corrosion process but do not provide a long term solution for corrosion.

Structural Engineer, March 2008

From an engineer’s perspective, mock-ups – detailed, full-scale, site-constructed samples of part of a project – are an important part of today’s construction process. Typically, mock-ups are requested as part of the submittal process in order to verify the contractor’s ability to install a given product in accordance with the specifications but, they also provide the owner with a means of comparison by which to judge the acceptability of the required work.

The Construction Specifier, February 2008

The image of any building constructed with masonry typically conjures thoughts of a structure designed for permanence and durability - a construction so sound that it will last through many decades. After all, masonry structures dating to ancient times still stand tall in many places all over the world. Yet over time, even the most soundly designed and constructed masonry buildings require some attention. Extreme weather conditions and the general effects of time may lead to a need for masonry repair. Or, in some cases, poor building design or construction may be the cause.

Design Cost Data E•News, October 2007

Whether the job calls for rehabilitating a 1920s-era high-rise structure in a city's downtown or restoring a Founding father's estate to its original luster, historic preservation projects call for a great deal of expertise.

Minimizing Risk with Mock-ups

Applicator, Summer 2007

Mock-ups – a detailed, full-scale sample of part of a project to be completed – can be an important part of today’s construction process. Primarily used as part of the submittal process to verify the contractor’s ability to install a given product in accordance with the specifications, they provide the owner with a means of comparison by which to judge the acceptability of the required work.

The Building Envelope (PDF)

Corporate Facilities Council, Spring 2007

From energy-efficiency to indoor air quality, the issues that face today's building owners are increasingly complex. While there is no substitute for getting a design professional involved in diagnosing and fixing a problem in a structure, understanding the exterior components, or the building envelope, will pay dividends in determining the optimal solution.

Concrete, February 2007

Xerox Corporation's 33-story Xerox Square Tower stands high along the Rochester, NY skyline. On 25 September 1998, a mild earthquake created vibrations reaching Rochester.

Concrete Repair Bulletin, January/February 2007

Built in 1888, St. Mark's Church in Catonsville, MD, is a treasured place for many in the community. Generations of families have called the church home and have come to appreciate the rustic charm of the structure.

SWRI, November 2006

In the era of adaptive reuse, owners and developers are opting for massive upgrades to their structures. The most common change of use is likely the adaptation of an apartment building to a condominium.

Why Construction Safety is Important

Facilities Manager, July/August 2006

Today’s owners face a variety of risks when they undertake a construction project. Not only must owners be concerned with potential risks to their employees, tenants, or property, but they must also be concerned about the risks that the contractor bears.

Adaptive Reuse

APTDC Newsletter, Summer 2006

It is inevitable that structures will age and outgrow their originally intended functions. With changes in technology and lifestyle, construction design is constantly updated to meet modern demands, leaving the predecessors in its wake.

High-Rise Repair Challenges

Concrete Engineering International, Summer 2006

Every repair job has its own unique set of challenges. The intricacies found in a high-rise repair project often give contractors little pause.

The Construction Specifier, June 2006

For years, retailers, school districts, church groups and others have benefited from the efficiency, design freedom and economy of integrating structural, glued laminated (glulam) wood beams and trusses into the design of their structures. In addition to offering a natural wood appearance that holds a timeless appeal, glulam beams are specified for their strength and durability.

Concrete Monthly, November 2005

Building settlement and cracked concrete are simple facts of life in construction. However, though all structures experience settling in one fashion or another, the level or degree of the settlement determines whether or not problems will result.

Applicator, Summer 2005

As complex and intricate as the building envelope seems to be, how can you tell if a building envelope is going to have or is already having problems?

Repair of Condominiums

Concrete, June 2005

Concrete comes under attack from both natural and man-made forces almost from the time it is first formed and poured. The relative rate of degradation resulting from these assaults depends on a wide variety of factors of which only some are controllable.

The Business Monthly, February, 2005

While there is no substitute for getting a design professional involved in diagnosing and fixing a problem in a structure, understanding the exterior components - or the building envelope - will pay dividends in determining the optimal solution.

