AWARD OF MERIT: Strengthening Category

RESORTS INTERNATIONAL CASINO
CONCRETE STRENGTHENING AND REPAIRS FOR THE NEW CONCOURSE

Atlantic City, New Jersey

Submitted by Structural Preservation Systems, Inc.

Resorts International Casino is a twin-tower structure, originally constructed in the 1920s. The owner recently demolished one of the original towers and constructed a new, state-of-the-art hotel tower in its place.

The final phase of the project was to create a concourse between the original and new tower. The differing elevations of the lobbies of the two towers necessitated building the concourse on an incline. This required removing the existing intermediate slab so the concourse could pass through the lower elevation to the higher one. The removal, however, could cause the columns supporting the original building loads to buckle because the new unsupported length doubled. Further challenges to the project included deteriorated structural beams in both a steam tunnel and the Grease Recovery Unit Room.

Because these three areas needed to be repaired and/
or strengthened before the new concourse could be completed, a timely evaluation, repair strategy, and installation process were essential. A variety of strengthening and repair methods were used for the different repairs, including complex shoring systems,
self-consolidating concrete, and a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) system. The casino’s operations also needed to continue uninterrupted.

Crews faced various challenges, including design requirements, limited access, tight working conditions, air quality, and ventilation issues. Despite these challenges, proper safety training and teamwork allowed this complex project to be completed ahead of schedule and on budget.

Owner
Resorts Atlantic City
Atlantic City, New Jersey

Project Engineer/
Designer
Lochsa Engineering
Las Vegas, Nevada

Repair Contractor
Structural Preservation Systems, Inc.
Elkridge, Maryland

Material Suppliers/
Manufacturers
BASF Building Systems
Shakopee, Minnesota

Pernini Corporation
Atlantic City, New Jersey