 SouthTrust Tower Case HistoryPROJECT Because of its fast-track construction schedule, architects and consultants for 171 17th Street Building in mid-town Atlanta had to make sure their sealant and glazing products were reliable, easy to apply and met the highest performance standards. Granite panels inlaid into the building's glass curtainwall required a weatherproofing sealant with excellent adhesion that would not stain the porous stone substrate. PRODUCTS Dow Corning® 756 SMS KEY PARTICIPANTS Dow Corning Corporation Dow Corning® 756 SMS Building Sealant Chosen for High-Profile Atlanta Project When architects Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart & Associates (SRSS) of Atlanta, Georgia, needed to specify a sealant for the joints of granite panels inlaid into the glass curtainwall of a 21-story highrise in mid-town Atlanta, one of their concerns was protecting against staining and rundown on the porous stone substrate. General contractor Hardin Construction was on a very tight construction schedule and wanted to make sure the job got done on schedule with high-performance sealant products that had a solid track record for durability. Dow Corning® 756 SMS Building Sealant got the nod after receiving a recommendation from curtainwall contractor JAMCo. “We had not used 756 SMS before,” said Demetre Rizopoulos, the SRSS architect responsible for construction administration on the project. “JAMCo recommended it, the AAMA 501.1 water test was performed and everything passed.” According to Bill Hahn, project manager for JAMCo, their Dow Corning representative first suggested 756 SMS for the project. JAMCo sent substrate samples to the Dow Corning Lab for adhesion testing prior to the start of the job. They then recommended the sealant as an alternate to the specification for 171 17th Street Building, the first tower to go up in a large mixed-use development known as Atlantic Station. Field testing for cohesive failure was performed when the installation was about 50% complete. Three water tests were also performed later as the project neared completion. SRSS witnessed both the pull tests and the water tests. JAMCo has high performance standards for the products they use, and 756 SMS has met them on this project. “JAMCo uses Dow Corning products exclusively for our silicone needs,” he said. “We’re very pleased to add 756 SMS to our line-up.” The sealant received good reviews from the field as well. “I like 756 SMS,” said Mike Allen, site superintendent for Alpha Insulation and Waterproofing, a subcontractor to JAMCo. “It skins quickly and bonds great to stone and metal. It has excellent adhesion, and nothing required primer.” Alpha’s 12-person crew applied about 2,000 gallons of gray 756 SMS Sealant to the building’s exterior perimeter joints. It took about five months to weatherseal the nearly 60,000 square feet of granite panel inlays. The building was completed in April 2004. Commonly referred to as the SouthTrust Tower (after its anchor tenant, the SouthTrust Corporation), the building’s facade required about 100,000 total lineal feet of caulking. All joints were prepped with a solvent wipe; some required backer rod or bond breaker. Rizopoulos specified other well-established Dow Corning® brand sealant products for this project including:
“We specify Dow Corning sealants on all our projects because they have a proven track record,” said Rizopoulos. “We find products that work and stick to them.” 756 SMS Building Sealant features a patented surface-modified silicone (SMS) technology that sets new standards for clean sealants. With its unique, matte finish, 756 SMS is a high-performance sealant that features:
Located in the heart of Atlanta, Atlantic Station is a “live-work-play” urban redevelopment project that will eventually encompass 138 acres and provide a mix of:
For more information about Dow Corning 756 SMS Sealant visit www.dowcorning.com. For more information about the Atlantic Station development visit www.atlanticstation.com. FOR MORE INFORMATION For more information about these and other Dow Corning materials for the construction industry, or for the name of the Dow Corning representative in your area, call toll-free 1-877-SEALANT (1-877-732-5268). Or visit our construction web site at www.dowcorning.com/construction. The owners and management authorities of the project featured in this literature piece neither endorse nor recommend products for any particular use. The information in this case study, while believed to be accurate, does not imply an endorsement or recommendation of the products. Photo Caption ID SouthTrust Tower in Atlanta, Georgia Photo number Dow Corning is a registered trademark of Dow Corning Corporation. © 2005 Dow Corning Corporation. All rights reserved. Dow Corning Corporation |