From an article on msnbc.com today, Irene reveals more cracks in Washington Monument, “[Carol Johnson, a Park Service spokeswoman for the National Mall and Memorial Parks,]
said that a majority of the cracks are in the mortar between the monument's stones, which is designed to take the wear-and-tear and spare the stone itself.
Johnson added that a few stones have been cracked.
Cracks in Washington Monument from August 2011 Earthquake. Credit: National Park Service
The NPS and engineers are going back to compare current damage to past records for the monument.”
Washington National Cathedral after the earthquake. Credit: Washington National Cathedral, Craig Stapert, photographer
The Washington Monument is one of several significant masonry structures along the east coast damaged as a result of August’s earthquake and/or hurricane. The National Cathedral is another. In each article I read about the aftermath, I always look for, and usually find, a sentence that goes something like this: “Still, Johnson says the monument is structurally sound and ‘not going anywhere.’”
That’s the kind of great news on which the masonry industry relies about its structures. They’re built to handle some abuse but, like Timex watches, they can “take a licking, but keep on ticking”.
(It’s not just “national treasures”, either. Hundreds of homes and small commercial buildings were likewise affected. In each case, masonry structures fared better than its timber/siding counterparts. Problems like damaged flooring and broken windows are always a better scenario than building collapse.)
I was also particularly pleased to read that the National Mall and Memorial Parks team was able to consult past records for the monument to compare to current damage. I hope that, like the Beaubien House, a historic building featured in the current issue of Masonry Edge/theStoryPole, they have records of the kind of mortar used on the monument and the recipe for making more. Maintaining records of past repairs and future maintenance needs can be extremely beneficial when urgent repairs are called for and for budgeting maintenance into operating expenses. Not only is maintaining records good for the wallet, it is good for the structure, both inside and out. A bad patch job is a bad patch job. Even if it seals the cracks and mitigates water migration into the structure, it looks bad, which detracts from the beauty and, potentially, the value of the structure.
Our thoughts go out to all of those affected by the earthquake and hurricane and hope clean up and repair can happen quickly, safely and in such a manner to continue to beautifully serve and preserve the structure for years to come.
