Crown Plaza Hotel Repairs Location: Kansas City, Missouri Contractor: S&W Waterproofing Project Manager: Matt Dierks Description: Our featured Special Project for this newsletter is a challenge on many levels (figuratively and literally) and unlike the projects we’ve talked about previously, is still ongoing as you read this. S&W was called in to work on the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Located near the Convention Center at 1301 Wyandotte St, the hotel is a 28-story concrete framed structure with 99 suites and 385 guest rooms, plus other facilities used for business meetings, conferences and more. The property owners asked for our help due to a large number of areas on the building façade where the concrete is deteriorating. Unfortunately, it is deteriorating to the point where the concrete is falling off and creating a safety hazard. Obviously as one of the premiere hotels in the city in the heart of the business and entertainment district, this is a problem. |
We were hired to make the concrete repairs. We’re also replacing sealant around the windows.
We’re performing this work off of hanging scaffolding and we currently have three scaffolds set up, allowing a crew of up to 7 workers when fully utilized. The concrete repairs involve chipping and removal of deteriorated concrete, cleaning and applying corrosion protection to exposed steel reinforcing, and patching back with repair mortar.
The main method being used to patch back is “form and pour” where we attach formwork and fill it with a pourable mix of repair mortar. On smaller repairs we hand patch using trowels. Our original estimate called for over 700 bags of repair mortar needed to complete the job.
The height of the building creates some challenges. Windy days make it unsafe to work and anyone that has lived and worked in the Midwest during the fall and winter months knows that there are always windy days happening – especially 20+ stories up in the air.
Safety is always a primary
concern on any project, but on one like this, it becomes even more paramount. Our technicians work carefully to prevent debris from dropping, using fine mesh netting on the scaffolding to prevent injury to the techs
or people below.
Another challenge is working on a hotel which is in operation. “We can’t just show up at 7am and start making noise like we would on a typical jobsite” says S&W project manager, Matt Dierks. “We have to coordinate with the hotel management on the issue of noise and also where on the building we’re working and what rooms need to be taken out of service.”
The project is expected to be completed in the spring of 2015.
We’re performing this work off of hanging scaffolding and we currently have three scaffolds set up, allowing a crew of up to 7 workers when fully utilized. The concrete repairs involve chipping and removal of deteriorated concrete, cleaning and applying corrosion protection to exposed steel reinforcing, and patching back with repair mortar.
The main method being used to patch back is “form and pour” where we attach formwork and fill it with a pourable mix of repair mortar. On smaller repairs we hand patch using trowels. Our original estimate called for over 700 bags of repair mortar needed to complete the job.
The height of the building creates some challenges. Windy days make it unsafe to work and anyone that has lived and worked in the Midwest during the fall and winter months knows that there are always windy days happening – especially 20+ stories up in the air.
Safety is always a primary
concern on any project, but on one like this, it becomes even more paramount. Our technicians work carefully to prevent debris from dropping, using fine mesh netting on the scaffolding to prevent injury to the techs
or people below.
Another challenge is working on a hotel which is in operation. “We can’t just show up at 7am and start making noise like we would on a typical jobsite” says S&W project manager, Matt Dierks. “We have to coordinate with the hotel management on the issue of noise and also where on the building we’re working and what rooms need to be taken out of service.”
The project is expected to be completed in the spring of 2015.