Volume 1Volume 1

Issue 3Issue 3

CoastalCoastal

CondoCondo

NewsNews America’s Guide ToAmerica’s Guide To

Modern CondominiumModern Condominium

RestorationRestoration

Fall Issue:Fall Issue:

Choose The Right Restoration Firm Choose The Right Restoration Firm

The Best New TechnologyThe Best New Technology

Moisture Intrusion Moisture Intrusion -- Prevent It Now!Prevent It Now!

Maintenance In Tough Financial TimesMaintenance In Tough Financial Times

Choosing Your EngineerChoosing Your Engineer

Much, Much More!Much, Much More!

Coastal Condo News Page 2

Welcome Readers! Welcome to the “Fall Edition” of Coastal Condo

News! We are thrilled with the success of our publica-tion, and we look forward to bringing you impor-tant and insightful information that will help you and your decision-makers make the right call when it comes time to engage in your renovation projects large and small. Our audience has been very specific: condo boards, homeowner associations, association managers, management companies, and inter-ested owners concerned about their property. Our readership has grown to include the very best restoration engineers, contractors, and sup-pliers throughout the United States. As a result, our issues continue to get bigger and bigger, and we are able to offer our readers information and knowledge that is insightful and valuable. In this issue we welcome several new contribu-tors with new articles that I know you will find in-dispensible. Mike Brandt founded Shira-Con in 2006 to bring his years of experience to the condominium mar-ketplace. Joe Curran drafted our technology feature this month on impressed current cathodic protection or ICCP. Joe worked the California Department of Transpor-tation where he became interested in corrosion on bridge decks. He graduated with honors from the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida with a bachelor’s degree in ocean engineering with a specialty in corrosion and the corrosion of steel in concrete. He is following the parallel path of study that the National Association of Corrosion Engineers

(NACE) established for cathodic protection and ad-vanced corrosion studies. In 1995, he went to work at Kennedy Space Center where he is considered an expert in solving problems with corrosion of steel in concrete, cathodic protection, migrating corrosion inhibitors, and corrosion related prob-lems in regard to coatings. He is a noted inventor and obtained the only patent for protection of steel in concrete at a NASA center. He has co-authored over seven papers, presented at many conferences both nationally and internationally, and has received many awards. Bruce Bromley and William Cook give us crucial look into maintenance during tough financial times. This critical article takes a careful look at the impor-tant maintenance issues condominium association face and how to deal with them during times such as these. Tom Cruz with RAS engineers looks at the condo-miniums’ number one culprit necessitating a build-ing’s renovation: moisture intrusion. The big news for Poma Construction this issue is the Notice of Acceptance of it’s glass railing system by the Miami Dade Building Compliance Office. This internationally regarded NOA notes that Poma’s glass railing system withstands wind loads far greater than nature can throw at it. We continually look for break-through solutions of problems in each issue, and we look forward to serving the needs of condo associa-tions, condo boards, units owners, management companies, and now engineers and restoration con-tractors nationwide.

Dennis Hill

Editor

Welcome to Coastal Condo News

Fall Edition

Coastal Condo News

Fall Edition

In This Issue

2 Welcome From The Editor

3 Choosing A Restoration Firm

Everything you and need to know before you hire

a restoration company

4 Poma Railings: Miami-Dade Approved

4 Choosing An Engineer: Make the Right Choice

5, 6, & 7 Special Sneak Preview

A sneak preview of Our Sister Publication “Commercial

Restoration Digest” scheduled to debut this winter

9 Tech Spotlight - Enemies of Our Coast

Key coastal problems and 21st century solutions

10 The Danger of Moisture Intrusion

11 Maintenance & Uncertain Financial Times

As relevant as it gets for condo managers and

Boards in today’s economy

Coastal

Condo News

Coastal Condo News

Is a Publication of:

Global

Asset Management Group, Inc. 7502 Donlon Road

Fort Pierce, FL 34951 Telephone (800) 518-9659 EXT. 600

Fax (888) 890-4292

www.coastalcondonews.com

Publisher Dennis Hill President

Associate Publisher

Pat Smith

Contributors Gene Smith, JoAnn Hill,

Edith Silberstein, Milt Dean Hill, Jr., Lynn Podlaski,

Will Hyde

General Manager Bob Hommell

Sales Manager

David Schneider

Circulation Picop Andropov

Coastal Condo News is a publication of Z Global Asset Management

Group, Inc. Any reproduction of ma-terial contained within this issue is strictly prohibited without the writ-ten consent of Z Global Asset Man-

agement Group, Inc. Please call (800) 518-9659 or visit our web site

www.coastalcondonews.com to learn more about our company, our

products, and our projects

Coastal Condo News Page 3

By Michael Brandt There was a time in the earlier days of the structural repair industry when all anyone knew about concrete repairs and waterproofing was based on their knowledge of new construction practices. There was a lot of trial and error, therefore a lot of case studies to learn from at the expense of many condominium buildings. The industry was rampant with contractors and engineers who did-n’t know enough to know that they didn’t know enough or, frankly, just didn’t care. As time went on, fine organizations such as ICRI (International Concrete Repair Institute) and ACI (American Concrete Institute) gathered some of

