474 Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL

Parking garage expansion joints are probably not on top of your list of considerations when choosing where to buy a condo. They often are a reason to complain to your property manager when they leak however.

Completed in 1990 and topping out at 61 floors, 474 Lake Shore Drive is one of Chicago’s lake front landmarks.

The first 14 floors of the Dubin Dubin Black and Moutoussamy designed tower are parking levels.

The expansion joints in these decks were worn out and allowing salt-laden snowmelt run off from cars to leak between levels and into the concrete at the joint edges.

Designing the structural repairs was the responsibility of Building Technology Consultants of Arlington Heights.

BTC called on EMSEAL to provide the joint system to replace the expansion joints. After a collaboration that included establishing a shared understanding of issues relating to staging, access and movement calculation, the DSM System was selected as the most suitable product.

Allied Waterproofing, Inc. was the successful bidder for the installation contract.

All three companies, BTC, EMSEAL and AWI are members of the SWR Institute.

Inspection in in July 2016 found the DSM System to performing as installed under the heavy public and tenant parking deck traffic.

DSM System at transition from drive lane to shear wall.

Factory-fabricated Universal 90’s from EMSEAL were used to handle the changes in elevation at curbs.

The flexibility of DSM allows it to follow contours and curves as in this elevation change in the decks.

Deterioration of the base of the shear walls required repair using steel plates.The DSM System installed as effectively against the steel on one side of the joint as to the concrete on the other.

Where needed, the joint edges were repaired using a suitable polymer patching material.

Another location where Universal 90’s were used at curbs.