AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: High-Rise Category

HOPKINS HOUSE REPAIR AND PROTECTION

Baltimore, Maryland

Submitted by Structural Preservation Systems

Built in 1968 near Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, the 18-story Hopkins House Apartment Building was designed to have balcony access from all 271 units. A five-level parking garage is connected to the high-rise through a corridor.

Since the building’s original construction, minor repairs had been performed on the high-rise and parking garage. Because of damaging environmental conditions, reinforcing steel corrosion and concrete spalling were prevalent throughout the balconies and parking garage. In 2004, the owner undertook a large rehabilitation project that included:
• Installation of new windows, balcony handrails and divider panels;
• Interior apartment renovations; and
• Renovation of the building entrance.

Because the new balcony handrails and divider panels required anchorage into sound concrete, a structural investigation of the concrete was conducted. There were several locations of visible concrete spalling and cracking of both the parking garage and balcony decks. Many of these cracked locations were visible on the underside of the structures, raising concerns for both public safety and potential property damage.

The owner hired the repair contractor to perform concrete spall and crack repairs. A unique formwork design was developed for the parking garage waffle slab repairs, consisting of customized wood forms and prefabricated fiberglass forms designed to match the dimensions of the existing waffle pan and rib sizes.

In addition to the repairs, the repair contractor also installed a cathodic protection system, protective coating systems, and new drains to protect against future corrosion.

Preplanning was key to the success of this project and many potential pitfalls were avoided by spending extra time planning and gathering information prior to beginning the repair.

Owner
CW Properties Limited
Baltimore, Maryland

Project Engineer/
Designer
Century Engineering, Inc.
Hunt Valley, Maryland

Repair Contractor
Structural Preservation Systems
Elkridge, Maryland

Materials Supplier/
Manufacturer
Vector Corrosion Technologies
Wesley Chapel, Florida

Advanced Polymer Technology
Harmony, Pennsylvania