Merritt Engineering inspects 350 balcony railings at Rivergate

Rivergate, a 706-unit hi-rise rental building located on East 34th St. in Manhattan, retained Merritt Engineering Consultants, P.C. to develop a program for the restoration of the masonry facades, concrete spandrels, balconies and for the replacement of the roofing systems at the main roof and terrace levels. The project was designed to correct SWARMP (Safe with a Repair and Maintenance Program) conditions that were cited in the building's 7th Cycle LL 11/98 report and to provide supplemental inspections of over 350 balcony railings on the building in compliance with Amended Rule 103-04 (Title 1 of the Rules of the City of New York), which now requires close inspection of the balusters, intermediate rails, and filler panels of all balcony railings on a building to determine whether the railings are safe. Survey the Damage Merritt conducted a physical survey of each façade and all balconies and prepared specifications, drawings and bidding documents for the repair of spalled concrete and corroded steel reinforcing at the spandrels and balconies. Findings During the removal of loose and cracked concrete at the balconies, Merritt noted extensive and severe deterioration of the concrete and rebars in various locations, which on one balcony, necessitated the complete demolition and replacement of the balcony slab. Problem The perimeter parapet walls at the terraces did not meet the minimum height of 42" above the deck surface, as required by the New York City Building Code, due to the prior installation of 3-1/2" thick rigid insulation board and 2" thick concrete pavers on the terraces. Resolution Merritt designed a parapet-mounted railing system, which closely-matched the size and appearance of the balcony railings, to extend the heights of the terrace parapets and insure compliance with the code requirements.