Boston, MA
State Transportation Building Garage
Scope/Solutions
The parking garage at the State Transportation Building is two‑level, below‑grade, cast-in-place concrete structure constructed circa 1980. The elevated parking deck was in poor condition with widespread corrosion, deteriorated concrete waffle slabs, and leakage through failed waterproofing and cracks. SGH investigated the cause of deterioration, developed rehabilitation options, and served as the structural engineer of record for the parking garage repair project.
SGH worked on several projects at the parking structure since 2018. Highlights of our work include:
- Conducting safety inspections and implementing a prioritized make-safe approach
- Assessing the condition of the existing concrete structure and waterproofing through visual observations, hands-on surveys, and field and laboratory testing to identify areas of deterioration, distress, and leakage
- Performing field testing, including half-cell corrosion potential testing and making observations at exploratory openings to identify probability of corrosion activity at the elevated parking deck
- Estimating the chloride content in extracted samples in our laboratory
- Developing a rehabilitation program, including concrete and waterproofing repairs, and collaborating with a subconsultant to establish performance requirements for an impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) system to reduce and control the rate of corrosion and extend the concrete structure’s useful life
- Coordinating with the owner, architectural design team, general contractor, and ICCP subconstultant to phase and execute the repairs and upgrades to limit disruption to the garage operations, which remained partially open throughout the project
- Providing construction administration services, including regularly visiting the site to observe the work, reviewing shop drawings and submittals, helping address field conditions, tracking repair quantities, reviewing payment applications and change orders, and attending weekly project meetings
Project Summary
Solutions
Repair & Rehabilitation
Services
Structures | Applied Science & Research
Markets
Government
Client(s)
Austin Architects | MassDOT
Specialized Capabilities
Repair & Strengthening | Materials Science
Key team members
Additional Projects
Northeast
Federal Office Building
SGH investigated the existing structure, designed a seismic retrofit for the building, and designed structural modifications for numerous architectural interventions to bring more light into the space.
Northeast
Albany City Hall Tower Study
Albany's City Hall, designed by H.H. Richardson and constructed in the early 1880s, features exterior mass masonry walls of Milford granite and East Longmeadow brownstone trim and ornamentation. The city retained SGH to investigate the issues and develop remedial options.