the sharpest minds in the fledgling industry and put together standards and technical guidelines for all to follow. Over the years and bringing us to current day, methods, materials and technologies have dramatically improved the tools the industry has to work with. Nevertheless, with all the improvement in the industry, we never cease to be amazed when we discover faulty repairs previously performed only a few years earlier: repairs where the con-tractor neglected to square cut the repair edges, did not bother to clean the steel before coating with anti-corrosive agents or just utilized im-proper materials for the application. The list goes on and on. So, It’s not just nature’s harsh elements that support the restoration industry. Unfortunately, condominium associations make unwise and uninformed decisions con-cerning their choice of engineers and contrac-tors ensuring plenty of repeat business. Aside from repairing older structures the other significant source of business is repairing the new condominiums built during the big condo construction boom in recent years. This fact may be perplexing to some, however we all watched in amazement as these buildings went up at a record pace. In some cases of par-ticularly speedily built condominiums we heard stories of developers giving incentives in the form of lucrative bonuses to contractors for ex-tra timely completion. The contractors were eager to play along with the slap-it-together-and-sell-it game, paying no mind to quality control because frankly……it did-

n’t pay. As a result there is an abundance of multimillion dollar developer defect law suits being litigated or settled, subsequently inundating the industry with plenty of work. Keeping this in mind and fast forwarding to cur-rent day and the collapse of the real estate mar-ket: the new construction work has come to a screeching halt with the exception of buildings fortunate enough to have funding in order to fin-ish the projects they started. Now thousands of people are out of work: engi-neering firms, architectural firms and general con-tractors, everyone from the worker bee to the project managers. With a lack of work for all these

individuals a large number of them are infiltrating the restoration industry at all levels and threaten-ing to tarnish a reputation that many reputable people in the industry have fought to clean up. It is commonplace now for there to be as many as ten or more contractors bidding on a single project, most of whom have only recently come out of the woodwork and have never been heard

of before. The question always arises, who invited them? Is it the misguided engineer, or misguided Board members? When the bids are submitted, will the Boards of Directors know how to differentiate the qualified possibly higher priced contractors from the lower priced unqualified contractors? In regards to engineer and architect firms spe-cifically, we have seen these characters in the res-toration market before. It boggles the mind of restoration contractors how they get hired in the first place, an unfortunate testament to the na-ivety of some Boards of Directors. The mistakes these misguided engineers or ar-chitects make right from the outset of the bidding

process all the way through the end of the project cost the condominium in many cases hundreds of thousands of dollars. Suffice it to say, concrete restoration is a niche industry requiring a specialized engineer and contractor. Regardless of how many years of experience an engineer, architect or con-tractor may have in general construction they would be ill-equipped to oversee a concrete restoration or waterproofing job. There has always been a great divide sepa-rating new construction practices from the restoration industry’s knowledge of what means and methods of work that stand up over time. Trying to bridge that divide at the

expense of the condominium homeowners is a huge mistake. Listed as follows and graphically represented in the inserts (see inserts) are categories of work with common defects associated with them.

(See Fox/Henhouse—Continued On Page 5…)

Don’t Let The Fox Guard The Henhouse

Choosing Your Restoration Team

Insert #1 Building Structure (Shell Construction)

1. Poor concrete coverage over steel promoting con-crete cracking and “spalling” (see picture on right)

2. Post tension cable anchoring points (pockets) ca-ble is not cut back sufficiently and grease cap is not installed promoting corrosion of anchoring point and serious structural failure.

3. Poor surface prep promoting stucco cracking, de-lamination, and cracking.

4. “Honey combing” caused by poor concrete con-solidation.

PALM CITY, FL—Poma Construction , the Palm City, FL based global manufacturer and installer of railing systems has received its Notice of Acceptance from the Miami-Dade Building Code Compliance Office.

The Notice of Acceptence cites test results from Fenestration Testing Laboratory, a leading independent testing lab regularly used for the strict and cautious standards for Miami-Dade approvals and Notices of Accep-tance.

In confirming the results of Poma’s system, the NOA gives the railings a “Large and Small” Missile Impact Rat-ing. The NOA notes:

“The product is approved as de-scribed herein, and has been designed to comply with the High Velocity Hur-ricane Zone of the Florida Building Code.”

“The strength and durability of Poma’s system is remarkable,” said Todd Wegrich, Sales Manager for Poma. “The railings were tested at 200 psf, and passed with flying colors. This is significantly greater than anything mother nature can mus-ter.”

In recent meeting with the Miami-Dade Building Department, the Poma team received very enthu-siastic reviews and resulted in a continual invita-tion to return to highlight the product’s problem-solving attributes.

