Each week we’re bringing you an in-depth look at one of the standard conditions we encounter and document during inspections of buildings and civil structures. Part 12: Hollow Areas Hollow areas appear to have a void behind an intact surface based upon sounding with a mallet. Hollow areas are most commonly documented in masonry, plaster…
Each week we’re bringing you an in-depth look at one of the standard conditions we encounter and document during inspections of buildings and civil structures. Part 11: Displacement Displacement refers to the shifting of masonry units out of their as-built position. Displacement can occur in the vertical plane, horizontal plane, or both. Displacement occurs in brick,…
Vertical Access was a proud sponsor and participant in Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York Day at the Capitol in Albany, NY on February 10. Teams composed of general and trade contractors, insurance brokers and underwriters, lawyers, material suppliers and consultants met with State Senators and Assembly Members to discuss the inequities of Labor Law…
By Kristen Olson Towards the end of the fall 2014 semester, I had the pleasure of talking about Vertical Access over Skype with a group of students at the University at Buffalo. The class was a masters-level preservation documentation and methods course taught by Dr. Ashima Krishna, Assistant Professor in UB’s department of Urban and…
Test your knowledge of historic and iconic buildings in the U.S. (and beyond!) in this series of “guess the building” blog posts. Series No. 3: A Richardsonian Clock Tower The materials, round arches, and façade treatment of this building are unmistakably Richardsonian Romanesque, and the prominent clock tower marks this as a civic building. The majority…
During the first week of February, Keith Luscinski and Mike Gilbert traveled to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for the 2015 Annual SPRAT Conference. Located at the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula, Cabo’s warm coastal climate was a great location for a winter conference in the eyes of its winter-blues affected attendees. Mike is…
Each week we’re bringing you an in-depth look at one of the standard conditions we encounter and document during inspections of buildings and civil structures. Part 10: Pack Rust Pack rust refers to the expansive corrosion of ferrous metals. This powerful mechanical force can break apart adjacent concrete and masonry. Pack-rusted fasteners and structural elements can cause…
Each week we’re bringing you an in-depth look at one of the standard conditions we encounter and document during inspections of buildings and civil structures. Part 9: Guano Guano refers to the excrement of birds and bats. Most of the guano we encounter during building investigations is produced by birds, but both bird and bat guano can…
Each week we’re bringing you an in-depth look at one of the standard conditions we encounter and document during inspections of buildings and civil structures. Part 8: Biological Growth Biological growth refers to the accumulation of living organisms on the surface of building materials. This can include fungi, algae, lichens, mosses, and vascular plants. The term biological…
Each week we’re bringing you an in-depth look at one of the standard conditions we encounter and document during inspections of buildings and civil structures. Part 7: Atmospheric Soiling and Black Crusts Atmospheric soiling is a discolored build-up of airborne pollutants. It can build up on all materials, but this discussion focuses on its effects on masonry…
