World War II Memorial

Washington, DC

Water is a dominant theme throughout the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. The sunken Memorial Plaza and completely restored Rainbow Pool lie at its center. Fountains send jets of water more than 30 feet in the air. Water is also sprayed from 110 nozzles within the nearly 247' x 148' pond. Semi-circular fountains lie at the base of two memorial arches. Cascading waterfalls flank a Freedom Wall, commemorating the more than 400,000 Americans who gave their lives. The soft, steady roar of water blocks out extraneous noise, allowing visitors to retreat into personal thoughts and reflections. It also created a challenge in the selection of a joint sealant capable of withstanding continual immersion. 

Project specifications called for a multi-component, non-sag sealant flexible enough for dynamically moving joints (25%). The requirements also called for a sealant that had been tested and passed the protocol required by ASTM for a Class I immersion rating. Only one product met the requirements – Dymeric® 240FC Multi-Component Epoxidized Polyurethane Sealant from Tremco Commercial Sealants & Waterproofing. It was the only one J&W Caulking Applicators felt was suitable and for which it could provide a warranty. The product’s fast-curing formulation also enabled expedited production schedules to be accommodated. With aesthetics of the memorial being of primary importance, a gun-grade version of Dymeric 240FC enabled the joints on the access ramps to the Memorial Plaza to be dry-tooled for the enhanced appearance of tooled mortar joints. In total, approximately 300 gallons were used for granite-to-granite, concrete-to-concrete and marble-to-granite expansion joints throughout the Memorial Plaza.