During their investigation, renovators noticed brick anchors were not installed near the corner or on the return wall. The only lateral stability the corner had was provided by the brick’s physical connection to the rest of the wall—with no anchors present and bricks starting to fracture, the wall’s lateral stability was compromised. Similar to Part 1, a replacement of the brick at the corner was the only viable option. Removing the brick allows opportunity to install new brick anchors, touch-up the existing WRB, and install new brick with an additional control joint.
Conclusion
As seen in the three case studies, a wide range of repairs can be used to address brick movement driven deterioration. This may range from topical repairs to completely removing and reinstalling the masonry. Masonry is a historically proven construction technique able to last more than 100 years. As the industry focuses on sustainability and embodied carbon, building reuse becomes
a critically important topic. The most sustainable building is the one that already exists. Saving an able brick wall is an important concept to defend. Identifying walls that cannot be salvaged will also play a necessary role in building reuse. Brick has always been a popular choice and is engrained in our history and culture. Maintaining those walls creates an aesthetically-pleasing, watertight, and sustainable building.
Authors
Stephen Holland, PE, is an enclosure engineer at LeMessurier Consultants Inc. practicing in the greater Boston area. He has experience in the investigation, rehabilitation, and design of a variety of enclosure systems including roofing, glazing, masonry, cladding, waterproofing, and below-grade systems. He has specialized in the restoration and retrofitting of enclosure systems in existing and historic buildings. He serves as the present chair of the Boston Building Enclosure Council (B-BEC) and is an active member of ACE Mentoring.
Luke Niezelski, PE, joined the building technology division of Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. (SGH) in 2014. He is licensed as a professional engineer in Massachusetts and is experienced in the investigation/assessment, design, construction administration, monitoring/inspection and field-testing of historic and contemporary building enclosure systems. He has been involved in various Boston high-rise construction projects and is routinely collaborating with architects, owners, and contractors on complex building enclosure designs.
