A Tale of Collaboration: Terra Cotta Restoration of Fort Worth’s First Skyscraper

Built in 1914, the Burk Burnett Building was the first “skyscraper” constructed in Fort Worth, Texas. The twelve-story terra cotta and brick cladded building stands as an iconic piece of architecture in the famous Sundance Square. However, a piece of the terra cotta cladding unexpectedly fell from the building which triggered an emergency safety assessment and installation of overhead protection in late 2018. The initial evaluation revealed critical areas of instability, prompting the removal and storage of damaged terra cotta units and the develop of repair documents. After a three-year hiatus, the building was re-evaluated via drone survey in 2022 prior to the start of construction in 2023. Over the 14-month construction period, Walter P Moore meticulously oversaw the repair process and continued to find areas of deterioration requiring investigation and repair. Through periodic reviews and diligent monitoring, Walter P Moore ensured each repair adhered to the highest standard, safeguarding Burk Burnett’s historic charm and structural integrity. This presentation will discuss the emergency response, the evaluation and reevaluation, the engineered design and detailing of the repair effort, and the joint effort of the engineer and general contractor during construction that played a key role in the overall success of the project.

• Describe the emergency response procedure and risk to public safety resulting from a specific building facade failure.
• Identity and define assessment methods used to initially evaluate facade and re-evaluation techniques.
• Analyze the “hands-on” approach to construction administration.

This session has been approved for 1.0 IIBEC CEH. | This session has been approved for 1.0 AIA LU Elective.