WJE PROJECTS
William H. Gray III 30th Street Station
CLIENT |
National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) |
LOCATION |
Philadelphia, PA |
Exterior Facade Restoration
WJE performed a comprehensive assessment of the exterior envelope conditions and developed appropriate repairs for weathering-related deterioration of the facade. In addition to preparing contract documents for facade restoration, WJE performed construction observation throughout the construction period, both on-site and at the off-site restoration shops of specialty subcontractors.
BACKGROUND
Completed in 1934, the station was designed by Chicago architecture firm Graham, Anderson, Probst & White and once served as the headquarters of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. The facades of the building are clad with Alabama limestone that sits atop a horizontal base of pink granite. Curtain walls with cast-iron mullions and steel-framed windows punctuate the limestone facade and original bronze doors provide access to the five-story, travertine-clad concourse. Two internal light courts are clad in buff-colored brick with prism glass windows allowing natural light into the concourse.
SOLUTION
The scope of services provided by WJE included archival research and document review; field investigation and inspection openings; interior and exterior masonry cleaning studies; laboratory investigations of facade materials; blast loading analysis and mitigation design; repair design, mockup repairs; and construction period services. WJE’s facade restoration design was informed by an extensive field investigation that included hands-on examination of the building enclosure, inspection openings at the limestone and brick facades, and trial dismantling of representative cast-iron and steel curtain wall assemblies.
The WJE team prepared construction drawings and specifications for comprehensive restoration of the facade, including limestone repair, restoration, and cleaning; brick masonry repairs; restoration of cast iron mullions and steel-framed windows at the curtain walls; and restoration of selected bronze doors. Window frame and sash components were dismantled and taken off-site for hazardous material abatement, repair, recoating, reglazing, and application of blast film under controlled conditions. During the construction period, WJE’s services included full-time site observation throughout critical phases of the project and utilized tablet-based digital data collection and punch list management tools.
The project was the recipient of the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia’s 2021 Grand Jury Award.
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