Masonry and Concrete Restoration Projects

Case Study #5
Restoration of a Fine Arts Faculty Building

Built about 1970, and restored about 1990, a University Fine Arts Faculty Building was suffering from excessive deterioration.

..... structural steel beam bearing plates were also corroding.....

..... and columns on the back elevation were suffering from excessive cracking

Solution:

In 1999, PJ Materials Consultants were retained to carry out an investigation of the likely causes of the problem, to carry out a condition survey, and to devise a restoration strategy that would address the cause and result of the problem. The investigation revealed that the major cause of the problems was linked to inadequate movement accommodation between components of the building.

The restoration strategy therefore included the sectionalizing of the structural steel beam that spanned and joined the front elevation columns - and the installation of two sliding joints to permit some movement to take place either side of the stair well.

All hard cement mortar was removed from the joints between sandstone cladding panels and filled with an elastomeric joint sealant, and poor waterproofing details were corrected - such as inadequately sloping window sills and missing flashings. Finally, the concrete components and the aluminum false work were coated with an elastomeric "breathable" waterproof coating.