The simple answer is that waterproofing, whether around openings, under decks or in the roofing membrane, is a fraction of a building’s cost, but represents about 90% of potential problems. It’s easy not to think too much about waterproofing…Until something goes wrong. The “out of sight out of mind” mentality is easy on the front …
From time to time on our Florida projects, we run across sand mixed with a high concentration of organic matter. Depending on building loadings, this can be a huge challenge when selecting a foundation system that makes economic sense. Recently on a Florida site, we worked with Hayward Baker to determine if the load characteristics …
While all of our projects are special, a handful standout for one reason or another. The Thomas Jefferson, a 20-story structure completed circa 1929, was once considered among the finest Southern hotels. After closing about 3 decades ago, this beautiful Florentine building sat empty. Through the efforts of many, we are now repurposing the space …
We have been restoring The Lyric Theatre for about 9 months now, with a completion date scheduled at year’s end. To create a state of the art rigging system at the stage fly, we recently installed micropiles. They carry the load of four 65’ columns that are supporting about 25 tons of load individually. Our drilling ranged …
I could have titled this post something like “Remember the Right Steps” just as well. I didn’t do this recently, and it could have cost us. We have a small project of about 3000 sf, a new building on a site where a structure had been for years. I said to myself, “If a building …
We have a project in the works that has potential for soil movement of subgrade because of wet and dry cycles. It may require a post-tensioned slab on grade. We will group the cables and space them throughout a slab, just as we would an elevated slab. After the concrete is poured, but before it …
In the CBD of Birmingham, we’ve been providing Construction Management services for a grand theatre that’s more than 100 years old. With structural analysis of The Lyric Theatre complete, we’ve moved ahead with the restoration of the theatre envelope, including tuck-pointing the exterior masonry and re-roofing the building structure to provide a weather-tight environment for …
In the final stages of a recent project, we discovered that our concrete slabs had elevated moisture content as compared to the specifications required by the desired floor coverings. This persisted in spite of running the HVAC system for 30 days, our standard operating procedure. Was their storm water matriculating through sub grade? Was there a …
Recently, it seems unseasonably cold and wet weather has been affecting our job sites, impacting our concrete and masonry work the most. The question: What are reasonable, cost effective measures to keep things going? Sometimes the most practical approach is to adjust the schedule of the project to align the most resilient time periods with …
We’ve been involved in various types of permeable pavement over the years and recently learned of a new “tool” from the toolbox. Pervious Interlocking Concrete Paver Systems (PICP) can be a great asset for use in sidewalks and lower impact traffic areas. According to this trade organization, a PICP system is comprised of a layer of concrete …
We built our first segmental wall in Charlottesville, Virginia about 20 years ago. I was recently passing through there and saw that the wall is still standing, just as we built it in the early 90s. At the time, the locals called it “the Great Wall of Charlottesville.” It was pretty tall for that time–32 …
Someone once said to me, “Most of the good sites are taken.” While I’m not sure this is exactly true, the last few decades have given us new techniques for “challenging” soils, adding new tools to our toolbox. Previously un-developable sites can now be developed in a cost-effective manner. Over the last few years, we …