Facade Evaluation and he Empire Stave Building was completed in 1931, afer only sixteen months of construction, Ar 1250 fece vo the top of the dtigibe mooring mast, the Em- pice Sure Building was che world’ tallest building for cover 40 yeas, until the construction of the World Tisde Crater towers. Around. 1950, « 200-foot tall broadcast antenna tower was added wo the top of the building. A New York City and National Hiszoric Landmark, che Empiee Seae Building has alia een cited by che ASCE asa National Civil Eogineering Landinarle (gw 1) ‘One of the many innovative charactezistics of the building is the curcain wall design for the facade, This wall ystent evolved from the waditional rigid masonsy facades that predaced it, and pieneered the concepts of Bexible cure walls that axe now commonly incorporated. into highéfise buildings. This article examines some of the challenges fared by che designers of rhe buildings excevior fagadtyalls and bythe Thy ton Tom i Group in designing farepaleafeer 60 yedtbof sermiee. That period svithourmafor restoestdan repeesencs 2 verptespectablecervice life for dh€emrior wall stele! a high-ise building Original Facade, Wall Design “The buildings facades conti of series of versie! bails oP bic back-up masonry iced with limesrone, alternating wlth reeteal Batis of sceel flamed window yithcas: ‘aluminum spandiel panals. Contlauous vertical stalpllas steel mulllons aze anchored Aoythe eel spandzel beams. The mullions axe located berween Pars of windows and at the edgee ofthe limestone chad column pies: (Figure 4), The brick backup mascney filly embeds the buildings sel columns and backs up che intermediate sinless steel mullions. A single wythe of brick masonry in-ill backs up the ease alumioum spandel panels (guste 2 and 5).The narzow veetical bands of limestone clad brick masonry with seainles: sel mullion tim, separated by the continuous stnp of cast alumium spandeels and steel window frames, are Jexible eacugh to deform during horizontal sway of the building under wind load. Hence the limestone cladding has nor cracked as a reult of wind induced Figure 2 Drang aria Architectural Forni Magazine jie 10 STRUCTURE magazine The Fimwpire State Building Repair of an Engineering Landmark "The etrucnural steel frame incorporates tam spandrel beams at each Aor level: an . jnbourd beam to support the coneeete Hogs and live Joads, and an curboandebeam 10 suppbet the exterior vwall masonry. Each stomp of the mseiey "picts" rypically har four counsa\of limestone cladding jn fig of che common brik backup Wasoae Bplells: cheee oun of the four limesgone courses’ cach story ae fourdaich-thik stones backed up by eight indies of Bick masonry. The badklup brick maseaify bebind thoce zones ig aupported on the ouzer spandzel beams. One gions course at eachystonr ls eight inches thice vith snlpone onthe Ff hrick masonry TackYp. This “key” fone is suppafeed\on lone of che vwythes of bck batk-up masonry ‘peloar it whiekin me is supported by the“Gicer steel spandrel beam The brick back-up masonry is sachored to the structural ste) columns with bent Yeinch ciametersteelsedanchovs, and the limesnnne ic anchaed a the brick masonry wich Gut zero bent ion bare chat are hocked inno the brick satenvy and ins cut fou slots or “het in the top, bottom and side edges of the limestone waite, Facade Investigation Program ‘The Thomion-Tomaser Group was retained in 1987 to eveluate the condition of the exterior rls, sof and vvandows of the building and make epiir recommendations, The buile ‘up roofs at che setback levels and their deteriorated perimeter base and counter achings were allowing the prsnge of «lot of svete inno the facade walls.As a eesult of water penetration through the many setbscke roof, parapet maconzy joints, wall masonry joints, and ‘windovecleteriorationhad occurred. $cefeld-accessed jnvertigation was performed rhroughoot che building’ fagade walls Icwas found thar che morcar joints berween. the limestone units were in severely deteionsted condition sad that this too was allowing moisue to inGleete the valle Jonvary 2008Dang oneney op arebitataral Fora Magan, Br 930 causing coreosion ofthe iron stap anchors staching the limest@B eo the brick buck up wall Ar these lations, a che iron anchors ggrroded, thecorotion producrexpanded, eusings shaed af che limestone ta pop cout, end cevetely diminishing che limestone andhorage capacity. The paper walls were severely deteriorated sBayesule ef water inbltacion, ‘which caused corrosion of che cee! spandedl