SUPERSTRUCTURES is excited to launch the eighth season of the Frost Jacking Day Tracker. "Frost jacking" is what happens when freezing temperatures cause rain or snow to turn to ice and expand cracks in a facade. As cycles of freezing and thawing accumulate, the cracks continue to grow and exterior hazardous conditions or interior water damage or leaks can occur.

Habitat’s “Problem Solved!” podcast recently interviewed SUPERSTRUCTURES’ principal, John Galetta, RA. John discussed our strategic approach to facade restoration at 160 West End Avenue which saved the building $3 million.

The 30 years-old roofs and terraces of this student residence were leaking and required replacement. By specifying a continuous layer of Vacuum Insulated Panels (VIPs) below the roof membrane, SUPERSTRUCTURES was able to achieve the code-mandated R-value (and then some) and cut roofing costs in half, saving $250,000.

Members of our team participated in the 42nd annual SIAEA New York gala at Pier 60 on November 9th. SUPERSTRUCTURES was a sponsor of the event. The gala is always a highlight of the year for us. Congratulations to all the event’s honorees and scholarship recipients!

Before embarking on a major repair campaign, the owners of this 35-story condo retained SUPERSTRUCTURES to conduct an independent investigation. The subsequent repair campaign cost $4 million and was accomplished within a single year, saving our client time and money, with far less disruption to the lives of the building occupants.

Bologna, Italy is famous for its stately porticoes (38 miles worth) and is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. New York City’s utilitarian equivalent—sidewalk sheds—are similar in that both are sheltering, street-level spaces for pedestrians.  But the similarity ends there. SUPERSTRUCTURES' systematic approach to facade inspection and restoration offers the potential to get each project completed, scaffolding dismantled, and the sidewalk unobstructed as rapidly as possible.

The brick veneer of this 1960s, 30-story coop exhibited cracks, spalls, and displacement. The board had retained a consultant who recommended installation of almost 70,000 post-installed helical veneer anchors at an estimated cost of $1.6 million. SUPERSTRUCTURES was retained to perform an independent study which ultimately saved the client $1.2 million.

Actually, SAFE. This “zipper” installation in Milan by British artist, Alex Chinneck and SITE’s postmodern facades for Best Products have been engineered to appear to be failing on a monumental scale. SUPERSTRUCTURES’ practice, on the other hand, focuses on restoring facades and the structure that supports them.

Here’s a haunting challenge: Can you check all the boxes containing gargoyles? Actually, it’s a trick (or treat) question…First, you’d need to know what makes a gargoyle a gargoyle.

Recently, the Alexander Hamilton US Custom House saw its first pour of self-consolidating concrete (SCC). The century-old masonry apron in the building’s subcellar is being restored with the application of new waterproofing, as part of a $55 million restoration of the landmark building.