SUPERSTRUCTURES Engineers + Architects

HABITAT'S PROBLEM SOLVED! How a Manhattan co-op saved $3.1 million on facade repairs through strategic engineering ?? A fascinating case study from 160 West End Avenue: When their initial facade inspection recommended a $4M repair project for masonry ties, the board sought a second opinion. Through advanced investigation techniques including borescope surveys and pulse dive technology, SUPERSTRUCTURES Engineers + Architects discovered that a targeted approach would suffice. Listen on your favorite podcast platform or download here: https://lnkd.in/eSkXxRRM

This 15-story student residence was built in 1987. At more than 30 years old, its roofs and terraces were leaking and required replacement. The existing roof insulation conformed with 1987 NYC code requirements, but its thickness was minimal. The updated NYC energy code mandated a minimum insulation value of R-30 over the entire surface of any new roof installation. The thickness of conventional insulation required to achieve R-30 would have raised the new roof surface above the level of existing skylights, parapet flashings, door sills, and AC equipment, requiring reconstruction, replacement, or relocation of these significant components. The client also required a rapid construction turnaround of only ten days. Instead of using conventional insulation to achieve R-30, SUPERSTRUCTURES researched, and ultimately specified, Vacuum Insulated Panels (VIPs). VIP technology capitalizes on the excellent insulating value of a perfect vacuum (like outer space) that provides no medium through which heat can be transferred. VIPs are rigid panels with a microporous core which is evacuated, encased, and sealed in a gas-tight envelope. A 1.57-inch-thick VIP provides the same R-value (35) as six inches of conventional insulation. SUPERSTRUCTURES thus became the first firm in New York City to specify VIPs for this roof restoration project. By specifying a continuous layer of VIPs below the roof membrane, we were able to achieve the code-mandated R-value (and then some). By avoiding disturbance of the existing roof components, we cut the cost of roof replacement for the twelve setback roofs in half, saving $250,000.?And the project was completed within the client’s ten-day schedule. #dormitory #roofing #hightech

Members of our team participated in the 42nd annual SIAEA* New York gala at Pier 60 on November 9th. SUPERSTRUCTURES was a sponsor of the event. Shown here (L to R) are: Vikrant Patel, Edwin Varghese, PE, Nimesh Shah, PE, and Niraj Rawal. The gala is always a highlight of the year for us. Congratulations to all the event’s honorees and scholarship recipients! * SIAEA is the Society of Indo-American Engineers and Architects. Established in 1981, the Society’s mission is to organize and unite in fellowship engineering and architectural professionals of Indian origin based in and around NYC as one organization and one voice. The SIAEA fights strenuously to break down social and economic barriers which once marginalized Indian-American professionals, enabling its members and non-members to excel within NYC’s thriving Engineering and Architectural industry. #siaea #gala #team

What’s the difference between a portico and a sidewalk shed? At the end of the day, it’s permanence. Bologna, Italy is famous for its stately porticoes (38 miles worth) and is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. New York City’s utilitarian equivalent—sidewalk sheds—are similar in that both are sheltering, street-level spaces for pedestrians.?But the similarity ends there.?NYC has 400 miles of sidewalk shed, and they definitely don’t place us in contention for UNESCO designation. SUPERSTRUCTURES applauds NYC’s “Get Sheds Down” initiative and its goal of minimizing the intrusion of sidewalk sheds. Our systematic approach to facade inspection and restoration (with our emphasis on pre-construction preparation) offers the potential to get each project completed, scaffolding dismantled, and the sidewalk unobstructed as rapidly as possible. We also strive to keep building owners informed on the latest requirements of New York’s?Facade Inspection Safety Program (FISP)?aka Local Law 11, to help them stay ahead of the inspection curve, keeping the need for long-term sheds in check. Sidewalk shed solutions like Urban Umbrella’s (above) attempt to turn a bug into a feature, but they’re not likely to rival the experience of sipping a Negroni in the shade of Bologna’s historic porticoes. #portico #sidewalkshed #restoration

The brick veneer of this 1960s, 30-story coop exhibited cracks, spalls, and displacement. The board had retained a consultant who recommended installation of almost 70,000 post-installed helical veneer anchors at an estimated cost of $1.6 million. Their recommendation reflexively followed code-mandated anchor spacing over 100% of the facade. SUPERSTRUCTURES was retained to perform an independent study. Via three 30-story drops, we performed non-destructive scanning to detect the presence of existing metal anchors. We followed up with minimally invasive probes at representative locations to validate the results of our initial scan and to visually evaluate the condition of the concealed anchors. Based on our investigation, we concluded that anchors were required only in select locations, under certain conditions. We established criteria by which these locations were determined. Ultimately, only?10,000 anchors were required to secure the facade, at a cost of $400,000. In addition to the anchors, other repairs were performed at discrete locations, as shown in the photos. #facades #restoration #savings