Concrete Constuction, November 2004

Dealing with unexpected job conditions midway through a project is a challenge for any contractor, especially when there's not enough time or money to make the changes. Because of its extensive experience and by using creativity and management skills, Structural Preservation Systems, Inc. (SPS), one of the specialty contractors for Baltimore's historic Hippodrome Theater renovation, was able to meet the challenge head-on.

Encore

Building Design and Construction, April 1, 2004

In Baltimore, ambitious renovation and expansion projects have the spotlights shining anew on three venerable performing arts venues. Timing is everything in the theater and performing arts, as well as in building design and construction.

Concrete Monthly, February 2004

A significant number of facilities in the United States were constructed during the first half of the 20th Century using reinforced or prestressed concrete materials. Now, at the beginning of the next century, many of these buildings have reached the end of their planned service life, and deterioration in the form of steel corrosion, concrete cracking and spalling is frequently observed.

Landmark MSU Smokestack Coming Down

Bozeman Daily Chronicle, May 2003

Working without a net -- but with plenty of safety gear -- two workmen clambered to the top of the Heating Plant smokestack at Montana State University on Wednesday to start tearing down the landmark, brick by brick.

Concrete International, April 2003

When selected by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy to renovate Fallingwater - one of Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous designs - VSL (a post-tensioning contractor) became part of a team focused on saving the ailing structure.

Saving Fallingwater

This Old House Magazine, January/February 2003

Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright"s masterpiece, has been featured on a U.S. postage stamp, on the cover of Time magazine, and in perhaps a shelf-full of coffee table books. Too bad it wasn"t built properly.

Concrete International, October 1, 2002

Late 1997 was marked by an act of mercy, embellished by a touch of irony, as members of the very community who first benefited from the Freedom Tower's benevolence stepped in to save the building. Shortly thereafter, detailed plans were unveiled to turn the Freedom Tower into a living monument to the Cuban struggle for freedom.

Fallingwater, Standing Still

Architecture, September 10, 2002

Inspired as much by the rocky earth as by De Stijl, Bauhaus, and Richard Neutra, Frank Lloyd Wright emerged from a decade of near-dormancy in 1935 to design Fallingwater, a home in rural Mill Run, Pennsylvania. It was worth the wait; the icon of American design would produce what is arguably the most important and recognizable private residence in the world.

ENR, March 25, 2002

First, the leaning tower of Pisa is rescued. Then, Fallingwater – the sagging house of Pennsylvania. Workers are completing a post-tensioning procedure designed to put a stop to the historic sagging of the hallmark-cantilevered portion of the 64-year-old Fallingwater, designed by Frank Lloyd-Wright.

The Business Monthly, March 2002

One of the most well known by architect Frank Lloyd Wright is undergoing a one-of-a-kind overhaul by a Hanover company. Without the structural repairs, Fallingwater would end up in the very steam it was designed to embody.

Civil Engineering, February 2002

The scope of the structural rehabilitation of Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright"s architectural masterpiece in rural western Pennsylvania, has been expanded because of the deteriorated condition of the substructure beneath the floor of the living room.

Southeast Construction Magazine, February 2002

A stately Miami tower, once a beacon of hope for more than a half-million Cuban refugees, inched toward the verge of collapse before its rescue by an immigrant family and team of restoration experts.

The Daily Record, March 9, 2001

Miami's Freedom Tower, a 76-year-old spire of steel and concrete that once heralded Cuban refugees and housed the Miami News & Metropolis, was crumbling and on the brink of collapse before Structural Preservation Systems Inc. restored its walls and foundation, preparing it for another grand use.

Advanced Materials & Composites News, February 19, 2001

The Freedom Tower, a 75-year-old architectural landmark and enduring symbol of resilience in the face of adversity, looms large over Miami's skyline. Built in 1925, the sixteen-story stucco office tower is a prime example of Spanish Renaissance revival style, and is said to be modeled after the Giralda Tower in Seville, Spain.

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