Ronald Reagan National Airport - Washington DCWhen the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority needed to add 1,400 new parking spaces to three parking garages at Reagan National Airport, they retained Ammann & Whitney. Ammann & Whitney was responsible for engineering the addition of an entirely new deck on top of the existing five-story structure. This had to be done with minimal impact on airport and garage patrons. The dominant features in the garages were the existing glass block towers. Given the obvious functionality and contemporary beauty of the glass block in the existing elevator structures, the designers decided to continue the glass block’s use on the sixth floor of the towers. They also continued to use the glass block throughout the garages in stairwell enclosures, light well banisters, and emergency information pylons. Sigal Construction of Arlington, Va., was chosen as the general contractor of the project. They awarded the masonry package to JD Long, who then pegged Glass Block of America as the installer for the glass block. "Knowing the coordination and the level of difficulty related to this type of job, we needed a contractor that has specialized in glass block installation for over 25 years," offered Jimmy Radakovich, Project Manager for JD Long. The elevator towers were the most difficult portion of the project. Already 80 feet in the air, the existing glass block had to be carefully removed to a level that exposed structural steel members capable of handling the steel needed to support the balance of the towers. Glass Block of America needed to be actively involved in the detailing and dimensioning of this work. Everything had to be coordinated and completed to make the final product look fully integrated with the existing structure. "We needed Glass Block of America to be actively involved with PICO Industries, the steel contractor, in the layout of all the work in order to maintain quality and schedule," said Brian Rey, general superintendent for Sigal Construction. The same level of coordination was needed for all roof top stairwell enclosures, interior banisters, and emergency/information pylons; created out of Vue® , Argus® and Essex® glass block. There were more than 30,000 pieces of glass block installed during this project. "We were extremely happy with the effort, expertise and knowledge that Glass Block of America brought to this project," says Roy Jach, Project Manager for Sigal Construction. The new parking garage now offers 25 percent more parking spaces for one of the busiest airports in the country. Glass Block of America played an important role in maintaining the safety, schedule, and budget of this major project. For decades to come, millions of patrons will continue to use the parking garage unaware of the additional floor that was installed, all without disrupting the everyday flow and convenience of the garage. Glass Block of America |