ConSpec Associates, Inc.

ARCHITECTURAL TERRACOTTA

HISTORY DETERIORATION
MANUFACTURING INSTALLATION
ATTRIBUTES ANCHORING
FLAWS REPAIR

REPLACEMENT ALTERNATIVES
 Mission
Statement

To combine technology with

tradition in both methods and
materials for innovative, cost
effective, engineered solutions to
the repair segment of the built
environment.
WHAT IS TERRACOTTA?

Terra-Cotta refers to a high grade of

weathered or aged clay which, when
mixed with sand or with pulverized
fired clay (GROG), can be molded
and fired at high temperatures to a
hardness and compactness not
obtainable with brick. Simply put,
terra-cotta is an enriched molded
clay brick or block.
 HOW IS IT MADE?

Hand Pressed Units: Clay is rolled out

in order to remove the air from the raw
clay material. The clay is then applied
into high-grade gypsum plaster mold.
When applying the clay into the mold,
workers meticulously hammer and beat
the clay, by hand, into all corners,
reliefs and profiles of the mold.
 HOW IS IT MADE?

Extruded Units: The raw clay

materials are mixed into a plastic
state and sent through a vacuum
chamber to remove the air within the
clay. Then the plastic clay material
is pushed through a steel die and the
terra cotta units are cut to length.
This method is the least labor
intensive and is most cost effective.
 HOW IS IT MADE?

Ram Pressed Units: Ram pressing

terra cotta units is very similar to the
traditional hand pressing; however, a
hydraulic ram presses the clay into a
mold in lieu of a workers hand. This
method of production is less labor
intensive and is cost effective with
medium to large quantities of
repetitive units.
 HOW IS IT MADE?

Slip Casting: Slip casting terra cotta

units is also similar to the traditional
hand pressing, except that the
chemistry of the raw clay material is
modified to create slip or clay slurry
that is poured into a fully enclosed
plaster mold.
How Long Does It
Really Take to
Get Terracotta
on a Project?
 PROCESS CYCLE

 Contract Date 05/10/13

 Receive Color Sample 05/17/13
 Receive Survey Info 05/13/13
 Receive Fragments 05/17/13
 Initial Color Submittal 07/16/13
 Arch Review 1st Color 07/26/13
 12X12 Color sample 08/15/13
 PROCESS CYCLE

 Arch Approval 12X12 08/25/13

 Shop Drawing Sub 06/14/13
 Approved Shops 06/24/13
 App Shops Received 06/26/13
 105 Day Init Ship 10/09/13
 Final Ship 134 Units 11/24/13
 ATTRIBUTES

 Shapes and designs, limited only to

the imagination of the designer
 This glass like glaze is durable and
impervious to moisture penetration
 Glazed surfaces are very dense and do
not attract dirt and/or atmospheric
deposits, resulting in a nearly self-
cleaning surface
 ATTRIBUTES

 Fired clay material is fireproof

 Maintenance of the fired and glazed
surface is easy; it never needed paint
and periodic washings restored its
original appearance.
 Durability and permanence – 100+
year life cycle
 Manufacturing Defects
 Air in material
 Poor Body Mix – Clay vs. Grog
 Delamination in Hand Pressed
 Warping – Aesthetic Only
 Improper Drying
 Inadequate Firing
 Improper Cooling – Body Cracks
 Glaze Application
 DETERIORATION

“The root of deterioration in glazed

architectural terra-cotta systems often
lies in a misapplication of the material”

PRESERVATION BRIEFS #7
National Park Service
The Preservation of Historic
Glazed Architectural Terra-Cotta
 DETERIORATION

 Moisture Penetration
 Associated Material Deterioration
 Corrosion of Underlying Steel
 Moisture Expansion
 Thermal Movements
 DETERIORATION