“One always hesitates to use the phrase ‘state-of-the-art,’” Wegrich added. “But in this case, it’s

hard not to use it. This sys-tem represents the most ad-vanced technology and the greatest capacity or strength and quality available in the market today. Not only is it strong and durable, but from an aesthetic standpoint, these railings can make a 20-

year-old building look new. They can also enhance a newer building to a great degree, and that al-

ways helps increase or maintain the value of the owners units.”

Poma’s unique system was designed by Frank Poma, the company’s President and a 35-year veteran of the industry.

Engineered and built for the harsh coastal cli-mate of Florida (and all other coastal regions), the system is applicable for all buildings on or near the water.

“Combined with a properly executed restora-tion program, our railings will enhance a build-ing’s looks and its value,” Poma said. “And, they will be there through any type of storm that the coastal areas can be prone to at times.” CCN

Poma Railings Receive Miami-Dade NOA

Company’s Glass Railings Withstand Nature’s Fury

Geoffrey Nicholson, BSAE/MBA J. Belliveau and Associates, Inc.

The fundamental criteria for selecting an engineering firm should be based on the education, experience and expertise of the firm's principals and employees who will be assigned key pro-ject responsibilities, with particular attention to their licensure, competency and commitment to quality.

The firm's general experience and history of performance on projects similar to the one under consideration should also be a key discriminator. Interview and solicit recommendations and opinions of the firm's previous clients regarding the firm’s com-petencies. Prior clients may also be able to share their opinions as to the engineering firm's sense of responsibility, attitude, re-sponsiveness, technical expertise, project management steward-ship, quality of customer attention and ethical behavior.

The firm's approach to plan development, organization and management of projects, including, communication procedures, approach to problem solving, data gathering methods, evaluation

techniques and quality control are important criteria in evaluat-ing an engineering firm.

Don’t wait until you need a professional engineer. It’s always a right time to find the engineer who has the kind of skills and ex-perience you require.

Identify engineering firms who have had experience managing the types of projects you require. Check out several engineering companies yourself..

Ask about the present workload with attention to current and future commitments of available personnel, particularly those key persons to be assigned to the project.

Ascertain the financial stability, with particular attention to avoiding a situation in which the firm is solely dependent upon income from the project at hand for its existence.

Be crystal clear about what you want. Communicate your pro-ject requirements, expectations, timing and deliverables.

Choosing the right engineering firm is not about getting the cheapest service. It is about getting the job done right for the best value. CCN

Choosing an Engineer:

Make The Right Move With The Right Firm

Coastal Condo News Page 4

(...Fox/Henhouse—Continued From Pg. 3)

Building Structure (Shell Construction) Poor concrete coverage over steel promoting

cracking and a condition known as spalling. Post tension cable anchoring points (pockets)

cable is not cut back sufficiently and grease cap is not installed: this promotes corrosions and serious structural failure.

Poor surface preparation promoting stucco cracking and delaminate.

“Honeycombing” caused by poor concrete consolidation.

See Insert 1.

Waterproofing and Painting Poor surface prep causes waterproofing or

paint to delaminate. Not allowing for proper cure time on newly

poured concrete causing delaminating and failure.

Materials applied at improper millage. Handling and application of products not in

accordance with manufac-turers specifica-tions.

See Insert 2.

Railings Systems Core drilling and cutting balcony edge bars in the process jeopardiz-ing the structural integrity of railing and balcony. Under-filled post pockets allows water to pool causing excessive moisture in concrete deck (see cause and effect pictures in insert 3). Improper post pocket material and or applica-tion and associated cracking allowing excessive moisture in concrete deck. Aluminum post embedded in concrete deck too close to rebar causing dissimilar metal electro

-chemical reaction and corroding railing post and rebar. Open miter joints on mechanically fastened railing systems allowing water intrusion inside aluminum post and down to pocket and corroding rebar. See Insert 3. Window Systems Excessive non-code complying bucking requir-ing large sealant joints due to inaccurate field measurements and/or improper installation (see picture in insert 4). Poor surface prep causes sealant failure at pe-rimeter of windows Fastener holes are not blown out (to clean out concrete dust from drilling) before urethane seal-ant and fastener are placed in the hole. Neglecting to seal fasteners causing water in-trusion into structural concrete. See insert 4.

Unfortunately, the list goes on and on. Contrac-tors continually perform this work paying no re-gard to quality or just lacking the knowledge to know any better. Needless to say, allowing this merger to take place is very much like the proverbial fox guarding the hen house. The restoration industry is far from perfect and we continue to weed out the remaining bad apples that have at times tarnished our reputation. Nevertheless, in this economy there is no room for condominium associations to make the wrong decision on their design professional or their con-tractor. Condominium associations have one op-portunity to do it right because in these times the cost of doing it twice may literally put homeown-ers out of their homes. So, when you are selecting your professionals do not ask them how many years they’ve been in the construction industry. Rather ask and verify how many years they’ve been in the structural repair industry. No matter how thick their resume is, or how professional they appear, have your prospective engineers and contractors fill out a qualification statement that asks the following: 1. How many years have you been in the con-crete restoration industry? 2. How many jobs with similar size and scope have you performed? 3. Are you in any lawsuits resulting from your work? If they are able to put down satisfactory

(Fox/Henhouse—Cont’d on page10...)

