Joe Louis Arena Parking Structure
Michigan
Date: 2021, 2025
Fire safety and movement accommodation were primary design requirements for this parking structure. The application involved a 6-inch wall-to-wall expansion joint between a 2-hour rated gypsum wall assembly and a reinforced concrete wall. The joint was required to accommodate ±50 percent movement while maintaining a continuous fire barrier.
Emshield® WFR2 was selected for this condition. The system achieved a 2-hour Fire and Temperature rating based on Engineering Judgment MI-516881, derived from UL System WW-D-1079. The judgment was supported by UL 2079 fire test data and finite element analysis. The FEA evaluated worst-case joint conditions under direct fire exposure and showed backside foam temperatures of approximately 170 °C at the concrete interface and approximately 80 °C at mid-depth after two hours, both within acceptable limits.
This assembly provides fire-resistive performance and large-movement capability for a mixed-substrate wall-to-wall expansion joint and meets the project requirements for the Joe Louis Arena Parking Structure.
The project is part of the modernization of the Joe Louis Arena Parking Structure at 900 W. Jefferson Avenue in Detroit. Although Joe Louis Arena was demolished between 2019 and 2020, the parking structure, commonly known as the Joe Garage, remains in service. The facility is being upgraded with improvements to structure, lighting, security, and access systems while preserving the Joe Louis mural. The garage continues to support public parking and major events, including the Detroit Grand Prix, as the surrounding site is redeveloped for residential and mixed-use uses.
