Park Montgomery Apartments is a 15 story residential building at 8860 Piney Branch Road in Silver Spring, MD. The building is constructed with a reinforced concrete frame and was built in 1972. The balconies are cantilevered from the building, and the building facade is brick veneer with CMU backup.
TCE was contacted due to displacement and bulging observed in the brick facade. The displacement and bulging were caused by a lack of horizontal relief joints in the facade. During investigation, TCE observed cracked brick, failed facade sealants, deteriorated concrete at the balcony slabs, and deterioration at handrails. TCE developed a repair program to support the brick facade and address the causes of facade deterioration, restore the original structural integrity of the balcony slabs, replace the balcony handrails, and apply protection systems for the balcony slabs. The building remained occupied during the repair process.