Coastal Condo News Page 5

Insert #2 Waterproofing and Painting

1. Poor surface prep causes waterproofing or paint to delaminate (see picture on right)

2. Not allowing for proper cure time on newly poured concrete causing delamination and failure.

3. Materials applied at improper millage 4. Handling application of products not in ac-

cordance with manufacturers specifica-tions.

RESTORE Painting and Waterproofing, Inc.

Corporate Office : 3149 John P. Curci Dr., Bay –3, Pembroke Park, FL 33009

Telephone: (954) 985-5353 Fax: (954) 985-5356 CGC-1511335

Restoring Beauty, Quality and confidence to the South Florida Skyline

SNEAK PREVIEW

Commercia l Restorat ion Digest

Yankee Clipper Fort Lauderdale Beachfront Legend

Gets Dramatic Makeover

A true slice of south Florida history got a complete and classic makeover this year. Originally built in the 1950s, the Sheraton-

Yankee Clipper on the southern end of Fort Lauderdale’s world famous beach strip re-cently underwent a rejuvenation project that included extensive renovation and restoration to its exterior, guest rooms, meeting spaces, public areas, restaurants and bar. The classic design aspects of the property were meticulously maintained throughout the enhancements and modernized. While maintaining its original character, the hotel’s distinctive features received a fresh look while retaining the nautical theme of the property. Each of the hotel’s 485 guestrooms, in-cluding 15 suites, were fully renovated. The hotel‘s exterior and metalwork was entrusted to Poma Construction of Palm City, Florida. Poma was charged with upgrading and modernizing the technology and future lifespan of the railings and metalwork while preserving original classic integrity of the

theme of the property. Other upgrades include 7,000 square feet of indoor meeting space, 5,600 square feet of outdoor space (providing a venue for small and mid-sized meetings overlooking the At-lantic Ocean), and a renovation of the world- famous Wreck Bar on the hotel’s main floor.

Peabody Orlando $420 Million Addition

Sets New Standard of Luxury

When the Peabody Orlando Hotel set their

sights on expansion, they weren’t just adding a few rooms. When completed this year, the project will include 1,641 rooms, including 120 suites, 210,000 square feet of meeting space on three levels (featuring the pillar-free 55,000 square-foot Peabody Grand Ballroom), 80 deluxe breakout rooms with full multimedia capabilities, three new swim-ming pools including a heated Olympic-style pool, a new Napa Valley wine-themed res-taurant, a 22,000 square-foot, full service luxury spa, and a 7-story parking garage for 2,100 cars. The project incorporated an extensive ar-ray of custom-designed and fabricated glass railings and a variety of specialty metalwork. The Peabody Orlando and prime contactor Balfour Beatty entrusted the work to Poma Construction’s Railing Division.

Yankee Trader Another Landmark Undergoes

Stellar Upgrade

While world famous Fort Lauderdale beach claims the presence of many world class ho-tels and resorts, few are as globally revered as the Westin Yankee Trader, now reopened after an extensive restoration and renovation.

The renovation resulted in dramatic exte-rior modifications, the railings and metalwork of which were contracted to Poma Construc-tion’s Railing Division of Palm City, Florida. The restoration project enhanced its pres-ence on the Ft. Lauderdale Beach and pro-vides spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean, the Intracoastal Waterway, and the city of Fort Lauderdale. The refurbished interior features include Shula’s restaurant and a new Heavenly Spa by Westin™ and Westin WORKOUT® fit-ness center as well as state-of-the-art meet-ing facilities. The hotel also features more than 32,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space including the 10,000 square foot Las Olas Ballroom, which can accommodate groups of up to 1,200 people. Nearby rec-reation includes golf, deep-sea fishing, scuba diving and sailing.

Coastal Condo News Page 6

SNEAK PREVIEW

Commercia l Restorat ion Digest

By Dennis Hill In the realm of cutting-edge design, fabrica-tion and installation, the world of custom met-alwork is divided into two categories: Poma

Construction’s Railing Division and all the rest. This distinction has earned the trust of architects and engineers worldwide.

So, when Disney posed yet an-other design that pushed the edge of the envelope, they once again turned to Poma’s Railing Division for its design, fabrication, and solu-tion. The proposal for the new Disney Animal Kingdom Lodge challenged the Poma team to again turn the Disney

vision of something that had never been done before into a reality. The vision involves a series of simulated tree-top canopies de-signed to recreate a rain forest setting in the lodge’s main lobby restaurant. “It was one of our most chal-lenging projects from start to fin-ish,” said Frank Poma. The team included Justin Poma and Russell “Rusty” Duren.