beamn@h and also fitere- arr Ea US tc the building covers, the stone vas crackidharsd many years ago, steel straps haben belted on to che sueface of the limestone era Aemnpe wo confine the legestone cladding in place-(Pagare 8) Like pany sbid mésoacyretad buildings oB chis rime pevied, auf jie i die Taya sissy oo handle, she inital column shortening, eemperarure and moisture expinion, and wind movement. Archival esearch and later invasive investigation did idencify that compressible Gller consisting. of corrugated lead, lined top and borrom wich sheer lead, was installed in the bed joins at che eight-inch thick key stone, Ivappears chat this comptessible layer did serve very well to accommodate permancnt shortening of the ste] seuctuse dusing erection, because, a we later found, these lead arvips were compressed cali in the eeome joints Avsome point, diese joints had appaesuuly Leew ee-eu a peice, sad thus appscendly they provide minimal ability to accommodate ditional strain, Yerin ovr inveasigetions of the masonry facade, no significant damage eeleed to compressive stress was evident there Ble uu susfkee-vsible Figures jg \SOURSE AT 6. STONE Le other buildings af ise, the Bmpize Stste Building walle wor besause they ave thick, slid, composite mascrny Gravity lands ate ee lieved ax each Boor into the building sevens a grain load stress dacs snot scovmlate im the maconey. [een be sasoslised and empisielly confirmed thatthe theemal expansion and contraction of the masoney desminimzed becouse che hese snk dffec ofthe masive masoar7 and cubed eee Soe ong { from the inital expansica of che Au brick masonry also unloaded one [ld floor at «time into the Bor pang deel beams Wid movement is Thinimized by che very of seuceutal axel rameggrhich weighs in aka hefy GO pounder square foot of door 808, 74th columns epaced aeappresimetelp 20 feeton center, compared Xo about half chav Weight pat\square footlind 30-10-454foot column spacingin modern highrise buildings. Movement of the steuctural tel fame ofthe Empire sea Building is thus eelatvellovs in comparison to modetm high-rise buildings with optimized (therefore lighter and more lexi) seucmural steel Farge Facade Repair Program In 198954 progam of fcade copait vas specified by the Thomton- ‘Tomaaare: Gtoup and work we begun by A. Best Coneracting. This frork jtluded cucting all of the existing limestone joints 10 depth ‘SF abour % inch. Closed call polyechylene foam backer eed and Sik polyurethane sealanc were then installed in che limestone masonry joints. The unorthodox installation of selant at che front of che Jimestone joints provides Further proteesion agai: che infilration of ‘mater through the many joints between the limestone panels. Althou TRese sealed jones o> prhibi expsiog of meittare oot of the masonry and this practice is cherefoee usually not desirable, moisnire evaporation from the wall is more than adequately provided for by the large asa of vapor permeable limestone, The joines bevwesn the Jimestome unite wll be keps weasher tight by che leur elasie modus polyurethane sealant ‘The wall surface vas sounded to deescr laren splls 2 the coreoded fron anchors. A new anchor was insalled to replace che function of each corroded inon anchor that was removed. Some ofthe new anchors ‘vere Durescunll® seainless sxe) threaded rads wth mechanical brast expanders at each end chat engaged che brick back-up masonry and the limestone, [a other locaions, epoxy adhesive was used to anchor theeaded stainless oxtel rode for the same purpose. The shards in che limestone and the corcoded izon anchors were saw cut snd semored. The exposed stone vas grooved and Viinch diameter stainless stel wire anchors were embedéled in the limestone (Figure 8). The voids in the Jimestome were filed vath specially formulated [shn® zepair mores thar matched the thermal expansion and moisture absorption rate of the surrounding limestone. Ax parapet locations where the spandec] beams had beep severely damaged by corrosion, the displaced limestone and brick back-up masoney was removed, the seeturel tel vas eepaived and epeny coated, and the maconty waa eeplaced. At crac in the Jags limestone units atthe building corners, the inisial plan was to ver epoxy set ctinles otel pins to eirdh the ceanes together and the brick mazonty back-up wall and this work.cammenced Tp 1989, an investigation of the 6400 window frames and adjacent inverioe walls was performed. The original anchorages of the existing ‘windows vo the brick musonsy were