Capitol Dome

 The scope of the project consisted of a comprehensive restoration of the 150 year old cast iron Dome, which had not undergone a complete restoration since 1959-1960. The scope of the project included painting and repair in the Dome’s cast-iron structure, removal of existing lead, rehabilitating the dome’s interstitial space and installing tour-route lighting and rotunda lighting, amongst other maintenance. Throughout the project, a scaffold system surrounded the entire Dome from the bottom of the Statue of Freedom – the statue that sits on top of the dome – to the base, known as the dome skirt. 

Smoot Construction provided technical expertise to the joint venture team responsible for the interior and exterior restoration of the 150-year old U.S. Capitol Dome. Our team was responsible for reinforcing the cast iron dome, repairing over 1,000 feet of cracks in the plaster, and repainting the exterior, as well as the installation of new electrical in the form of tour-route lighting, rotunda lighting, and fiber optics. 

Smoot Construction’s experience and expertise of historical preservation was a major factor in being awarded the Capitol Dome. Having recently completed the facade restoration at the National Gallery of Art East Building, the Dome’s neighbor along the National Mall, Smoot Construction’s management team spearheaded the field operations and management from the onset of the project. The Iconic structure restoration was very unique and complex to reach the utmost quality. The construction team as a whole was first to implement Lock-N-Stitch and other cast iron repairs on a scale never before seen all while meeting a critical deadline. In fact, portions of the work were original construction dating back to the Civil War era, which were restored to their original glory. While the exterior is the most noticeable portion of work, visitors to the Capitol building now enjoy a newly restored Rotunda which was similar in process to the exterior work. Smoot and our JV partner instituted a three phase quality control program to track all repairs and utilized the latest construction technology to streamline work in the field. Partnering with our client was a large part of the project’s success. Most sessions extended to our subcontractors and lower tier subcontractors so that everyone understood the importance of executing individual roles.