Masonry Facade Restoration Brings New Life to Hospital Campus

Project Background

• Since its inception in 1915, Geisinger Medical Center has grown into a leading Central and Northeast Pennsylvania healthcare provider
• Recently named one of the Top 100 Hospitals in the country and designated as a Magnet hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
• MPS began work at Geisinger by completing a facade evaluation at the Abigail Pavilion; MPS then developed a campus-wide Masonry Preservation Plan focused on maximizing the service life of building facades that allowed Geisinger to prioritize, plan, and budget for repairs

Projects of Note

Geisinger Abigail Pavilion

• Built in 1980, the building suffered from poor detailing and materials that led to accelerated corrosion of steel shelf angles and window lintels
• Corrosion staining was present on the exterior face brick and several angles had lost the majority of their cross-sectional area
• MPS replaced and reflashed over a mile of steel angle; project also included installing flashing under all limestone copings and replacing all building sealants
• Work was completed over highly sensitive operating rooms while the rooms remained fully functional

Dickey Clinic

• The top eight courses of brick had displaced outward on the south elevation of the building
• MPS determined that the movement was caused by both a lack of adequate masonry ties and improperly installed vertical expansion joints
• MPS rebuilt the top eight courses of the building wall and installed new brick with proper anchorage; all vertical expansion joints were cut full-depth to accommodate cyclical thermal movement
• The project also included reflashing all shelf angles and window lintels and replacing all building sealants