U.S. Capitol Building — Stair Extension & Emergency Egress
Washington, DC
Project Details
Owner: The Architect of the Capitol
Contract Amount: $1,001,000 (Stair Extension)
$1,219,876 (Emergency Egress)
Date of Award: September 2002 (Stair Extension)
November 2003 (Emergency Egress)
Date of Completion: June 2003 (Stair Extension)
December 2004 (Emergency Egress)
As part of a multi-year task order contract, Grunley Construction performed several projects within the U.S. Capitol, a National Historic Landmark. Because the building is occupied, all work was performed at night.
The first project added a new cantilevered, pre-cast concrete emergency egress stair within a nonsymmetrical space on the Senate-side of the Capitol. A number of 21st Century building systems were installed as well. The new set of stairs runs off an existing historic stairwell that was part of the original 19th Century design and construction of the building. Several of the construction and ornamental features were custom-made and hand-crafted to match the existing. Today, the new stairwell melds beautifully with the historic character of the space, meets life safety requirements, and provides staff with easy access to the Senate chambers located on the first floor.
The second project involved removal of a portion of the existing roof over the Old Senate Chamber and the construction of a temporary water tight enclosure over the entire work area. A new sloped roof was constructed of structural steel, precast concrete planking & copper roofing at a higher elevation to eliminate a recessed area of roofing that had become a maintenance problem. New doorways were cut through existing brick & stone walls. This required the installation of substantial engineered temporary shoring to support the structure above & precast reinforced concrete lintels. Portions of the lower structure were demolished to enable the construction of a poured reinforced concrete corridor & stair emergency egress from a level on the West side to an intermediate level on the East. The project required modifications to the existing HVAC system, fire alarm, fire protection sprinklers, electrical, & additional lighting. Finishes included new drywall partitions, suspended acoustical ceilings, painting, new wood paneling to match the existing paneling, new doors, frames & hardware.