The J.J. Pickle Federal Building, located in downtown Austin, Texas, was built in 1965 to satisfy the housing needs of federal agencies in Austin’s Central Business District. The eleven-story rectangular building houses a suite of offices that were used by President Lyndon B. Johnson during his term in office. It is currently recognized on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of a master facility that makes a strong federal presence in downtown Austin near the Capitol Building.
Exposure to the elements and foot traffic over the years took its toll on J.J. Pickle’s roofing system. Chamberlin’s working history with the general contractor and competitive pricing led to them being selected to replace the deteriorated modified roofing system with a new modified bitumen roof and PermaFlash liquid-applied flashing to preserve the federal building. This scope was completed in four months. Teamwork, innovation and proactive planning made it possible to deliver quality roofing to this establishment that preserved the historical integrity of the esteemed federal building in downtown Austin.
Two Roofs to Tackle
The J.J. Pickle Federal Building includes two different roof systems. The roof atop the eleventh floor covers two-thirds of the building. The rest of the building is covered by a roof approximately 30 feet lower which is encompassed by louver walls to reduce wind and climate effects that may damage the HVAC and mechanical systems housed on that roof. The walls on the lower deck extend up to the higher roof giving the illusion of one unified roof.
Increasing the slope by 1/8 of an inch was difficult because of the limited flashing height between the top of roof and the bottom of the louvers, installed every four to six feet on three of the walls. The lower fins of the louvers had to be removed to provide access for flashing the roof system. Then a liquid-applied PermaFlash system was used to transition from the modified bitumen roofing system to flash the bottom of the louvers.
Chamberlin also used the PermaFlash system to seal the perimeter of the louvers where they met the concrete wall. The lower fins were installed back in place once the scope was complete.
The higher roof was fully tapered at 1/4 inch with a gravel guard perimeter. Chamberlin removed the existing perimeter wood blocking and installed several layers of new 2X6 FSC wood blocking. Due to the inconsistent roof depth, some areas required Chamberlin to install multiple layers of wood blocking to ultimately create a flat roof surface.
Chamberlin worked with the manufacturer to create a sheet metal solution that would result in a warrantable roof, without modifying the exterior of the building. Chamberlin combined two details to create a piece of metal that was a combination of a coping cap and a gravel guard. Chamberlin’s sheet metal mechanics expertly fabricated these custom pieces that effectively covered the layered perimeter blocking and terminated the roof flashing membrane. The roofing system was sealed watertight and warrantied.
Down and Dirty
The main challenge that arose during this project was the accessibility of the building. The initial plan for material loading and debris removal was to bring in a crane when needed. Due to the crane laydown area only being accessible on the weekends, alternative options had to be assessed. Chamberlin took matters into their own hands by physically carrying the material and debris to their allotted destinations throughout the project. This required team members to take an elevator to the top floor and access the roof by a stair case. This took more time and labor than expected, but Chamberlin met the challenge by increasing manpower and working additional hours to complete the project on time.
Safety First
Chamberlin holds safety as a top priority on every project they undertake. They believe that if a project cannot be done safely, it will not be done. Chamberlin began by developing a site-specific safety plan for the J.J. Pickle Federal Building project. The development team included the project manager, superintendent, foremen and safety department. Since all of the project team was involved in developing this plan, it was well respected and vast knowledge and expertise were brought to the table. The project superintendent communicated this site-specific safety plan to all Chamberlin crew members.
A Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) covering each task performed was also developed for this project and reviewed by the project superintendent. It was communicated to crew members each day before work began. Stretch and flex exercises were also performed during this time. All equipment was inspected by a competent person daily before use. Personal protective equipment was worn at all times.
High-visibility warning lines were placed around the perimeter of the higher roof and Chamberlin team members were tied off 100% of the time while working on this roof with a minimal parapet wall of only a few inches. Since the lower roof was encompassed by 30-foot walls, the crew was able to work safely there without additional fall protection.
Full-time Chamberlin safety professionals conducted frequent jobsite inspections throughout the project utilizing one of the most widely used Safety Management Systems in the industry, Predictive Solutions (Safety Net). During these audits, they observed Chamberlin employees and engaged them in reviewing their safety policies and procedures, giving them feedback and mentoring them in safe practices. Chamberlin’s project management team met weekly with the Safety Department to review the safety audit results and evaluate if any adjustments were needed. The project concluded with zero safety incidents.