Innovative Repair Strategy Preserves Past for Visitors, Events

The Kennesaw, Ga.-based team of NOVA Engineering and Environmental LLC and Stevens & Wilkinson has earned a National Recognition Award for exemplary engineering achievement in the American Council of Engineering Companies’ (ACEC) 52nd annual Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) for designing the rehabilitation of the Sweetwater Creek Mill Ruins at Sweetwater State Park in Lithia Springs, Ga.

The ruins of the five-story1840s-era mill are back on display following a multi-faceted rehabilitation project that combined forensic evaluations with a detailed masonry repair strategy. The project team found that a large portion of the exposed brick masonry exhibited some form of deterioration through weathering, aging, and neglect, with some areas damaged from unauthorized use for firearms practice.

The renovation included incorporating bracing brick headers and free-standing brick piers with concrete lintels, installing new concrete lintels at severely deteriorated openings, and infilling voids above lintels with original brick. A sloped, moisture-resistant concrete cap was placed on horizontal surfaces to alleviate standing water. New steel lintels and architectural steel plates were installed to support less deteriorated brick headers and granite stone block arches. The repaired mill is once again a popular backdrop for photographers and filming of major motion pictures.