Cast In Place Concrete Foundations – Part II
Cast-In-Place Concrete Foundations: Structural Performance and Issues This past week, we began looking at a series of foundations that were built with cast in place
Cast In Place Concrete Foundations – Part I
How Cast-In-Place Concrete Foundations Support Buildings in Washington DC Particularly in buildings here in Washington DC, you may have the chance to see cast in
Fire Damage to a Historic Building – Part II
Fire Damage to a Historic Building: Structural Impacts and Restoration Insights This past week, we were talking about some of the risks of fire jumping
Fire Damage to a Historic Building – Part I
Essential Assessment of Fire Damage in Historic Buildings Here in DC, it doesn’t happen as often as it used to, but buildings can catch fire.
Projecting Horizontal Bands in Masonry Facades – Part II
Insights on Projecting Horizontal Bands in Masonry Facades This particular article is going to be about the pathway that water takes dripping off of these
Projecting Horizontal Bands in Masonry Facades – Part I
Projecting Horizontal Bands in Masonry Design This past week, we looked at several different types of profiles of masonry facade accent pieces. Some of these
Masonry Cavettos and Ogees – Part II
Masonry cavettos and ogees shown in traditional stone molding detail This past week, we started looking at cavetos and ogees used in masonry construction. Similar
Masonry Cavettos and Ogees – Part I
Masonry Cavettos Explained: Purpose and Performance Architectural moldings are interesting for a handful of different reasons. Obviously, they have an aesthetic purpose, but they also
Buttressed Masonry Retaining Wall – Part II
Buttressed Masonry Retaining Wall Design – Part II This past week, we began looking at this very large and impressive historic stone masonry retaining wall.
Buttressed Masonry Retaining Wall – Part I
Understanding Buttressed Masonry Retaining Walls – Part I There’s some principles of building construction that have improved and developed over time. There’s also some principles
Deteriorated Mortar at a Stone Fence Post – Part II
Understanding Deteriorated Mortar in Stone Fence Posts This past week, we took a look at a granite stone column that’s used to support a fence.
Deteriorated Mortar at a Stone Fence Post – Part I
Understanding Deteriorated Mortar Failure at Stone Fence Posts – Part I A little while ago, before it got bitter cold here, we took a look
Mortar Susceptibility at Brick Wall Tops
Why Brick Wall Tops Are Prone to Mortar Damage This past week, we finished the two part series looking at ferns growing into mortar joints.
Cliffbrakes Growing in Historic Mortar Joints – Part II
Cliffbrakes Growing in Historic Mortar Joints: Part II This past week we took a look at this particular masonry wall with Cliffbrakes, a type of
Cliffbrakes Growing in Historic Mortar Joints – Part I
Cliffbrakes Growing in Historic Mortar Joints: Part I A few times in the past, we have looked at a couple of examples where plants are
Decorative Planters on a Historic Masonry Facade – Part II
Decorative Planters on Historic Masonry Facades: Part II This past week, we took a look at some historic masonry facades here in Washington DC. These
Decorative Planters on a Historic Masonry Facade – Part I
Decorative Planters Problems on Masonry We definitely recommend against putting unnecessary or additional fasteners or bolts or mounting points into historic brick masonry facades. In
Tree Through a Beam Pocket – Part II
Structural Issues from a Tree Through a Beam Pocket Here, in the picture below, we show some of the beam pockets that we looked at
Tree Through a Beam Pocket – Part I
Beam pocket with tree interference Several times in the past, we have looked at examples of where trees and plants have caused significant destruction and
Building Envelope Security Hardening
Building envelope security inspection The Washington DC of today is nothing like it used to be. The city has gone through cycles. These cycles have
Deteriorating Paint and Mortar Joints – Part II
Weathering Effects on Paint and Mortar Joints As you look upwards, vertically, across the facade of this brick wall, you can see the paint is
Deteriorating Paint and Mortar Joints – Part I
Deteriorating Paint Effects on Masonry We look at deteriorating mortar and deteriorating masonry, often, here on our website. It’s one of the main dedications and
Severe Lateral Deflection in a Masonry Facade – Part III
Understanding Structural Stability in a Masonry Facade This past week we also took a look at the steel and cast iron resistance plates shown in
Severe Lateral Deflection in a Masonry Facade – Part II
Structural Deflection Issues in Masonry Facade This past week we took a look at a building with severe lateral deflection at the base of the