Landover, MD
National Park Service, Warehouse
Scope/Solutions
The General Services Administration leased warehouse space to the National Park Service (NPS) to house rare and valuable national artifacts, along with offices and laboratories. NPS required a floor coating system to seal the concrete from dusting, withstand large weights with a wide margin of safety, tolerate a rigorous cleaning protocol, and provide a high degree of cleanliness necessary for the storage of museum artifacts. Shortly after installation, the floor coating exhibited blisters in the epoxy finish. SGH investigated the causes of the blistering and developed a remedial plan to get NPS the functioning flooring surface they needed.
Highlights of SGH’s work on this project include the following:
- Reviewed previous reports that included data on moisture content of soils under the concrete slab-on-grade
- Conducted testing that revealed osmotic pressure as the cause of the blisters in the floor coatings
- Developed a remedial program that included construction of a swing space to serve as temporary storage for artifacts during repair
- Designed a floor system design that was able to tolerate the existing conditions and resist further blistering
- Developed plans and specifications for the warehouse repairs and administered the remedial construction
Project Summary
Solutions
Repair & Rehabilitation
Services
Applied Science & Research
Markets
Government | Industrial
Client(s)
Sinkin & Crivella
Specialized Capabilities
Materials Science
Key team members
![Peter Nelson](https://www.sgh.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Peter-E-Nelson.jpg)
Additional Projects
Mid-Atlantic
Maryland State House Dome
Originally constructed in the 1770s, the Maryland State House was topped with a dome in 1794 following the building's service as the nation's capitol. SGH provided structural and building enclosure engineering services for the project, which was scheduled to accommodate the government's calendar.
Mid-Atlantic
Embassy of Australia
The new building, expected to open in 2023, will house offices and function spaces in six above-grade stories and three below-grade levels. SGH is serving as the structural engineer and facade consultant for the project.