Enhancing an Integral Part of the Baltimore Cityscape

Project Background

• Built in 1986, the Harbor Court Complex encompasses an entire city block on the west side of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor
• Harbor Court includes a 30-story condominium and office building; an eight-story hotel; and a parking garage topped with a tennis court, health club, and garden area
• Cracked and spalled bricks led Harbor Court’s owner to contact Sutton-Kennerly & Associates (SKA) to evaluate the problem and design a solution; SKA brought in MPS to assist in a condition survey
• MPS performed the rigging and demolition required for SKA to assess the complex’s structural framing and brick veneer systems; MPS was then awarded a contract for repairs to the hotel, parking garage, and half of the condominium building

Project Challenges

• Loose and missing shelf angles throughout the structure
• Misalignment of framing and veneer system had resulted in unacceptable stresses within the assembly
• Insufficient ties to secure the brick veneer to the structural framework at high wind loads, especially at corners

Project Approach

• Because of the insufficient number of masonry ties holding the brick veneer to the structural frame, 20,000 retrofit ties were installed before any other deficiencies were corrected
• An electronic probe was used to find the location of steel studs at the locations where the new ties were to be installed; once a stud was located, a hole was drilled into the stud and a retrofit anchor was inserted into the predrilled hole
• Once the retrofit ties were installed, MPS worked from the top down, removing brick at each floor line and supporting the remaining brick with shoring; any defects were then corrected
• An elaborate system of new steel framing was welded and bolted onto the existing structural frame; MPS then used a 75-ton hydraulic “ironworker” to notch, punch, and shear the steel angles and plates onsite to accommodate varied field dimensions as uncovered
• Other repairs, including new through-wall flashing, repointing, and sealant replacement, were also performed
• Extensive testing of replacement bricks, mortar, and sealants was conducted to ensure that the repairs would last and also blend in with the existing facade