The project was the latest in a series of pro-jects the company has completed for Disney over the past 25 years.

New Construction Spotlight: Disney Turns To Poma For Yet Another “Impossible” Creation

New Construction Spotlight II: New Miami Parking Garage Sets New

Standard Of Achievement

Parking garage guru TimHaahs spear-headed the design of the new state-of-the-art, multi-million dollar parking facility adjacent to the new Federal Courthouse in downtown Mi-ami and served as the prime design firm. While providing full architectural and park-ing design services for this project, the indus-try once again turned to Poma Construction for the custom metalwork fabrication and in-

stallation for this impressive facility. A unique full-service firm, Tim Haas is con-sidered a firm with “architects, engineers, de-signers, planners, and specialists who under-stand how to leverage parking as an asset and effectively integrate multiple uses in a cohe-sive, attractive design.” This new garage has 850 parking spaces and is designed for future horizontal expan-sion that will add an additional 300 parking spaces. The facility is home to two retail spaces on the ground floor and over 20,000 square feet of office space The administrative offices of the Miami Parking Authority are also housed in the facility. The parking center features street “liners” on the second and third floor facades, and blue glass creates a pleasant aesthetic effect. The new garage complements the court-house to its north, and is designed with a pas-sive reflection park on the corner. The facility is located at North Miami Ave-nue and Northwest 3rd Street.

Coastal Condo News Page 7

By Dennis Hill “Restoring Beauty, Quality, and Confidence to the South Florida Skyline” reads the headline from a recent publication. And, when it comes to ex-perience, project performance, quality and profes-sionalism, the first place many Florida homeowner

associations, engineers and architects look is to Restore Painting and Waterproofing. “When your reputation and the success of your business relies not only on your business expertise but the end result of your projects, quality is job one,” said Norge Arnaiz, President of Restore. “We have extensive experience working on hotels, con-dominiums, and historical sites where our clients require the absolute best quality and beauty.” The Restore team has decades of experience in all types of residential (and commercial) construc-tion, restoration, painting, and waterproofing pro-jects, and they have been consistently producing top-quality results in the ever-changing construc-tion, painting, and waterproofing industries. And now the Restore team has added even more expertise and experience with the addition of Juan Castro, Vice President to the firm. “Juan brings to the company the kind of knowl-edge and hands-on experience that complements

everything we do as a company,” said Norge. “He worked his way up from being a laborer to a tech-nician, a foreman, a superintendent, and he is a state-certified general contractor with extensive and diverse experience in all facets of restoration.” In addition to the experience and reputation of Arnaiz and Restore, Castro brings to the team a wealth of knowledge and experience in concrete restoration, structural components, structural de-ficiencies (in beams, columns, structural slabs, etc.) as well as disaster restoration, post tension cable repair, epoxy and grout injection, ex-pansion joints, waterproofing and painting. Besides being a certified gen-eral contractor, Castro’s creden-tials include holding a Mas-ter Certificate in concrete repair by the Interna-tional Concrete Repair Institute (ICI), certifica-tion with the Department of Occupational Safety and Health Association, and he serves as a cur-rent member of the In-ternational Concrete Re-pair Institute. Castro has overseen the restoration of a vari-ety of buildings ranging from a single story build-ings to upwards of 35 stories high. He has over

15 years of experience in all different fields of con-struction with an emphasis on restoration. He brings to the firm an impeccable reputation and likes to set the standards for others to follow. “Juan’s philosophy of setting the standard fits with everything we do at Restore,” said Arnaiz. The members of firm pride themselves on qual-ity and timely project completion, and they have the references to back them up. “We feel that we exceed industry standards and our clients’ expectations on every job,” he added.

“Our staff of 60 full- time professional management teams, supervisors and crews enables us to satisfy the needs of every client. Now, with Juan on board as part of our team, there isn’t anything we can’t do.” “One of the many reasons I teamed with Norge is that the com-

pany has a well-versed and knowledgeable staff, which pretty much makes it mandatory that our personnel receive ongoing training in the areas of materials, equipment, safety, and the changing technology of our industry,” said Castro. “It’s a commitment to make each project a safe and sat-isfying experience for our client.” With safety at the forefront of each and every job, Restore retains an Independent Safety Con-sultant to provide ongoing OSHA training for all its employees and periodically reviews each job to ensure OSHA safety compliance. “We also run background checks and randomly drug test all of our employees, so our clients can rest assured and know that that they have only the best people working on their project.” Restore is a recognized leader in South Florida for their projects, and they have a reputation for consistently completing jobs on-time and under budget. CCN

