Case Study<br>Silicone Sealants Provide Weatherproofing, Impact Resistance at New Hotel
High-performance silicone sealants are playing a key dual role at the elegant Westin Diplomat Hotel and Spa in Hollywood, FL, providing critical weatherproofing in this hurricane-prone region. The sealants also deliver structural integrity for nearly 250,000 square feet of impact-resistant glazing in the new $800 million, 39-story complex. The 1,000-room facility by architects Nichols, Brosch, Sandoval and Associates was completed under the South Florida Building Code, which contains the toughest wind- and impact-resistance standards in the nation.
“We had to meet standards for hurricane-resistant construction in all windows, doors, glazing, patio doors and louvers,” said NBS Architect Jim Wurst. “The code also applies to the six-story glass wave skylight over the main lobby, which shelters all the way from the pool deck to the main entry.”