Façade Recladding and Window Replacement

Walter P Moore provided emergency response when a piece of concrete fell from an exposed concrete beam at Level 11 of the John Sealy Hospital in 2011. Subsequently, Walter P Moore performed a façade assessment that revealed evidence of distress on all building elevations. We observed displacement and cracking of the brick veneer, displacement on sloped sills, failed sealant, and a moisture control system that was not functioning as designed. Walter P Moore provided schematic repair documents with several recladding and repair options. Before constructing a new facility on the same campus and for economic and manpower reasons, UTMB delayed recladding of the Sealy Hospital for 2-3 years. We developed a structural health monitoring program to help the owner mitigate risk and understand the façade performance during this period prior to recladding. Upon selection and approval of a recladding option – generally consisting of replacement in kind, Walter P Moore assembled a design team to develop the recladding design documents. After submission of the design development drawings, the client changed course and requested additional scope to include new programming needs and window upgrades, floor plate extensions at insets, and integration of a curtain wall similar to the newly constructed UTMB Health Clinical Services Wing and Jennie Sealy Hospital building. Walter P Moore is finalizing the new recladding design and incorporating curtain wall, metal panel, and brick cladding elements.