The Carl B. Stokes Federal Court House building is a 23-story tower constructed with a limestone facade similar to other neighboring structures, yet stands out with its cornice and 37-foot-tall bronze sculpture towering over the building’s Huron Road entrance.
RRJ was retained to perform an initial evaluation of the exterior limestone cladding panels on the new courthouse to address the GSA’s concerns regarding the color, texture, and installation of the stone panels. RRJ’s investigation included a review of the project plans and specifications, discussions with GSA representatives, examination of stone record samples and drawings indicating the locations of nonconforming (too light or too dark) limestone pieces provided by the design architect, a review of the stone manufacturers report, and visits to examine the on-site mockup and in-place cladding stones. RRJ also conducted a limited examination of the building facade to observe the stone cladding panel conditions.
RRJ’s observations and findings report summarized numerous deficient conditions, such as the stone color and texture outside of the approved ranges, broken stones, repaired stones, failed sealants, stained and otherwise damaged stones, wide joints, and poor fit-up. RRJ recommended performing additional facade inspections to further define the extent of issues.
Years later, GSA requested RRJ to perform an on-site examination of the distress related to a temporary wall plaque located on the north elevation, the black granite pavers and stairs outside the main entrance, and a temporary plywood wall closure adjacent to the loading dock on the southwest elevation. RRJ documented the observed problems with recommendations for necessary document review and destructive openings to determine the causes and develop remedial options.