found vo be ip good. condition. However, shes=el window frames and the double hungeach frames were severely corroded and the weather stipping was in poor condition, STRUCTURE magazine 40 Jomvary 2006Te is interesting 10 note that the Chyysler Building (leatured in the December 2005 issue of STRUCTURE magutine), which wae built ss spproximately he same dine, has similar steel feamed However, were originally galvanized, while the windows ar che Empire Seate Building were originally painted. ABer 6 years of service, the Chrysler Building’ windows were in windows these much better condition than those in the Empize Stare Building, Repair of the oxigi- sal windows was studied but ie was found co be impraci- cal The 12 exiting coats of paint over the comteded ste! ‘would have had to be zemoved and che sf prepatld and teat wich to oF three coats of new paint This wouldihave inpolved removal of os ouch Fr urls piped pai yuna asp. sure ineeeior zrtorcion and tenant daroprions Wvk om the sre win dow framepiniplics would hye been edious wndgoody, enpeially wich lead paint reegyalcaferyissuggl Corrosion of inntecsible surfaces oF athe Frame and fash would undobeadly have continued, wich no guee satee of the durability of the tgpsieediwindove, even after spending millions of dollars for repair woe, Since the original zh dic nore forgot, window washing had to be done fromthe outside, eppleily by personel red back ro bureons.on the-windovs frames. This meth- ds colipudy uocauepustte by OSTA sual Uevusuly che uasusion ul the feames made this procedure even lest safe than in the pase Replacement windows were epecifed a9 Series 9000 windows manufactured by TRACO®, These replacement windows have sever important features. The windows were designed to pan over the cxiscing Campbell® steel windows. "The existing window paint coar- ings were tested to determine the original color of the windows, The original ved colee was matched an the replacement windows. The new double hung tile windows have aluminum frames and sash with veey narrow proBles to keep the total width of che metal minimized and the “Sight lines" maximized. The sash is glazed with insulated glass unis, ‘The new fiames are cheerally broken, accomplished by connecting the font and back extrusions with » continuous castin-place section of polyurethane, which has a much lower thermal conductance rate thaw aluminum. The condition of che steel sub-Bame and anchoesinx> the brick masonsy were in gsod condition, and so chey weee ze-ueed, The srw windows weee scerwed oo the Campbell steel aub-feames wich selEdsiling! tapping stainless steel serewsThe jaf the outside perimeter of the windows were sealed with Sika® polyurethane sealant, to the ssiless steel mullions ae the jambs and v9 che case aluminum spandrel panes at the sills and heed There ate 19 separate roof areasien tie)building, totaling 33,380 square fein area, Theeof exe originally buil-up, mulliple ply ooal ‘ar rook with gflitey ile walking sunfages in morta: seting beds Ovee the yrags most of the coafa had bos eevee with additonal layers ofpbilit-up roofing with ‘tone ballast above hss. By 1989, many of the roof wece Teghing Beth into the igdcrice spaces and into the fagad sqylls A roof vaplacemenk progeam was executed. The roofs wexe sipped down to the eanciate slabs. New countesflashing pockets ‘wert created 2 che inside fice the parapet wale. Palyizseyanurste four insilaion board was ineulled-and covered wich an adhered singlply BPDM membrane. TKemmbrane was then covered with 4 protection board. and, conker pavefe in a terra coma. color similar AL ie wxigiual yuaeyy Us, Th wplacsuiout wot fads bigle walls observation-dte wag pacified and execuced by others using Kempee® liquidppligd polyester roof membrane, ako topped with protection oud and ebnctete paves, consid weve page Fares 4 STRUCTURE magazine 4H Jomvary 2006Major Repair Of The Corners During the coues@ef the repair of the Geld efithd dagadé, tool ted ‘window ic had becatbe very cleae thagsH Bracks wr che corners of the building Were indicacive of « problem chgr codd nor be filly addressed byl repairs ofthe limestone masctey. ‘The mostly vervieal cracks in the limestone facing and brick, masonry back-up atthe building corners wees probed to confirm thet the cracks were directly covrelared to conditions of eutvard expansion resulting from comation of che scructuel see! (Figure 7). Howeves, the amount of section leat at che structural stl framing sections vwas for che moss part structurally