CCN Profile: Restore Painting & Waterproofing

Veteran Restoration Leaders Team Up For New Challenges

Coastal Condo News Page 8

Juan Castro & Norge Arnaiz “Team Experience” At Restore

Complete & Creative Solutions

For Condominium &

Homeowner Associations

Engineer Criteria Review

Association Project Financing

Contractor Criteria Review

Specification Review and Analysis

Bid/Contract Review and Analysis

Schedule Development

Complete Association Representation

Call: (561) 212-0006

Email: Todd@alrichassociates.com

Serving All of South Florida

And The Southeast United States

By Joe Curran Cathodic Protection Expert As a condominium owner the worst thing you can have in Florida is an untrained construction worker. And we certainly have them. As much as I hate to admit it, I was that dangerous untrained construction worker. I committed all of the sins to ensure that the concrete on your balcony is of the poorest quality, corroded quickly, and cost you a lot of money in future years. I added more water than was necessary, I did not consolidate properly, I broom finished, I added filler when the concrete truck ran short, I covered your balcony with carpet, and I did not cure properly. Please accept my apologies as at the time I did not know better. I only wanted my job to be easier. The real enemies of reinforced concrete are salt, oxygen, and water. Small cracks and micro-pores allow chlorides from the salt-laden air to reach the reinforcing steel. This sets up many corrosion cells causing stresses in the concrete causing the con-crete to crack and spall away from the reinforcing steel. There are many approaches to concrete balcony restoration from low-cost short-term fixes such as patch-and-go; migrating corrosion inhibitors, and the more practical, proven, and more economically beneficial for the long range ap-proach to balcony repair with impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP). Typically, owners delay repairing balconies due to the inconvenience and initial costs involved. What is not realized is that the cost of corrosion remediation grows exponentially when the repairs are not addressed immediately. Every day the bal-cony remains un-repaired allows the enemies of concrete to cause greater damage. An initial estimate for repair could be $200,000, but if not addressed, a year later the cost could be $600,000 or more. One of the reasons you purchased your home was to use your balcony to sit out-side and enjoy the views. You expect and deserve to have the no-hassle, conven-ient lifestyle that you worked your whole life for. The long-term approach of im-pressed current cathodic protection re-stores your peace of mind, avoids closing your balcony every few years, and the noise of chipping and hammering. In ad-dition, it avoids the politics of board meetings every few years fighting for a special assessment. This long-term ap-proach of ICCP creates good relationships, and can reduce annual maintenance costs. Typically, condominium associations go through a costly learning process and cy-cle before finally agreeing to install a proven cost effective impressed current cathodic protection system. This cycle starts because the balcony is not maintained and inspected properly on

an annual basis. The owners notice cracks and spalling due to the chlorides attacking the reinforc-ing steel causing railing to become loose, and con-crete chunks to fall. This usually happens eight to 15 years after initial construction. Condominium associations have tried to address the problem unsuccessfully with patch-and-go, wa-terproofing, corrosion inhibitors, epoxy coatings and injections. However, these methods are short- term solutions at slowing down the corrosion proc-ess, and without proper corrosion mitigation, even the best repair methods will not prevent additional corrosion. This results in new concrete damage in a relatively short period of time-typically four to six years. These methods are considered the bandage approach only addressing the symptom and not the root cause of corrosion. The result is a never ending cycle of concrete repairs, high costs, incon-venience, and special assessments. Concrete repair with impressed current cathodic protect is a proven solution scientifically proven to "stop" corrosion addressing the root cause of cor-rosion. Some of the more experienced solution providers offer a 15-year warranty that guarantees all concrete from future cracking and spalling where the system is applied. Life expectancy is anywhere from 15 to 25 years. Before spending your hard-earned money over and over again (that can run into the millions of dollars), or tearing off your balconies completely, consider installing the only proven method that works: impressed current cathodic protection. For example, one condominium association was facing a $10 million full tear out of their balconies, not including shutters, railings, sliding glass doors, loss of rental income, etc. They wisely opted for

conventional repair with impressed current ca-thodic protection at a cost of approximately $2 million. Today, 13 years later, this condominium is in pristine shape and has avoided at least 2 cycles of patch and go with estimated savings of 4 million dollars. The ICCP approach avoided further incon-venience of the owners by disruption with noise, dust, and loss of rental income. Impressed current cathodic protection is the most cost effective solution with a design life of 25 years and improves your quality of living.

What is Corrosion

In layman terms, corrosion is a simple loss of electrons. For reinforcing steel in concrete this shows itself by the iron turning into rust. This rust grows, expanding to about 6 times the original vol-ume of the iron reinforcing bar. This expansion causes internal stresses cracking and spalling the concrete.

Why ICCP Protection Works

For this discussion assume that the electrons are leaving the reinforcing steel at a rate of 4000 elec-trons per second. To stop the corrosion com-pletely one must supply electrons at this rate. If we supply 2000 electrons per second to the rein-forcing steel from an ICCP system we have reduced the rate of corrosion by 50%. This by itself in-creases the life of the concrete balcony by many years. A corrosion engineer’s goal is simply to supply enough electrons to counteract the ongoing corro-sion process. This is accomplished through the in-stallation of an Impressed Current Cathodic Protec-tion System. No other method can achieve this goal of stopping corrosion. CCN

UNDER ATTACK: ENEMIES ON OUR COAST

U-Boats, No: Jellyfish, Sharks, and the Construction worker, YES.

