In 1998, hurricane winds
had severely twisted and racked a crosswalk at Chesapeake Crossing, a
senior citizens apartment complex. Since that time, it had been closed
off by the Housing Authority, creating a major inconvenience for the
residents.
Outside engineers had determined that there was no possibility of
repair, and the crosswalk must be demolished and rebuilt. The insurance
agency had acquired three bids…all in excess of $100,000.
First Atlantic determined that if the weight of the roof and third level
floor system could be lifted, it would be possible to straighten the
structure, replace improperly installed columns and establish adequate
wind bracing. Since the courtyard was enclosed, it would not be possible
to use heavy equipment to lif the roof or pull the columns back in
place. The creative solution was to use scaffolding to raise the roof
and third floor.
This solution worked, and the structure was brought up to the 100-mph
wind standard and met all Virginia codes. The project was successfully
completed within three months…at a final cost of $48,563…a more than 50%
savings over all the estimates previously obtained.
