During Hurricane Sandy, Red Hook East Building 29’s ground floor space was flooded with approximately 15 feet of sewage-contaminated water and the mechanical and electrical systems were severely damaged. Due to groundwater infiltration, the entire cellar of Building 29 is consistently flooded with approximately 8 inches of standing water. The building was boarded up and…
PS 50 Manhattan is a 1974 school building constructed as part of a brutalist residential complex overlooking the East River. The structure consists of a reinforced concrete frame with masonry infill. Exposed floor slabs create a layering effect which, paired with the cast-in-place stair towers and diagonally oriented mechanical bulkhead, results in a sense of…
The storm surge catalyzed by Superstorm Sandy flooded the cellar and submerged the boiler room of Lavanburg Homes for several days. The saltwater brought on by this storm effectively destroyed or severely damaged all mechanical and electrical systems in the cellar. Although maintenance personnel and emergency contractors made strides to replace the damaged mechanical equipment,…
After decades serving this community, problems related to old age and continued use began to manifest throughout the complex. Ponding and leaking at the roof and face brick deterioration were among several issues our team addressed in this rehabilitation. We found that existing face brick had not been installed to allow for cyclical expansion, thus…
Though the building’s systems had survived previous storms, the Superstorm Sandy tidal surge caused unprecedented damage. The first-floor space of all three towers and the community center were inundated by several feet of water. Furthermore, the mechanical and electrical systems were significantly damaged as boilers and critical systems were permanently destroyed. The development is still…
After 140 years of use with only provisional repairs, the building had incurred extensive damage. Existing wooden cornices suffered from decay, masonry exhibited cracks and spalling, and water had flooded the basement. An investigation also revealed that the existing brick wall assembly suffered from a combination of deteriorated backup masonry, voids of varying sizes, and…
Concerns about the development’s resilience to sea level changes and extreme weather surfaced after Hurricane Sandy. With extreme weather events more likely to happen in future decades because of climate change, Nelligan White assessed the magnitude and risk of flood damage and proposed an integrated scheme of preventative measures to keep impacts at bay. The…