Coastal Condo News Page 9

By Tom Cruz

The most prevalent building problems plaguing Florida structures is and has always been moisture related. Almost all of the most expensive repairs for a building (including corrosion, mold, and ma-terial degradation) can be traced to accumulation of moisture. These facts have been made evident by the Design Professional Insurance Company which conducted a 5-years study on over 5,000 construction claims. They declared that moisture is indeed the cause of most building deficiency claims brought before them. Surprising results have been published by the American Hotel and Motel Association when their 1990 survey revealed that moisture and mold problems occur more often in expensive construc-tion than in moderately priced construction. This implies that more construction spending does not guarantee a better overall job and that even re-cently constructed buildings can have moisture and mold problems if the construction phase is not monitored closely and accordingly. Many new buildings can start off with moisture problems if the property site was suffering from high levels of moisture in the atmosphere during construction and inadequate materials are certainly a major cause of this dilemma. Moisture is a very serious and extremely com-mon problem for indoor air quality in humid cli-mates. It will continue to stay a common problem because there are so many ways that moisture can

find its way inside. Just a few ways that moisture can creep into a building are: a faulty HVAC sys-tem, leaks through the ducts, cracks in the enve-lope, uneven pressure inside the building, cracks on the walls, pealing or drying-out sealants, and cracks on the windows or doors. Many people don’t realize the countless ways they can be ex-posed to moisture and even most professionals will inspect a building and assume the source of the moisture lies solely on the envelope or on the HVAC system, leaving the repairs on the building incomplete as there might be multiple entries for the moisture. Furthermore, trade coordination is a major source of waterproofing problems. Moisture contamination is a problem because it causes many different complications for the ten-ants and for the indoor air quality (IAQ). Tenants in a moisture-contaminated building will suffer from many problems including low energy levels, dis-comfort, depression, and countless other debilitat-ing conditions. On the other hand, the building it-self can suffer from moisture accumulation, disin-tegrating finishes & materials, and most impor-tantly: mold. Mold is a very dangerous health hazard and can have fatal consequences for tenants. The high con-centration of microbes from the mold sites are dis-persed through the air and are ingested by the tenants either through their food, water, or by breathing. The reason why many people must take mold infestation so seriously is because when a

wall or area of a building is infested with mold, it becomes very difficult to remove and the walls and flooring must be completely replaced to clear out the infestation. These mold repairs can be-come quite costly making many building owners fearful of a potential outbreak of mold in their property.

Most building owners, though, are in a state of blissful ignorance when they buy or build a new property, believing that the risk of mold or mois-ture intrusion does not apply to them. Thinking that a new property must be in perfect working condition, most people tend to bypass the neces-sary step of conducting a post-construction inspec-tion and commissioning (kind of like tune ups for the building) by an engineer with expertise in building sciences that have the whole vision of the building dynamics. The problems with moisture and mold, as with many problems with building deficiencies, are not a hopeless concern. Many of these problems can be prevented with consistent inspections by a li-censed engineer with the proper non-destructive testing tools and monitoring the differential pres-sure, and air dew point before they become a large problem. It is important that building owners take note of their building’s flaws and perform suitable maintenance in order to keep them in working order. A copy of this article can be downloaded at www.rasengineers.com CCN

The Danger of Moisture Intrusion

The Most Prevalent Coastal Building Problem

Coastal Condo News Page 10

(...Fox/Henhouse—Continued From Pg. 5) answers on those questions look into their financial stability and lastly verify their references. Do not accept one reference per property rather try and get multiple refer-ences from each individual project because all too often if they can only manage one reference there’s a high probability that reference is “compromised” in some way. These are important first steps to ensuring a successful project. Suffice it to say, when choosing your design professionals and contractors, re-member, having many years of ex-perience being the cause or at the very least an accessory to the problem is not the experience you’re looking for. For the good of your community, let’s all do our part in keeping the fox out of the hen house. ccn

Michael Brandt is president of Shira-Con, Inc. a management/consulting company offering an array of project management restoration services. He can be contacted at info@shira-con.com. Please visit his web site:www.shira-con.com

Insert #3 Railing Systems

1. Core drilling and cutting balcony edge bars in the process jeopardizing the struc-tural integrity of railing and balcony

2. Under-filled post pockets pool water al-lowing excessive moisture in concrete deck (see cause and effect pictures)

3. Improper post pocket material and/or application and associated cracking al-lowing excessive moisture in concrete deck

4. Aluminum post embedded in concrete deck too close to rebar causes dissimilar metal electro-chemical reaction and cor-roding railing post (see picture on right)

5. Open miter joints on mechanically fas-tened railing systems allow water intru-sion inside aluminum post to pocket and corrode rebar

