After an extensive renovation, the Pensacola Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse has reopened for business. The precast concrete panels on the exterior are clad in limestone that came from the same quarry as the stone on the Empire State Building. Photo: John Thomas Photography. “Because of the tight site conditions, precast was chosen to min-imize the footprint impact of site work and expedite the schedule,” adds Hudson. Hudson recalls several logistical challenges including a lack of staging area, a four-lane state highway on one side of the build-ing, and a four-lane city road on another side. “GATE had to pro-cure an off-site laydown area for trailers to be stored ahead of erection,” he says. From the beginning, contractor W.G. Yates and Sons pressed subcontractors to make them fully aware of the water-intrusion issues on the existing building and urged them to ensure the same issues did not occur with the remodel, says Hudson. “From a precast standpoint, this meant prewelding our con-nections through a concrete-masonry unit block wall so that the waterproofing subcontractor could seal all penetrations through the wall, which assists in eliminating water intrusion,” he says. “Design and installation of the precast connections was a little tricky with the building already being enclosed by the block wall.” The scope of the remodel, which was completed in April 2020, encompassed mold abatement, replacement of the façade and standing-seam metal roof system, and repairs to structural dam-age. Work included the installation of a weather barrier as well as a new roof. The fire-safety system and heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system were upgraded to include installation of variable air volume boxes and a new building automation system to better control humidity. Accessibility features were improved, and the building was renovated to comply with Florida’s current hurricane standards. In addition, the grounds and approaches to the courthouse were restored and the parking area repaved, along with other up-grades to improve stormwater drainage that are calibrated to 100-year storm surge levels. PRECAST PROTECTS LIFE, JUNE 2024 21
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