One Kansas City Place – Kansas City, Missouri

One Kansas City Place is a mixed-use landmark building located in the heart of downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Its building height of 42 stories makes it the single tallest building in the city, featuring colored lights at the top that change for different holidays and sports games. The skyline wouldn’t be the same without it.

Here at Pecora, we recognize that city residents are proud of their city’s landmarks. So when our silicone sealant was chosen to replace deteriorating polyurethane sealant on the building’s 6-story granite podium, we knew our product would be protecting an integral part of Kansas City.

Project Info

Cost: $140 million

Height: 42 stories

Ground Broken: 1985

Opening Date: 1988

Architect: BNIM            

Contractor:  Tom Martin Construction

Caulking Contractor:  S&W Waterproofing, Inc.

Substrates:  Granite

Products Used: 864NST

Project Scope

Longtime Pecora partners S&W Waterproofing (Lenexa, KS) chose Pecora for this project. Our relationship with S&W is over 30 years strong. S&W knew they could count on Pecora to protect One Kansas City Place, thanks to trusted service from our central regional business manager Keith Waters and outstanding work from Jeff Boston, the newest addition to our central sales team.

Over time, aging polyurethane-based sealants lose their original properties. This process is referred to as “reversion” – it causes a sealant to return to its original uncured state. The sealant becomes tacky and gummy. It also loses its physical properties. Reversion is advanced by years of weather and prolonged ultraviolet exposure.

If a failing sealant is not replaced as soon as possible, two main issues may damage a building:

1. Water and air infiltrate the building envelope. This means the freeze/thaw characteristics of the building components are negatively affected. Building material deterioration is also accelerated.
2. Improper movement of building joints due to wind, moisture, and thermal expansion/contraction.

To solve this problem, S&W Waterproofing first cut out the original sealant. Then, they followed our data sheet instructions for proper surface preparation due to a material change. 225 gallons of Pecora 864NST silicone sealant were utilized on the podium’s granite joints. 864NST is a one-part, low-modulus, neutral-curing, high-performance silicone sealant that adheres to most building materials.

The non-staining performance properties of 864 NST are perfect for a granite substrate because it does not allow for fluid migration, unlike the old polyurethane sealant.  Pecora 864NST eliminates the two types of aesthetic problems that come with fluid migration: staining and residue rundown.

One Kansas City Place is also protected from the effects of long-term joint movement. 864NST performs exceptionally well under dynamic conditions accommodating ±50% movement in properly designed joints.

The building joints were accessed from a conventional swing stage. The stage and boom poles were installed on the 5^th floor. The building owner worked closely with the contractor to remove the windows, which made installation easier. As a result, worker accessibility and safety improved and dealing with the height of the building became more manageable.

Pecora Protects One Kansas City Place

Since swing stages were utilized, congested pedestrian and vehicular traffic remained unaffected in the congested downtown location.

Pecora and S & W Waterproofing are proud to elevate One Kansas City Place to a new level of protection, ensuring that it remains a staple of the Kansas City skyline for years to come.