Don Caple, President (left) and Mike O’Malley, Vice President, established Concrete Protection & Restoration Inc. in 1996.

Concrete Protection & Restoration Inc. completed a $30 million, 10-year renovation project at the Pentagon in Arlington, VA, which included the restoration of a severely damaged courtyard and lightwell walls.

When Don Caple and Michael “Mike” O’Malley met as co-workers at a concrete repair company in the 1980s, neither had dreams of owning their own business. The two worked extremely well together, complementing each other’s strengths. What they didn’t realize was how good a team they made and how well known in the industry they had become. That was until both were laid off on the same day as part of the company’s reorganization during the downturn of the 1990s.

“Other concrete repair companies wanted to hire us together as a team,” recalls Mike. “That got us thinking. We figured if the leaders in the industry had so much faith in us, why not give it a go on our own.”

Don and Mike established Concrete Protection & Restoration Inc. (CP&R) in 1996 with a focus on creative and cost-effective problem solving, maintaining a safe work environment, and retaining quality, seasoned staff. Don serves as President and Mike as Vice President. The Baltimore, Maryland-based company has grown to $30 million in annual revenue and has completed more than 3,000 projects spread across the east coast. While CP&R’s headquarters remain in Baltimore, a few years ago it opened a satellite office in Oakland Park, Florida, to support the growing number of projects in the area.

CP&R provides major structural reinforcement of steel, wood and concrete; constructs temporary bracing and shoring; performs concrete repairs; and applies protective sealants for long-term preservation.

Building a Reputation

It didn’t take long for CP&R to make a name for itself. One of its first clients was Knouse Foods with its plants in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia. CP&R completed operations, maintenance and repairs during annual shutdowns.

In food production facilities, there are a multitude of challenges, such as working around operating machinery and meeting food production standards. CP&R staff found workarounds, such as innovative access scaffolds, special chemical-resistant coatings, and custom-mix concrete for specific applications.

The Army Navy Drive parking garage restoration project in Crystal City, Virginia, though, is credited with making a name for CP&R. Lerner Property Management awarded the project in 1997 to CP&R at a contract price of $720,000—a substantial amount in those times. “Earning the confidence of such a large and established company carried a lot of weight in the industry,” says Mike.

Mike attributes the company’s early and continued success to developing creative solutions to some very challenging situations. He also gives credit to his employees. Nearly all CP&R’s project managers and superintendents are engineers, many of them with 20 years or more of experience. “While many small companies look at their staff as part of the family, I think it’s especially true for us,” shares Don. One act of loyalty demonstrated by this tight-knit team took place in 2008, when a devastating fire destroyed CP&R’s entire warehouse facility, including equipment and materials. Field supervisors, project management and office staff rallied together to pull resources from anywhere they could. Employees even volunteered their time on a weekend to build the foundation for the new facility, literally and figuratively. “Who else but family would do that?” adds Mike.

Don and Mike report that no one lost work during this challenging time, and all projects on the books were completed. Offering lessons learned from the experience, Don says they have a new focus on safety and security policies, best practice procedures and redundant, off-site backups of electronic files.

Exposing the Unknown

By the time an issue with a concrete structure is apparent, it is very likely that the cause has gone undetected for some time. A great deal of structural components and chemical reactions are hidden within or under the concrete. Thus, much can happen with concrete and the structures it supports, making each job unique.

“We work closely with structural engineers up front to investigate the initial cause of the problem and determine the best way to mitigate and repair damage,” says Don, and adds, “We like to bring value to each project and look for ways to preserve buildings long into the future.”

To accomplish this, Mike explains that listening—to the owner’s concerns, the other team members’ input and even the building occupants’ observations—is necessary to help identify a problem. There have been numerous times that this has helped the team head off potential issues. He adds that this collaboration is key to thinking outside the box to develop a resolution.

