Western Specialty Contractors – Charlotte, NC Branch proudly announces it has received a 2023 International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI) Award of Merit in the Special Projects Category for its tower modernization work at Bon Secours St. Francis Downtown Hospital in Greenville, SC.
Charlotte Branch representatives received the award on Oct. 17 during the ICRI 2023 Fall Convention in St. Pete Beach, FL. Western’s Dallas, TX Branch was also honored at the ceremony with an Award of Excellence in the Special Projects Category for its work on the McKinney silos repair and restoration project in McKinney, TX.
ICRI conducts an awards program each year to honor and recognize outstanding projects in the concrete repair industry. Entries are received from around the world, and the winning projects are honored each year at the annual ICRI Awards Banquet at each ICRI Fall Convention.
The Charlotte Branch’s Bon Secours Hospital Tower Modernization project, led by general contractor Vannoy Construction, included general facade repairs, replacement of all punched windows with a new curtainwall system, and metal panel re-cladding of vertical inset areas on the hospital’s 12-story patient tower. The work was completed in 10 vertical phases over a span of two years (12,573 workdays and 100,584 hours).
“While we may have been faced with an extremely tight schedule and multiple unforeseen conditions on this complex project, not the least of which was the COVID global pandemic, our experienced craftsmen always maintained focus, using their unique problem-solving skills to deliver a modern new façade for the hospital,” said Western Assistant Branch Manager Drew Adams. “We are so excited and honored to have our work recognized with this ICRI award.”
Started in January 2021, Western’s work began with the demolition of 11 stories of existing masonry, backup wall system and punched window openings at patient rooms between the masonry tiers (24,350 SF of façade demo with over 500 dumpster swaps). Crews also installed new base flashing around the perimeter of the building, sawcut new full-height vertical expansion joints and provided new lateral anchorage along either side of the joints. Western installed new lintel head flashings above individual tower and penthouse entry doors, with all exterior sealants at the tower wall areas removed and replaced.
At the masonry tiers and north core, Western crews installed new shelf angle flashing at each floor line (an estimated 1.1 miles) and also cleaned, primed and painted any exposed steel.
Western’s scope of work also included:
- Demo and laying of new continuous horizontal soft joints below the shelf angle support at each floor line
- Grinding and pointing all masonry mortar joints (78.6 miles of tuckpointing)
- Installation of supplemental helical lateral ties at 24” on center each way
- Installation of supplemental helical bed joint reinforcement at four-foot on center (2.14 miles)
- Addition of supplemental mechanical lateral support between existing CMU backup walls and existing steel framing from floors 1-6
- Application of a breathable penetrating clear water repellent sealer
- Creation of a vertical cavity seal between masonry tier return walls and the new cladding system at window tier areas inclusive of membrane flashing, preformed silicone and pan flashing
Western completed the project to the satisfaction of the owner in December 2022, and within budget.
For more information about Western Specialty Contractors, visit www.westernspecialtycontractors.com.