Eisenhower Barracks Repair & Strengthening

The Eisenhower Barracks, originally built in 1968, is a multi-story structure that house cadets at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. The academy is modernizing its barracks under the West Point Cadet Barracks Upgrade Program.

The United States Military Academy at West Point developed the Cadet Barracks Upgrade Program to address the housing units on campus. The purpose of this initiative is to modernize the existing barracks to attract the right candidates to the academy, one of which is the Eisenhower Barracks. Originally built in 1968, the Eisenhower Barracks were beginning to succumb to the universal factors that plague buildings in need of repair – time and use.

For five decades, the housing unit had served well under its current load. However, dramatic signs of deterioration began to appear. The overstress from heaving movement, punching shear, and localized beam shear caused cracking. This distress cracking, concrete spalls & delamination, and other aesthetic modifications adjusted the way the building reacted when supporting new loads. With the modifications and the updated mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, the owner needed to ensure that the building has suitable strength to support the new renovation.

STRUCTURAL, a licensee of STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES products, was contracted to strengthen six-floors of slab with concrete repairs, penetration infills, crack infills, shear capitals, and CFRP installation. The renovation also included concrete repairs to the walls, ceiling, and beams, in addition to strengthening the beam’s shear with a CFRP solution.

After initial inspection, the STRUCTURAL and STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES team completed additional internal inspections. This provided more insights into the issues of the building, which helped develop better and unique solutions.

Crews installed over 75,000 square feet of a STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES’ proprietary FRP externally bonded strengthening system to the slabs throughout the structure. A customized Design and QA/QC plan was also developed and included FRP tensile pull-off tests that were completed daily throughout the installation process.

Other scope items included infill of existing openings, general concrete spall repairs, slab crack repairs and construction of new trench systems. The team also assisted in the design and completed the construction of 99 shear capitals to strengthen the structure.

The repairs and strengthening of the barracks were completed in early 2019, with the overall project completed in the summer for fall occupancy.