27 State Street

Historic 27 State Street, located in the financial district of downtown Boston, was experiencing continuing water infiltration through the windows and exterior walls. The terra cotta masonry facade exhibited widespread cracking and deterioration. Fidelity Investments hired BET to perform a hands on inspection of the masonry facades, windows, and roof systems. Investigation efforts included removal of terra cotta and brick masonry elements in strategic locations to gain understanding of the underlying conditions. BET determined that rust jacking stresses originating at the structural steel members behind the terra cotta veneer were contributing to the cracking problems. A full scale facade restoration project was put into motion. BET was retained to develop design documents for the full restoration of the building facade and the replacement of the windows. BET prepared detailed specifications, plans, and detail drawings, and managed the bid phase of the project. The project was awarded to Turner Construction. BET provided Construction Observation Services from the inception of the investigation through the final completion of the project. The project was awarded the BPA Preservation Achievement Award.