Westmoreland County Courthouse
Westmoreland County Courthouse
Carl Walker Construction immediately jumped into action when hired under an emergency contract to demolish and rebuild a failing garage at the Westmoreland County Courthouse.
The county had known for some time that the garage was deteriorating. It engaged CWC’s preconstruction team to develop a safe and cost-efficient plan to replace it without disrupting operations at the connected courthouse annex and the adjacent historic courthouse, which was built in 1906 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
As the design/build team crafted a plan, the structure worsened, and county officials opted to replace it immediately. The county knew it already had the right partner for the job and retained CWC under an emergency contract in March 2022. Within two days, the Carl Walker Construction team was on-site shoring up the annex building in preparation for demolition of the three-level, 70-space garage.
Protecting the annex building, which is connected to the garage on the plaza level, was the biggest priority. CWC thoroughly investigated the relationship between the annex and the garage and determined that while they were connected, they were separate structures with a small gap between them. That allowed for demolition of the garage without risking the integrity of the annex.
Supports were installed on the annex as a precaution as the garage was demolished. Historic features including a war memorial, a water feature and a clock were protected at their locations or were moved.
Demolition occurred from May to July, with minimal disruptions to court operations. Foundation work for the new garage began in August.
Construction of the new garage will be post-tension slab. Parking will be on the ground level and second floor. The plaza level connecting to the annex will be built with a split submembrane and a durable, aesthetically pleasing top surface. It will be topped with landscaping, new lighting and monuments.
Completion is scheduled by the end of 2022, with finishing work on the plaza level to be completed by spring 2023.
• Industry – Government
• Location – Greensburg, PA
• Specifications:
– Replacement of a three-level, 70-space garage
– Emergency demolition of structurally failing garage
– Reconstruct with post-tension slab for 28,000 sq. ft. of supported area