In-depth Analysis Vital Before Beginning Masonry Repair on Historical Structures

June 25, 2007, Boulder, Colorado – Weather, time and man-caused hazards all take their toll on the structure of historical buildings; yet the destruction they wreak varies greatly from building to building.

A recent article in Architectural Science Review stressed the importance of completing an in-depth analysis of all structural stability problems before beginning reconstruction.

Author Ali Ihsan Unay, from the Middle East Technical University in Ankara , Turkey , defined the two aspects of analysis. “Firstly, structural demand should be determined by a decisive structural analysis. Second, the strength capacity of the structural elements must be evaluated.”

Atkinson-Noland and Associates President Michael Schuller, P.E., said they begin their analyses with a full, non-destructive evaluation , including detailed condition surveys, in-place structural testing and laboratory material testing.

“Our knowledge of masonry material properties allows us to use the strength of the masonry in both analysis and design. This spares owners the expense of unnecessary structural additions.”

Schuller sited the firm's work on the Jean Lafitte National Park Headquarters in New Orleans ' famed French Quarter as a typical example. The integrity of the building had been damaged by weather and fire, along with shear-wall removal completed during previous attempts at historic restoration . Atkinson-Noland found several types of primitive to unskilled attempts had been made between the late 1700s to the 1970s.

“We conducted an in-depth series of tests to provide the project engineer with precise details of the masonry material's behavior. This included masonry compression and shear strengths, along with anchor-bolt capacity.”

The structural assessment rapidly located areas where additional stabilization and strengthening were required. They then applied statistical methods to the text results and determined the material strength values appropriate to the retrofit design.

Finally, Atkinson-Noland hired a masonry consultant , who used ultrasonic investigations to establish wall thickness and the internal condition of the existing, cast-iron columns.

Schuller said the resulting reconstruction is expected to protect the building for many years to come against the intense human and weather demands placed upon historical structures in the beleaguered Crescent City .

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For more information call (303) 444-3620, or stop by their offices at 2619 Spruce St. , Boulder , Colorado .

Atkinson-Noland & Associates provides a variety of professional engineering services for building assessment, repair, and evaluation. They specialize in nondestructive and in-place testing of masonry structures. The firm's expertise in masonry, nondestructive evaluation , and historic preservation can be customized to each client's needs.