Palmetto Health Garage

Columbia, SC

In 2013, the Palmetto Health parking garage in Columbia, South Carolina, was in need of repair. The garage occupies much of a city block with six levels of constantly used self-parking. Like most parking structures built in the 70s and expanded in the 80s, the weatherproofing had failed, resulting in structural and safety issues. These included concrete cracking and spalling, corrosion of structural connections, and considerable floor slab leakage. In addition to the water leakage, the structural issues were evident by the noise generated as vehicles drove through the garage

WTI and licensed engineering firm O&S Associates performed a condition survey and presented repair and preventive maintenance options to maintain and extend the life of the garage. The result was a phased restoration plan that spread the costs over seven years, lessening the impact on the annual operating budget. A true team effort, WTI, Tremco Roofing and Tremco Commercial Sealants and Waterproofing personnel worked together to create and deliver the solution. Year two is now complete, with repairs to continue.

Year One included

• Structural concrete repairs throughout the garage
• Select waterproofing measures, primarily at the roof level
• Partial depth patch repairs of the concrete topping slab, double tee flanges, stems, girders and columns using Euclid Chemical Company concrete products, Tamms Form & Pour and Speed Crete Red Line (also in year two)
• Attaching new surface mounted steel connectors to the underside of the tee slabs and girders (also in year two)
• Replacing expansion joints with a new block out winged type seal
• Installing supplemental floor drains and piping connecting to the drain system
• Installing a new polyurethane traffic coating membrane using Tremco Sealants’ Vulkem product over girders and tee joints

Year Two included

• Continued structural concrete repairs, now at the middle and lower levels.
• Routing and sealing floor slab cracks with Tremco sealants
• Cleaning the upper level and ramps, and applying a new traffic coating membrane with Vulkem
• New paint striping and directional arrows

The project’s first two years were completed on time and on budget, with minimal disruption. WTI’s work and traffic plan management kept vehicle and pedestrian traffic open while limited areas were closed as work was performed. Today, there is no more water leakage or vehicle noise on the upper level where structural repairs have been completed.