The “zipper” installation in Milan by British artist, Alex Chinneck and SITE’s postmodern facades for Best Products have been engineered to appear to be failing on a monumental scale. SUPERSTRUCTURES’ practice, on the other hand, focuses on restoring facades and the structure that supports them.?Our decades of experience, talented team, and tight construction documents have made us the leading NYC E/A firm focused on “skin and skeleton.” While we appreciate the ingenuity required to safely detail architectural “follies” like these, we prefer the appearance of the projects we feature on our website. (Of course, NYC’s LL11 doesn’t apply to these buildings—they’re less than seven stories tall, and they’re not located in the city) #facades #restoration #safety

Why feature our work as Engineers and Architects on the Towers at CCNY? The project is a good example of our maxim, “fix, then file.” ? The building is a ten-story dormitory with a concrete frame clad in a thin brick veneer. The veneer was deteriorating, and expansion joints and sealants were failing. ? City College recognized that it made sense to have SUPERSTRUCTURES address these conditions before filing a FISP report. That way, they were confident that the report would be a formality rather than a rude awakening. ? SUPERSTRUCTURES’ team performed a comprehensive physical inspection from suspended scaffolding, produced a restoration design, and provided construction administration. Restoration work included: face brick replacement and repointing; concrete crack repair; concrete coating; stone crack injection repairs; expansion and sealant joint restoration; and localized roof membrane repairs. ? Thanks to CCNY and William K Construction of NY, LLC. #restoration #college #masonry

Here’s a haunting challenge: Can you check all the boxes containing gargoyles? Actually, it’s a trick (or treat) question… First, you’d need to know what makes a gargoyle a gargoyle. While the term is often applied to any type of fantastic figure adorning a building, there’s an important caveat: gargoyles serve as downspouts, while grotesques don’t. Originally, gargoyles functioned as decorative disguises for roof drainage, directing water away from facades like that of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Gargoyles and grotesques also served as part of a dense decorative program meant to instruct—and terrify—the illiterate masses. In our work restoring New York’s buildings, we’ve encountered many gargoyles and grotesques—surprising and sinister figures glaring down from parapets and facades. They menace (or occasionally welcome) our team with leering looks wrought in terra cotta and stone. And not just on Halloween, but every day of the year. HAPPY HALLOWEEN! *The top left (from City College’s Compton-Goethals Hall) and bottom right (from Sheffield-Sterling-Strathcona Hall, Yale University) images are proper gargoyles. #halloween #gargoyles #grotesques

Recently, the Alexander Hamilton US Custom House saw its first pour of self-consolidating concrete (SCC). The century-old masonry apron in the building’s subcellar is being restored with the application of new waterproofing, as part of a $55 million restoration of the landmark building. The apron wall functions as a downward counterweight to the pressure slab below, resisting uplift from ground water pressure. The wall, including embedded steel members, exhibited extensive corrosion and exfoliation. In the underpinning approach devised by SUPERSTRUCTURES, the masonry mass is being replaced in a specific sequence, leaving three bays intact between the bays being restored. The owner (the General Services Administration or GSA) has prioritized the procurement of American-made, low-embodied-carbon concrete, steel, and asphalt. The goal is to minimize embodied carbon in the manufacture of the reinforced concrete while promoting cleaner American manufacturing supply chains. SUPERSTRUCTURES is the Engineer of Record, Pullman is the subcontractor performing work under Consigli, and Turner & Townsend Heery is the Construction Manager acting as Advisor for this project. Photos (clockwise from top R): concrete truck outside the Custom House; deteriorated subcellar walls; and pouring self-consolidating concrete. #landmarks #federalbuildings #concrete #restoration

Here’s a handy mantra for anyone facing a FISP* filing: “Fix, then file.” In other words: if you attend to the condition of your building’s envelope regularly, then periodic filing of a FISP report becomes a formality—rather than a rude awakening. If you own a car, you know that it requires regular maintenance—more than just taking it in when it’s due for a state inspection. Complying with FISP should also be a continuous, strategic process of keeping your building’s facade in good repair. FISP filing should be part of a strategy rather than a commodity that’s only sought during each five-year cycle. We’ve been performing mandated exterior wall inspections throughout New York City since the inception of the first facade inspection ordinance (Local Law 10 of 1980).?Our experienced architects and engineers, including 15 Qualified Exterior Wall Inspectors (QEWIs), can help you navigate and comply with FISP: investigating the condition of your building’s facade, specifying, and completing necessary restoration work, and managing required filings—to keep you ahead of the curve. *New York’s Facade Inspection & Safety Program #FacadeInspection #restoration