2021
Baltimore, Maryland
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Headquartered in Woodlawn, Maryland, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government and the largest social welfare program in the United States. Among the 34-acre long campus is the Arthur J. Altmeyer building, which serves as the SSA's main facility. With no external or internal upgrades since it was built in 1959, the SSA began a full building modernization to both improve the appearance of the campus, but more importantly optimize its use and improve its energy efficiency.
Starting in 2018, the project scope included stripping the building down to the existing reinforced concrete frame, strengthening it, and replacing the exterior cladding, interior finishes, and MEP systems. With a budget of $150 million, the adaptive reuse of the building saved taxpayers nearly $13 million. The overall strengthening process included preparing the surface of the concrete, priming it with an epoxy, and installing the carbon fire fabric. The final step in the installation was fireproofing the strengthened members or coating them to match the surrounding substrates.
PROJECT CHALLENGES
As with all projects, structural strengthening of the building did not go without a hitch. The timeline of the project was very tight with very little room for any delays since there was a hard date to close on the building. As such the building updrades were occurring simultaneously with the strengthening work. This proved challenging since it required good cooperation and communication among the various trades present on the jobsite.
Additionally, the strengthening work had to be done before the glass facade was installed to prevent any damage to the glass. The FRP (Fiber Reinforced Polymer) specialty contractor had to constantly manage the pressure to stay ahead of all trades and successfully did so with proper communication with all teams involved. In the face of these challenges the project was completed within budget and on schedule.