 Deterioration of Mortar Joints

 Cracking
 Spalling
– Glaze spalls
– Freezing and thawing of entrapped
moisture
 Question – Grout fill or leave terracotta
empty?
 DETERIORATION
 Crazing - stresses caused by moisture
expansion of the clay body exceed the
tensile capacity of the glaze
 Glaze shivering: glaze formulation
not compatible or “fit” with the clay
body shrinkage ratio during firing.
glaze will be in tension without
complete adhesion of glaze to the clay
body. This can result in glaze peeling
 DETERIORATION
 Improper repair techniques
typically cause the most severe
deterioration to a terra cotta facade
(cladding material and underlying
structure).
 Note: As Arch Terracotta is
considered impermeable it was
once thought that no weep
system was needed! WRONG!
 INSPECTION
 Visual Inspection
 Sounding – Wood – Acrylic –
Rubber - Metal
 Tests for Impurities
 Borescope
– Filled or not filled
– Anchor & Steel Condition
 INSPECTION
 Probe Holes
 Metal Detection
 Infrared Scanning
 Sonic Testing
 Crack Monitors
 Rhylem Tests
 INSTALLATION
 Question? – Match TC pieces line
for line, cure for curve?
 OR
 True lines that “should” be
straight – sills, watertables, etc?
 INSTALLATION
 Questions?
 What Happens When Anchor
Holes Don’t Align?
 Mockup for complicated sections?
 If so how does it impact schedule
as produced units are 3-4 months
out?
Albany Capitol Mock-up
 MAIN CAUSES FOR
FAILURE
 Use of Tanking or Backfill in the
Units
 Type of Mortar Used
 Inconsistent or Sloppy
Workmanship
– Missing Ties
– Mortar allows water ingress
– Flashing, Caulking, Support, etc
 Anchor Types
Materials

 Mechanical - Off The Shelf

 Mechanical - Custom
 Chemical
 Cementious
 Anchor Types
Mechanisms

 Impediment  Support
– Split Tail – Angle/Channel
– Undercut – J Hook
– Pin – Clamp
– Clip
– Swelling Sock
– Bracket
 Adhesive – Rod
– Epoxy
– Resin
 Manufacturers

Mechanical Cementitious

 Holman & Barnard  Ambex

 Dur-O-Wall  Cintec
 Heckmann
 Helifix
 Manufacturers

Epoxy Resin

 Hilti  Hilti
 Powers Rawl  Celtite
 Sika
 ITW Red Head
 Anchor Details Supplied
at Bid By
 Structural Engineer of Record - 40%
 Sub Consultant to SE of R - 40%
 Terracotta Manufacturer - 10%
 Contractor - 0%
 Anchor Supplier - 10%
 Terra Cotta Standard Construction
1927
Typical or Detail?
 Design Process

 New Construction  Restoration

– Control conditions for – Discover conditions
assembly design for for assembly design
both terracotta and – Examine existing
substrate conditions through
– Set the needs for the visual inspection of
anchoring system in-place materials
 Anchor Type & Source
Percentage
TYPE DETAIL

 Catalog – 70%  Structural Eng - 10%

 Custom - 30%  Architect - 30%
 Manufacturer -30%
 Contractor -30%
 Contributors

Engineers Architects
 Robert Silman  WASA
 SGH  Vitetta
 RRJ
 Thornton Tomasetti
 WJE
 Contributors

Manufacturers Contractors
 Gladding McBean  Union Stone
 Cintec
 Helifix
 Comments
1st Engineer

1. Specify as much as we can to take it out of the contractors

hands.
2. We are typically cleaning up messes.
3. Have to take it building by building.
 Comments
2nd Engineer

1. Tough to get beyond what contractors want to use.

2. You can provide complete specs but will it get done?
3. Spec doesn’t matter as you must find an anchor that
fits in the field.
4. Danger is if specified and can’t be used contractor will
ask for more money.
5. Mention anchor but hold pricing as pricing seems to
override engineering.
 Comments
3nd Engineer

1. Terracotta Standards circa 1927 ok for massive

masonry structures.
2. Transitional steel frame construction, details are
inadequate and must be redesigned upon restoration
 Review Process
4th Engineer
The choice of fixing details for terracotta depends on many
things – not simply on whose specifying it:

