Newark, NJ
The Peter W. Rodino, Jr. Federal Building in Newark, NJ was designed by Lehman & Biernacki-Poray and completed in 1967. It is a 16-story concrete frame building with pre-cast concrete panels used as cladding from the 3rd floor to the roof parapet on all four façades.
The panels were manufactured by Eastern Schokcrete Corporation, a division of Schokbeton. The panels at the window openings are typically two floors high and span either one or two window bays depending on their location on each façade. Integral to the pre-cast panels are projecting head, sill and jamb fins at the window surrounds.
The surface of the panels has an exposed aggregate finish at the spandrels and piers and a smooth finish at the projecting window surrounds. Smooth-textured two-story tall pre-cast panels are used as cladding at the returns of the eight projecting columns on the north and south façades. The faces of the eight projecting columns are clad with polished granite panels.
Scope of work
- Inspected and mapped all cracks on the building.
- Determined whether cracks are stable or dynamic by comparing data from old surveys.
- Investigated a recent lightning strike.
Original architect
- Lehman & Biernacki-Poray (completed in 1967)
Owner
- United States General Services Administration (GSA)
In collaboration with
- Robert Silman Associates, P.C.,
structural engineer - Dattner Architects,
architect