Isle of Sand Key

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In February 2010, Wilson Kehoe Miller Corporation and Isle of Sand Key Condominium Association entered into contract to perform an exterior envelope restoration project. The job started simply with concrete and stucco repairs at all the exterior walls and decks with cathodic protection at the columns and painting of the whole building.

Once the project started WKM completed more than 100 individual concrete repairs and over 300 individual stucco repairs all along the building.

As repairs at the balconies were being performed, it was discovered that the knee walls at the ends of each balcony were not secured to the deck surface or the exterior walls of the building. This meant they were free floating and only gravity was holding them onto the building. Immediately, WKM worked together with Karins Engineering Group, Inc. and the Isle of Sand Key Association to devise a way to save the walls.

Initially the thought was to reinforce them in place by adding rebar that would run into the balcony decks and to pour some of the down cells solid. This however was not an option due to the width of the kneewalls, it would be impossible to do the work without damaging the wall to the point that they would need to be replace. We also looked at removing and rebuilding all the knee walls, but that was cost prohibitive. So a method of adding a railing to the inside of the wall connecting it to the wall and to the balcony was designed. This was the ultimate solution that was chosen by the association and implemented by WKM. Going this route saved the walls, and the client a large amount of money.

The next challenge during the project were the columns at the building. Each column ran up 21 stories and bears the weight of building. Initially WKM was scheduled to protect the columns by installing a cathodic protection system. However, it was quickly discovered that at least 2 columns had significant structural damage and would have to be repaired before the cathodic protection system was installed. Again, WKM worked with Karins Engineering to come up with a process to repair the columns. A significant amount of shoring was needed to support the building and then the repairs were made.

After the repairs to the columns were performed, WKM installed a impressed current cathodic protection system at all the columns. This will greatly reduce the need for further concrete repairs at the columns.

Lastly, WKM painting the building with a high end acrylic coating system. This left the complex brightened and beautiful. At the end of the project the owner were ecstatic with the new look of their building and with the value and workmanship they received from Wilson Kehoe Miller Corporation.