Today we’re taking a look at urban historic brick carriage Houses. The ones that remain today are often built from historic brick masonry. Often they are in rough shape, especially if the historic brick masonry has not been properly repointed over the decades after their original construction. The outline of today’s article follows below:
What is a carriage house?The picture below shows a historic carriage house built over 100 years ago from kiln fired historic brick with lime mortar. Like many surviving carriage houses, this one also happens to be in rough condition. The accessory building has not been properly cared for over the last several decades. The brick has not been pointed, the roof has been poorly maintained, the portals and openings are not even really fully functional, from both an operational and security perspective, at this time. A carriage house is a building originally designed to store horse-drawn carriages and related equipment. They typically have large doors or openings, originally, to accommodate the entry and exit of carriages. Often more modern doors can be custom built into these openings over the more recent decades to allow vehicles to be stored in these spaces as garages. Carriage houses were commonly found in cities like Washington DC during the 18th and 19th centuries when horse-drawn transportation was prevalent. They served as functional structures for storing and maintaining carriages, harnesses, and associated equipment. Over time, many carriage houses have been repurposed for different uses such as garages, storage, or even converted into living spaces. These old buildings are often mistaken for historic garages. Lateral Deflection in Masonry WallsLateral deflection refers to the horizontal movement or displacement that occurs in masonry walls, causing them to lean or bulge. This phenomenon is a concern because it can compromise the stability and structural integrity of the wall. Lateral deflection in masonry walls can occur due to various factors, including:
The picture below shows a angle of the same area of the building shown above, but here you can see the dramatic failure associated with lateral deflection. The wall is literally slowly twisting out of its former vertical plane.
The picture below shows this failing corner from an angle that almost makes it look like a pigeon corner. Originally though when this building was built, this corner was a solid 90° corner with interlocked brick, alternating vertically at each brick from a stretcher and header position. Methods of stabilization and repair for addressing lateral deflection in masonry walls include:
The pictures below shows examples of a type of lateral deflection resistance supports called tiebacks. These particular types of tiebacks are called earthquake washers. They are generally made of cast iron or other types of steel or wrought-iron. The use of this type of lateral deflection resistance systems goes back to the time of original construction of the majority of historic brick buildings in Washington DC’s oldest neighborhoods such as Capitol Hill. A multitude of different shapes of cast iron earthquake washers are relatively common in many of the neighborhoods in Washington DC such as capitol Hill and the Dupont circle area. The picture below has a backwards S type shape. That type of design is actually a little bit less common than some of the other types of designs period one of the most common designs is a star shape come often refer to as a barn star. The next picture below shows one of the most common designs, the barnstar style support element. This shape is relatively common and we’re placed in the middle of the front facade of the building, the support plate is position to provide maximum strength to the facade, to resist lateral deflection. The windows at this particular facade have openings with jack headers, supporting the brick above. 3.Reinforcement: Incorporating steel reinforcement, such as vertical steel beams or reinforcing bars (rebar), into the masonry to increase its tensile strength and resistance to lateral deflection. This type of solution is generally costly in more than one way. The construction cost, to build an elaborate structural system, within an existing building, is prohibitively high. Also though in a non monetary way, building a support system on the interior building like this also effectively leads to a reduction in the available square footage of the space which is problematic in a city like Washington DC where interior space is highly valuable and coveted. 4. Restoration and Repairs: Conducting necessary repairs, including repointing mortar joints, replacing damaged masonry units, or applying protective coatings to prevent further deterioration. Far too often, Routine and corrective maintenance is overlooked or deferred in an effort to save a little bit of money. That small savings can actually result in exponentially increased cost in the long run when the need for routine maintenance goes on attendant and later exacerbates with major failures. It is important to note that stabilization and repair methods will vary significantly depending on the specific condition and configuration of the masonry wall, the extent of lateral deflection. Each problem of this or similar nature requires a customized solution. The stir step crack in the amount of space in the interstitial void created by the separation is significant to the point that it is staggering. The wall and this portion of the building currently creeps closer towards collapse. Here are the next photo below, from a direct position, you can see the massive amount of space between each brick in a stairstep type failure. Unlike the most common typical circumstances where you