insignificant. A detailed survey and invasive probes provided coxelation berween the degeee of limestone cracking atthe eight comers of the tower and the severity of cartesian of the stuctural ste] building columns within che comer piers, Several alvernatives fr restoration fhe fagade acthe building cornees ‘were studied, including replacementin kind replacerens with pre-cast conceete, and replacement with gliss Sber reinforced conerete panels Alice «process of value enginering, the Gaal chem included localized replacement in-kind. The repaieechense une influenced by che etene of the repaits, the logistics of working up to 85 «roles high om the exterior ofan occupied buildingin mie Manhattan, she need to impecxe onthe original anchorage and cuppore of the some, ro repait and eo protect the vulosrable steuctucal cee], end of course to preserve the criginal appearence and integrity of this historic landmark building. ‘Acignifcanr eceraaving was realized by not replacing theentize commer pices, Once it wus confirmed that only the masoney dieeely in Front of the columns was damaged, it became feasible wo replace only that masomny. Becavee of this, approximately theee fer of masonry pier wwidsh at coch sie of the comnex had ro be removed, and approximately thees feet between the window jamb and the removal line could be pinued in place and restored. The remaining limestone pancls were reanchozed to the brick backup mesoney with Vinch dismeter threaded stainless creel vod zt in epoxy (Figur 3 and 9) The next scep of the comer rebuilding work was the removal of the limeszone and brick masonry backeup wall atthe comers, A. Best Contracting had made extensive ust of suspended scafolds for most of the general fagade repair work, Most ofthis work involved cutting, selant, anchce pins, and moctar installation, and the zelatively light uty suspended ccaffolds were well suited to this worl, Homeren for the masonry eeplecemenr and steel modifications at the building corwerss they used « relatively new approach for caesifheg the work, Steel suppor: dunnage was installed a the 25° Yd 30° Aoor rook secbacks, anda qusved vower wns installed on coe ads of cach of the cightcornees up tothe 72¥ foe sete weft three Gams tre The eussed comers were latztally anchored tothe building with epcxy- adheeed thieaded studs through the figade masoney inta the conceete bochind the building’ citar steel spaniel beams. "The seaigld’towee vas augariation ‘@f the merc typical tackeind-pinion construction boise bar inscead @f & cabic had cw9 indepebdendy operating L- shaped, platforms oleoch tower thar wrapped the corner work area vith 49,000-pound-atpaciey enclozed work plafoum. This equipment faclliated installaice of shellfmestone units, which weighed up «© 1,500 patind: exe, and abzess by labor es the work areas ‘The Bret acep of che corace rebuilding wenle was the temoval of che Jim eseone aed brick masoney bagkwpr al athe corners. Forcunstely invessigation hed shown thatchieorfosion damage ro the structural Gil as iva tape Rysloahd out las of Uae valunias aud pained ‘beam ends,-with diminishing deterioration ar about sx inches back nso bri masoney/ateelinerface, ‘Ar the cofaers with limestone masoney cracks, the severely corroded Scauowiral steel columns were stripped of masonry and all exposed sczl ms power-tool-cleaned to meet the reguicements of SSPC- SPI, ‘which eequires removal of all lease ermericn product wa 2ound, bare surface, Two coats of epoxy print weer then applied co the steel eo protest the ateel fiom cestedion, Care une alkene avoid removing the fall dickies uf the Luck nnscany abuviug che sicel vtunus that the cemupied eenant space remained enclosed at all ries (Figure 10) Cuca fabvicored erinlesseteel Zclipe weee connected to che cohimns with Nelson® threaded scanless steel studs, wo posiively engage the now disconrinuous fagade wall after demctition of the cor- ner maconry. It was efficient to do all of the demolition ia one phases soit was necessary to leave the cornees excavated fora few months time ver the winter, lasalling temporary tarps would have caused moze damage t© the limestone at ancherage point: and would have been life ws main inthis veep wendy exposure, was devided doe al STRUCTURE magazine Ba Jomvary 2006voids and spaces berneen the brices and besween the macaily and the ovel would be filed wich mortar and char the demrition sarface ‘would be coated with a vapor-permesble, Portland cement, sandgand serylic product manufactured by Sonneboen, called Sonoblal®™ This coating succes staled the disrupred masonry unt the|ateel and the masonry was replaced months later The limestone support confzucuriom, in Me commer asoney replecemens area vas modified by welding in seustaral evel supports dlizectly under che cight-inehethick stone Gourse\ (Figure 1 ¥The limestone at the rebuilt goracte is now dinectly supported by the crructural sreclotarher than by the brick masapry 22 lp che criginal construcuig®\ Iris ineeeeeinghad/note chac like Wary afthe buildings of this vinmgepthere is no Bachtng over the octuetival sel beamey Hid is there anyheep system\t ally drainage of warer outyof the val assembly. Rather than change thiconcept in 4 Joedj zone, i was decided chabthe two coats of Taemec# epady coadug would videgnacly protect the perpered structural Sal snfarés, and chet the congape of filling every void in ehe val] with mortar would be maintuiged in the replaced masoney, making drainage and Bashing lesgiaiporvane than it would be ina cavity wall system In the eeplacement phase, thousands of rwo-inch-long, Varinch diameser sainless steel threaded Nelson anchor studs were welded co the columns and tiangular-wiee masonry ties were then connected to the theeaded studs. Halfinch-diameree threaded stainless stel Nelson suds were welded uo the steel columns to anchor stainless sweel Unisau racks placed horizontally in alignment wich the horizontal joint: in the limettone, e© be inealled lese (Pigure £2) "The severe-weatheringated bricks were sevin ASTM Type N mortar w fully encase the ocructural stl, and xo bring the brick back-up masonry t within one inch of the back of the new limestone panels ‘Temporary foam insert wete placed above and below the Unistrat tracks toallov for additional vertical adjusemene 0 aliga the Uaisteut rwacks with che horizoural bed joints in the Timesvone facing. 10 follow. When the replecement limestone was installed, custom-made Vednch-thice suialess stl split ail anchors, with vertical lots to allow adjustment, were bolted to the Unisteut tacks and the split ral anchors were engaged into clots cut into the edges ofthe new limestone units, igure 12) The new stieless sete] anchors wll ner cause the same type of cotcsion faluze char deteiorned the cxgical plain ison strap anchors and caused cracking, and spalling of si @rigical stove ‘The foam os later eemored and the voids above ald below the eacks ‘ez flled slid with morer. ‘The limestone used For replacem@BO Whe coraees vated from the same quarey asthe original soneha Bedford, Indiana, Construction of afulsize mock-up ofa story-hich gpsasésection and anick of mulei- ple fullsie soeiwere eabsteucted at thequarry.A range ables and ‘cxtuzggas agrcedupon, and the accepted om@ncs we thow cain hall ‘Cehhalf vas used ar che fabrication shop for stone and Gish quality conteol and the other half stones spare used at the building for appearance veeiee- on. The limestone mae verial was also subjesed Ww saaunin labunalury tests for compressive and vensile strength and for sues absorption. Fabrie cared stones, including many shaped coeate roms, were chipped by teuck to New Yas City ‘The stones were brought doves ws die bung eee lar and inspected again, ‘The aeonee were then wwansported upstairs by freight elevator 1 a con ‘eaiens location, and pese- edout through « window opening onto the work platform, which cate sied them within inches of thee installation lation, ‘After the brisle mazsnry cured for about a week, che limestone was iusullel, All uf the cullae joins, which ure dhe veriedl spaces between che masoney wythes, were filled solid with mostae, The mortar was cempled and compression terted at even and 28 da All limestone head and bed joines were Bled with ASTM type “N mortar ta within 94 inch ofthe front face. Closed cell polyethylene foam backer cod and urethane sealant were chea installed at the front of the limestone masonry joints (Figure 14) A lesson tharwas reinforced on this project ie thar when engineers ‘work on vintage buildings, itis challenging to understand the intent of the origival desigeers wud tw be seusitive about how modera de- sign and detailing practices are combined with very different older design practices, ‘The Bmpice State Building fagade is now ready to face che next 60 years ofits services wich of course, regular maimterance* Robart. Nacheman, PEs « Principal, Thornton: Temarti Group Inc, LZA Technology Divison in Newark, New Joey He Micheman can be reached at RNacheman@VheTTGroup.com STRUCTURE magazine 4 Jomvary 2006