Insert #4 Window Systems

1. Excessive non-code complying bucking requiring large sealant joints due to inaccurate field measurements and/or improper installation

2. Poor surface prep causes sealant failure at perimeter of win-dow

3. Fastener holes are not blown out (to clean concrete dust from drilling) before urethane sealant and fastener is placed in the hole

4. Neglecting to seal fasteners causing water intrusion into struc-tural concrete.

By William D. Cook, PE, SECB & Bruce Bromley, CDT

During these economic hard times stress levels between people slowly increase and tempers tend to heat up a few degrees. It seems that peo-ple who live in Condominiums or similar Associa-tions already have increased friction. However, it is always nice to see a quorum of unit Owners sitting in a Board meeting amicably discussing the maintenance of their property.

To Maintain or Not?

Many times the Board of Association will invite a Professional to these meetings and the question will be asked, “Is there an absolute need to make structural renovations to a portion of the structure”. These questions are usually the passing of the “hot potato” from the Board to the Professional in an effort to have the Profes-sional on the hot seat instead of the Board. The answer is typically a judgment call as to the severity and life safety concerns of the problem, with an understanding that work de-layed is not work avoided. Ultimately, the question turns into a plea due to the costs that may be incurred from such a pro-ject. Most unit owners are hopeful that the issues related to the structural upkeep for the building(s) can be relegated to the “back burner” or put on the low end of the priority list. It was only a few short years ago that the Asso-ciations were directing their efforts and resources to keeping the buildings looking sharp, repairing spalled concrete, cracks, and painting the exteri-ors to maintain the property values. These efforts would allow higher re-sales of the units and overall increased property value. Looking back at this point, we have seen a historical peak in property val-ues. In difficult economic times the typi-cal human inclination is to postpone what should be considered the inevita-ble. However, the perception of the structural repairs should be changed. Because times are economically dif-ficult and real estate is tougher to sell, the thinking should be modified to make a greater effort for repairs and improvements to be completed now. This is not always a popular position among your neighbors if you belong to an As-sociation, but the position makes sense as follows: 1. The repairs are inevitable and the longer you wait, the more will have to be repaired. 2. Delaying the work will simply in-crease the cost in the future. 3. Now is the best time to negotiate repair costs as most contractors are hungry for work.

4. A repaired building is more attractive to a buyer in a difficult market. 5. Hurricane upgrades such as windows, doors and new roofs will decrease the cost of your in-surance. 6. A well maintained structure reduces the amount of complaints (priceless). In summary, it makes sense to maintain now and not delay. It is very important to prioritize the repairs, budget for the work and then prepare a comprehensive schedule or time line.

What is this 40-year safety inspection study?

It is a safety inspection performed by either an Architect or an Engineer to identify any structural or electrical safety deficiencies. The intent is to minimize or eliminate structural building failures, the potential of falling concrete and general safety concerns. From an electrical standpoint, to eliminate fires resulting from electrical deficien-cies. The inspection identifies areas which need to be repaired relatively quickly. Condominium Associations and Owners of Com-mercial property in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties are now receiving notices to meet the requirements of the 40-year safety inspection program. What has been a Building Code require-ment for 30 plus years in Miami-Dade County has now been adopted in Broward County and is modeled on the Miami-Dade County 40-year inspection program. There are standardized forms that the counties and cities provide that must be completed by the Professional. The forms request quite a bit of information including legal description, folio number, square footage, type of structure, type of

construction (e.g. Type 1), and type of Occupancy (e.g. Group R). The remainder of the report has technical ques-tions concerning masonry, wall or floor cracks, spalled concrete, and/or reinforcing corrosion. The questions continue with the floor system, wall system, roof system, roof condition, framing systems, roof-top equipment, window types, win-dow condition and exterior finishes. Obviously, the electrical questions pertain to conduits, lighting, smoke detectors, generators, site wiring, electrical panels, switchboards, me-ters, and the electrical rooms to name a few. These inspections are completed typically by Me-chanical/Electrical Engineers. The study will indicate which parts of the struc-ture are required to be repaired. Remember that the repairs are safety related and not necessarily maintenance items! Therefore, they must be accomplished. Once the study is submitted to the Building De-partment, the association or owner will be re-quired to provide a repair plan and schedule. The 40-year safety study is a great opportunity to fully inspect a building and provide a condition assessment to the Association or Owner. A com-petent Architect or Engineer will be able to deter-mine additional maintenance and repair items which will need to be taken care of in the future. Representatives of this Firm have completed a number of 40 Year Safety Inspections. Our clients include large marinas, large and small warehouses, large and small condominiums, pri-vate schools, medical facilities, churches, and other buildings. CCN

Maintenance & Uncertain Financial Times

& The 40-Year Inspection

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Coastal Condo News Page 12

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Coastal Condo News

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Z Global Asset Management Group, Inc., is a Florida based firm with diverse interests in publishing, insurance, inspections, and strategic solutions. ccn