PRESERVING PIECES OF THE PAST: USING CONCRETE PETROGRAPHIC ANALYSIS TO HELP REVITALIZE + REPURPOSE OLD BUILDINGS

罗恩Sturm

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2022年8月10日

Just a few blocks east of the Jensen Hughes Chicago 具体的实验室 is the Fulton Market neighborhood, which has transitioned over the years from an industrial neighborhood to a neglected community. It is now becoming an urban renewal area with new construction and extensive renovation of existing buildings into restaurants, 公寓, 还有办公空间.

Such is the scene in many urban cities and communities throughout the United States. Given dwindling natural resources and a new urgency to conserve and repurpose, many old and historic structures are being repaired and renovated for new use, 节约资源, 钱和这个社区过去的一些东西.

彩宝网平台如何知道建筑物的重新利用是否安全?

When determining whether concrete and masonry structures can be revitalized for new use, one of the first steps is to have the site inspected and assessed by a qualified evaluation engineer. 作为评估的一部分, laboratory testing of the existing concrete or masonry material is usually deemed necessary to assess the structure's condition and evaluate existing construction materials for possible reuse.

Laboratory testing can assess the strength and continued durability of the material to assist engineers in the initial repair design. The original construction drawings and specifications may not be available, so field samples are obtained to perform a series of laboratory tests. Cores may be taken from existing concrete floors, walls and foundations. Or 砖 and 砂浆 samples may be collected from masonry for physical and compositional characterization.

作为测试计划的一部分, petrographic examinations are often performed to provide additional materials analysis and insight into the composition of the original concrete, 砂浆, 砖, or stone to assist in properly repairing and conserving original structures.

How Can Concrete Petrography Help Us Understand Old and Historic Structures?

什么是岩石学?? Petrography is the microscopical analysis of construction materials. It can reveal a world that is not easily seen by the naked eye but very critical to understanding materials like concrete, 砖石和石制品. Features of these materials seen under the microscope may appear as bizarre, abstract pieces of artwork as shown in the “micrographs” below. 但在训练有素的岩石学家眼中, the ingredients used to make the original 砂浆 or concrete are identified so appropriate and durable modern equivalents can be developed for repair.

Petrographic analysis provides information regarding the composition and condition of the investigated concrete, 砂浆, 或其他建筑材料. Stone and aggregate used in these construction products are described in relation to their composition, 物理性能和耐久性. The binder holding the aggregate together is thoroughly characterized, cementitious constituents are identified and deleterious mechanisms damaging the concrete are assessed.

Combined with other laboratory analyses and physical tests, petrographic testing can help characterize original materials (e.g., 砂浆, 块石, 混凝土), 协助制定新的维修产品, 并揭示原有的施工实践和问题. 开发人员, 修复, and construction companies would need this information to pursue renovation and occupancy of the structures and assure that any repair methods used are compatible with the original construction.

We provide expert knowledge on concrete and masonry structures using our petrographic analysis lab and testing capabilities. 彩宝网平台的 具体的实验室 has an experienced petrographer and the tools to perform the necessary tests and analyses to provide recommendations for repurposing old and historic buildings.

Thin section micrograph showing a relic grain of natural cement in 砂浆 from a historic bridge in New England, ca, 1847. 200倍放大. 平面偏振光.

Microscope view of concrete under freezing and thawing conditions.

Thin section micrograph showing damage from cyclic freezing and thawing in outdoor exposed concrete. 40 x放大. 偏振光.