see a stairstep crack though, this particular condition is related to lateral deflection, not differential settlement. Brick repointing plays a central role in the preservation of historic masonry structures and can help prevent destabilization and lateral deflection. The reasons to consider repounting, quickly and proactively, follow. A. Maintaining Structural Integrity: Over time, the mortar joints in historic masonry structures can deteriorate due to weathering, age, or inadequate original construction. This deterioration weakens the bond between the bricks and can lead to destabilization and lateral movement. Repointing involves removing the deteriorated mortar and replacing it with fresh mortar, restoring the structural integrity of the wall and reducing the risk of lateral deflection. B. Enhancing Load Distribution: Properly repointed mortar joints improve load distribution within the masonry wall. By filling gaps and voids in the joints, repointing helps transfer loads more evenly across the entire wall surface, reducing the localized stress on individual bricks and minimizing the potential for lateral deflection. C. Waterproofing and Moisture Management: Deteriorated mortar joints can allow water infiltration into the masonry wall. Moisture can lead to additional deterioration, including the corrosion of metal reinforcements and freeze-thaw damage. Repointing with an appropriate mortar mix helps restore the wall’s water-resistant properties, preventing moisture penetration and reducing the risk of destabilization due to water-related issues. D. Bonding and Stability: The repointing process involves carefully matching the original mortar’s composition and characteristics to ensure compatibility with the historic masonry materials. The new mortar is applied with proper techniques, creating a strong bond between the bricks and providing stability to the wall. This improved bonding helps resist lateral forces and reduces the likelihood of lateral deflection. E. Preservation of Historic Fabric: Repointing is a preservation technique that respects the historical integrity of masonry structures. It allows for the selective replacement of deteriorated mortar while retaining the original bricks, maintaining the historic appearance and character of the building. By addressing mortar deterioration, repointing helps extend the lifespan of historic masonry structures, preventing further degradation and the associated risks of destabilization and lateral movement. It’s important to note that repointing should be performed by experienced and skilled masons, like IDS, who understand the appropriate techniques, mortar selection, and preservation principles for historic masonry. Proper assessment and planning, in consultation with a qualified and experienced professionals like Infinity Design Solutions can help to ensure the tuckpointing or repointing process is carried out in a manner that considers the mortar and brick characteristics and structural stability of your particular masonry structure. Each building is unique and the structural masonry facets make a difference. Historic masonry upkeep and preservationTo properly maintain, repair, and care for these historic buildings, a knowledge, interest and understanding of historic building principles is required. Here in Washington DC, historic masonry buildings are extremely expensive and the amount of financial loss caused by improper repointing and low quality construction is staggering. However, in addition to the direct financial value of the property, there is also a cultural loss when historic buildings are damaged. By comparison, consider neighboring poor cities, when historic buildings are damaged, it’s not just the loss of value to the property owner, there’s also a loss to all inhabitants and visitors of a city, present and future, who care about architecture, history, and culture. We encourage all of our clients, and all readers of this article and to our blog in general, to prioritize the historic built environment of Washington DC and neighborhoods such as Capitol Hill, Dupont Circle, and Georgetown and become educated on on the difference between proper historic preservation versus improper work which leads to significant damage to the historic fabric of a building. From a conservation and preservation perspective, several approaches can be taken to improve conditions related to deteriorated historic brick masonry. Primarily, lime mortar brick joints and low temperature fired soft red clay bricks should be inspected and checked on a routine maintenance schedule, either seasonally or at least annually. If brick masonry is kept in good condition, the life of embedded wood elements can be significantly extended. Hire a professional contractor which specializes, understands and appreciates historic construction elements and buildings. You can learn a lot more on our blog. Feel free to check it out. If you have questions about the historic masonry of your building in Washington DC, contact us or fill out the webform below and drop us a line. We will be in touch if we can help. <p>The post Lateral Deflection in a Historic Carriage House first appeared on Infinity Design Solutions.</p> Via https://www.ids-dmv.com/masonry/lateral-deflection-in-a-historic-carriage-house/
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About UsInfinity Design Solutions LLC (IDS) is a full service general contracting company in the heart of the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, DC. We focus on repair and renovation of buildings and facilities in both historic designated neighborhoods and the commercial-zoned central business district of the city. Follow Us
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