Masonry

Practical Implications

In some circles, “curtain wall” has become synonymous with “glass facade” but that’s not what it means. A curtain wall is simply a wall that does not carry structural load for the building as a whole. Saying that it does not carry any structural load would be wrong, as it carries its own weight (usually …

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Cause and Effect

A reasonably pretty picture – I wasn’t trying for artistic effect, but I feel like I may accidentally achieved some – of a nasty situation. The exposed face brick is pretty much dead, since the outer hard skin of the bricks is gone, leaving the soft chewy centers exposed. When this condition was first exposed …

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Long-Term

Given that every material fails eventually from exposure to the elements, one way or another, the big question is “how difficult is it to repair?” followed in second place by “how difficult is it to maintain?” To put it another way, if you spend enough time with old buildings, pictures of pristine new buildings are …

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