 Type of terracotta construction eg. load bearing mass masonry;

transitional steel frame/load bearing masonry or reinforced concrete or steel
and terracotta cladding
 Forms of deterioration i.e. structural cracking; cracking of face of blocks
alone; spalling etc
 Type of remediation – wholesale replacement; partial replacement; patch
repair
 Exposure of the repair i.e. in seismic or high wind areas; marine climate;
desert climate etc
 Logistics i.e. high rise and forms of access
 Costs of repair
 In response to these factors, fixing details have to provide structural support
and/or restraint, and yet account for movement (terracotta being notoriously
poor in shear and tension). There are no standard details for all of this.
 Systematic Approach
1. Anchor system is designed and included on the contract drawings
2. Contractor is required to coordinate with the terracotta
manufacturer to provide pieces for mockups
3. Typically an engineered system
4. Mockups and shop drawing details required on all anchoring
5. Number and location of all anchors detailed
6. Main problem is contractor doesn’t see how tight schedule is as
mockups of production pieces of terracotta are required and this
time element must be taken into account.
7. Manufactured terracotta may have holes or slots in the wrong
location for the infield condition necessitating additional holes or
slots drilled into the production pieces.
8. Complete process is quite rigorous.
9. Mockups in many cases being done during actual fabrication of
the terracotta
10. Contractor produced anchors are open for review but typically
only engineered systems are acceptable
PHOTOS
PHOTOS – Goodwin Hotel
PHOTOS – Goodwin Hotel
PHOTOS – PS 238
DETAILS
DETAILS
DETAILS
DETAILS
DETAILS
DETAILS
DETAILS
APPLICATION
Concrete Backup
Custom Fabrication
Process
Custom Fabrication
Process
Custom Fabrication
Process
Custom Fabrication
Process
 Custom Fabrication
Process

Photos courtesy of John Lindner of Union Stone – Hoboken NJ

 REPAIR
 Crazing - stresses caused by moisture
expansion of the clay body exceed the
tensile capacity of the glaze
 Glaze shivering: glaze formulation
not compatible or “fit” with the clay
body shrinkage ratio during firing.
glaze will be in tension without
complete adhesion of glaze to the clay
body. This can result in glaze peeling
2003
Ritz Carlton Hotel
San Francisco
2009
5 Years After Repai
 Concerns

 New Construction
– Longevity of System Performance
– Match Anchor to both Substrate and Unit
Capacity
 Concerns

 New Construction
“Structural steel when erected frequently
varies from the exact figured
dimensions, for this reason all supports
for terracotta including angles, rods
anchors, etc. should be designed so as to
permit easy adjustment to the reasonable
requirements of construction when the
materials are being set” – Terra Cotta
Standard Construction 1927
 Concerns
 Restoration
– Longevity of System Performance
 25 – 50 – 100 years

– Match Anchor to both Substrate and Unit

Capacity
 What is Substrate?
 Is Capacity of Substrate Diminished?
 Is Substate
– Solid or Hollow
– Strong or Weak

“Anchors don’t fail substrates fail”

– Are Anchors Fire Rated?

 Concerns
 Restoration
– Need for Replacement Units
 Deterioration
 Unstable Anchorage - Sometimes

 Rust Jacking due to Steel Corrosion

– Replace Steel
– Apply Cathodic Protection to Steel
 Concerns
 Restoration
– Replacement in kind may negate need for
new anchorage design
– Replacement Material
 Durability
 Anchorage Requirements
 Aesthetic & Color Retention

– How do you inset single unit into existing

structure?
– New codes may require Seismic upgrade
Replacement Materials

 In Kind
 Stone
 Fiberglass
 Cast Stone
 Other
Longevity – Color - Cost
 What Now?

 Terra Cotta Standard Construction

1927
– Covers Massive Masonry Applications
– Not as good for Transitional Buildings
 More Standard Details for Transitional
Buildings?
From Where?
 Where?
– The Masonry Society
– ICRI
 Masonry Strengthening & Stabilization
Committee
– APTI
– SEAoNY
– National Parks Service
– Manufacturers, Engineers, Contractors
and Conservators
Preservation Engineering
 Who Restoration Engineers
 What Master’s Degree
 When 4th Semester in Progress
 Where Manhattan College
 Why Less than 5% of
Civil/Structural Engineers understand
existing structures for restoration not
Rip-Out-And-Replace
THANK YOU
 Remember
“Combine Tradition with Technology”