Western Specialty Contractors – Denver Branch recently removed a pair of deteriorated concrete panels, each weighing 4,000 lbs., from the roof of Building C in Denver’s Empire Park.

Empire Park is a 461,779-square-foot general office building complex on South Colorado Boulevard. Built in 1971, the property features 1,842 parking spaces and three building towers (named A, B & C).

Empire Park Realty contracted with Western to remove two deteriorated architectural concrete panels on the upper roof level of the middle tower, C. To access the panels safely, Western mobilized a 110-ton crane, positioned on a parking lot, to bring down the heavy panels before they failed with the potential to cause catastrophic damage. Western’s façade experts then welded supplemental steel straps on the remaining roof panels to reinforce their existing connections.

Western was able to complete the project within two months and on budget to the satisfaction of the owner and the engineer on the project, EB Structural, LLC. Western is currently in discussions with an architect about possibly replacing the removed, decorative panels with an alternative to concrete. 

Concrete alternative panels would appear like real concrete but would be lighter and more resistant to deterioration.