In most instances, staff, residents and visitors can continue to use the facility while repairs are made. Mike explains, “These are people’s homes, places of business or government facilities. Rarely does an owner have the option to close or vacate a property during the repair process.”

Preserving America’s History

CP&R’s creative approach to value engineering has proved effective in restoring and protecting some of our nation’s most precious historic assets. Since its founding, CP&R has garnered an impressive project portfolio, including the Pentagon, the National Archives and Records Administration, and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park.

Most notable might be the company’s involvement in the very unique, 10-year renovation of the Pentagon. Originally constructed in 1943, the building deteriorated so extensively that nearly all system components had to be rehabilitated or replaced. The new, stringent standards called for a 50-year service life. The damage resulted from the very condensed, 16-month, original construction schedule as well as the addition of a fifth floor after construction had started. Selective demolition was required to identify fault areas that needed repair or replacement. Custom concrete had to be mixed to meet strength and color-matching requirements, and rough-cut lumber was used to match the texture of the original surface. Molds were created to reproduce intricate concrete cornices, and different corrosion scenarios had to be addressed when applying protective coatings on new and unrepaired areas of the concrete walls. Some repairs involved full-depth columns and beams, requiring extensive and sometimes creative approaches to shoring.

Even a multiple pedestrian bridge project has distinction. These crossings at the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park—a fully operational historic tourist destination in Georgetown—span the historic canal and adjacent towpath used by a mule-drawn barge to ferry visitors. CP&R was responsible for the repair and rehabilitation of the two, 100-foot-long bridges that were suffering from widespread corrosion and hidden rust. “We worked with our coating subcontractor to come up with a mule-friendly alternative to noisy sandblasting equipment,” says Don, “and we received approval to use a different type of primer.” A custom-designed scaffold with an environmentally friendly containment system kept debris from accidentally falling into the canal, and the team built a small barge constructed of 55-gallon drums and plywood to haul the material and equipment.

“We take extreme care with every project, but there is no doubt we feel a little extra weight on our shoulders when we are working on projects with such historic value and public attention,” shares Mike.

Extending Concrete’s Lifespan

As the company name suggests, CP&R’s mission is to save the life of concrete—and that applies to various project and industry types.

One of CP&R’s largest projects is the $9 million restoration of the Dolphin Tower Condominium in Sarasota, Florida. In 2010, the condo tower had to be evacuated after it suffered from major shear cracking. Originally designed as an $18 million rehabilitation project, CP&R staff were able to cut the cost in half by incorporating an innovative repair technique that eliminated the need to replace the main slab supporting the tower. “We were able to restore the structural integrity of the slab by installing structural steel shear transfer members, which worked in conjunction with a newly installed post-tensioned drop panel and structural bonded overlay system,” explains Mike.

At the Johns Hopkins University Mt. Washington Marbury Garage in Baltimore, CP&R repaired and waterproofed the architecturally significant, ultra-modern, glass and mirror curtain-wall office building complex. Two five-story towers linked by a dramatic atrium and several bridges sit atop a 600-car parking garage. CP&R staff worked closely with the engineer conducting exploratory work and also created in-field prototypes of different flashing systems to determine the best way to prevent future water infiltration. The $2.7 million project enhanced the appearance and function of the building and site, and earned an “Excellence in Concrete” award from the American Concrete Institute.

CP&R also participated in the $2 million repair of the Greater Baltimore Medical Center Daffodil Garage in Towson, Maryland. Work included repairing the top deck ramp, the post-tensioned beam below the deck and post-tensioned cables, as well as installing new watertight expansion joints and deck drains. The project received the second place 2016 Outstanding Repair Project Award, given by the International Concrete Repair Institute’s Baltimore-Washington, D.C. Chapter.

As Don and Mike reflect on the company’s 25 years in operation, they are very thankful to all of the employees, business partners and friends who helped grow the business to the level it is today. One could say that the duo’s exceptional teamwork formed the impenetrable foundation of such loyalty and success.