Photos courtesy of Butcher & Baecker Construction
Photos courtesy of Butcher & Baecker Construction
Photos courtesy of Butcher & Baecker Construction
Photos courtesy of Butcher & Baecker Construction
The Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel in Miami opened in 1954 and has served as a resort destination whose guests have included Elvis, Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack.
As part of a $1 billion renovation and expansion that began during spring of 2006, the hotel needed a new roof system. Butcher & Baecker Construction Co. Inc., Rochester Hills, Mich., was invited to bid on the project with a select group of contractors and eventually was awarded the contract.
"We were asked to value engineer a new roof system with a minimum R-value of 20 and a Miami-Dade County Product Control Approval System Notice of Acceptance (NOA). Firestone Building Products Co. was instrumental in helping design a system that exceeded Miami Beach's stringent high-velocity hurricane wind-uplift requirements," says Bob Meller, Butcher & Baecker Construction's vice president of operations and estimator and project manager for the Fontainebleau Miami Beach project. "The roof system was to provide a fair amount of solar reflectivity and the durability of a built-up roof system."
Work began on the Fontainebleau Miami Beach roof system in September 2006.
Difficult decisions
The existing roof system consisted of an APP-modified bitumen membrane over a recovery board installed over a coal-tar pitch built-up roof with fiberglass insulation. The deck was 80 percent poured concrete, and the balance was gypsum panels and a steel deck.
"Portions of the steel deck were rusted because of the existence of phenolic insulation," Meller says. "Because we have experience remediating deck materials damaged by phenolic foam, we had no trouble assessing what was to be removed and replaced and which areas could be wire-brushed, blown clean and primed."
All deck areas that were not replaced were primed with SigmaCover™ rust-preventive epoxy. The steel roof deck section abutted the Fontainebleau Miami Beach's Versailles Tower, which had a new white weatherproofing coating, so a special white version of the SigmaCover epoxy was used to prevent any overspray problems.
"The existing roof system was difficult to remove from the concrete deck," Meller says. "Some areas required intense labor using manual spud bars after Garlock Equipment Co. Roof Warrior tear-off machines were used.
"Many wall flashings were buried under concrete parging," Meller continues. "Removal of the wall flashings required saw cutting into the concrete above the flashings and pry bars to break them loose. After removal, 3/4-inch-thick plywood was installed to create a smooth surface suitable for the new flashings."
Butcher & Baecker Construction followed an NOA incorporating a base layer of 3-inch-thick polyisocyanurate insulation, middle layer of tapered isocyanate and top layer of 1/2-inch-thick Firestone Building Products Fibertop Wood Fiber, all set in Owens Corning Trumbull Type IV asphalt. Two plies of Firestone Building Products' Ply-IV Felt were installed over the insulation and covered by a torch-applied Firestone Building Products APP 180 FR white granulated modified bitumen cap sheet.
"In 28 years, this is the most complicated job I've done," says Scott Lindsay, Butcher & Baecker Construction's superintendent.
Special considerations
There were some special considerations that needed to be handled during the project.
"In addition to the building's historical significance, the job was unique because there are more than 25 roof levels with varying existing conditions," Meller says. "The engineering for wind uplift and drainage calculations required for the permit application was extremely extensive. We retained the services of Atlantic and Carribean Roof Consulting LLC, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to help us with the process."
The various work being performed simultaneously on the hotel also presented some difficulties for Butcher & Baecker Construction.
"Because of the high level of activity involved in the complete restoration of the hotel, we faced challenges in coordinating material deliveries and storing materials on-site," Meller says.
And safety was a concern, as well.
"All standard Occupational Safety and Health Administration safety procedures were employed, including using hardhats and safety glasses at all times, as well as a few special procedures," Lindsay says. "For example, on a scalloped wall section, D-rings with a 5,000-pound rating were anchored into the wall every few feet and workers were tied-off."
Meller credits the project's success to his crew.
"Our crew ranged in size from eight to 25 men and incorporated our most experienced field technicians from our Rochester Hills headquarters location and up to 10 employees from our Pompano Beach, Fla., location," Meller says.
A rewarding feeling
Butcher & Baecker Construction completed work on the Fontainebleau Miami Beach in April.
"Even though it was difficult being out of town for so long, I'm proud to have been a part of the elite crew that completed this huge project," says Kevin Bruns, assistant foreman for Butcher & Baecker Construction.
Ashley St. John is Professional Roofing's associate editor.
Project name: Fontainebleau Miami Beach™
Project location: Miami
Project duration: September 2006-April 2007
Roof system type: APP-modified bitumen
Roofing contractor: Butcher & Baecker Construction Co. Inc., Rochester Hills, Mich.
Roofing manufacturer: Firestone Building Products Co., Indianapolis, and Owens Corning, Toledo, Ohio
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