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George W. Bush Presidential Center constructed with masonry products

Words: Chad CorleyDuring his tenure as the 43rd U.S. President, George W. Bush not only faced traditional policy issues, he had to address the unprecedented September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. The documentation of President Bush’s administration drove the development of the George W. Bush Presidential Center on the Southern Methodist University campus in Dallas. The QUIKRETE® Companies was selected by Garland, Texas-based masonry contractor Dee Brown, Inc. to provide a variety of products for the build including specially formulated pre-blended mortar mix to meet the specific Cordova Cream color specifications of First Lady Laura Bush.

The 207,000 square-foot facility was designed by the dean of the architecture school at Yale University, Robert A.M. Stern to house George W. Bush’s Presidential Library and Museum, the George W. Bush Policy Institute, and the offices of the George W. Bush Foundation. More than 70 million pages of text records, more than 200 email messages and nearly four million photographs from President Bush’s administration will be housed in the Presidential Library and Museum along with a permanent exhibit, “Freedom, Responsibility, Opportunity and Compassion” that will feature other artifacts, documents, photographs and videos. The George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum will also house an interactive element called “Decision Points Theater” and a full-size replica of the Oval Office.

Dee Brown Inc. turned to QUIKRETE® for the necessary pre-blended mortar and bulk mortar silo system as well as core-fill grout and sand mix to install all the block, brick, stone and Texas limestone on the George W. Bush’s Presidential Library and Museum portion of this state- of-the-art complex. QUIKRETE® provided 471 3,000-pound bulk bags and 924 80-pound bags of QUIKRETE® Portland Lime Type N (PLN) Mortar in the customized Cordova Cream; 253 3,000-pound bulk bags and 84 80-pound bags of QUIKRETE® Portland Line Type S (PLS) Mortar; 778 3,000-pound bulk bags and 168 80-pound bags of QUIKRETE® Core-Fill Grout; and 588 80-pound bags of QUIKRETE® Sand Mix. In addition to delivering consistent Cordova Cream pre-blended mortar, QUIKRETE® and its bulk mortar silo system enhanced productivity and reduced labor cost on the project.

The George W. Bush Presidential Center is seeking LEED® Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council under the management of Manhattan Construction Company. Located on a 23-acre site, Manhattan Construction Company broke ground on the George W. Bush Presidential Center in the fall of 2010 and is scheduled for dedication in Spring 2013.
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