The Watergate Office Building Garage Repairs

The Watergate Office Building in Washington, DC is constructed over a two-level, cast-in-place garage accessed via the truck tunnel that serves a number of the buildings in the complex. An onsite survey was performed for the B-2 and B-3 levels of the garage as well as isolated areas of the building’s B-1 and ground level exteriors to assist with various repairs.

Repair drawings and specifications related to the various concrete repairs were provided along with waterproofing applications throughout the garage, loading dock, and exterior ground level. Quality assurance services consisting of the review and approval of all concrete and waterproofing work were also provided. Typical services included review of repair layouts, pre-pour inspections, concrete testing, review of surface preparation, and monitoring the application of different waterproofing systems.

On the B-3 level of the garage, removable precast panels over a trench containing electrical and mechanical equipment were repaired or replaced. One location where a concrete infill over metal decking was designed to replace failed precast panels, had to be altered to in-place partial depth repairs, to accommodate the equipment below the repair area. Coordination with the contractor and shoring engineer was needed to ensure that proper shoring and work platforms were provided to not only protect the equipment, but also provide a work area for the crew and building engineers that required daily access to the equipment below the work area.