Print this page Repointing Mortar Joints in Historic Masonry Buildings
Jeffrey Havelin, P.E.
Course Outline
The purpose of this (Two-Hour) course to provide the engineer or architect with a fundamental understanding and technical knowledge associated with the Repointing Mortar Joints in Historic Masonry Buildings.
When properly done, repointing restores the visual and physical integrity of the masonry. Improperly done, repointing not only detracts from the appearance of the building, but may also cause physical damage to the masonry units themselves.
The objective of this course is also to raise the knowledge level and help develop sensitivity to the particular needs of historic masonry, and will help assist architects, engineers and historic preservation consultants working cooperatively with historic building owners. Although specifically intended for historic buildings, the guidance provided by this course material is also appropriate for other masonry buildings as well.
This course is based entirely on the web version of the National Park Service Preservation Brief 02 which is entitled “Repointing Mortar Joints in Historic Masonry Buildings” as published by the National Park Service- U.S. Department of the Interior. This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which
is designed to enhance the understanding of course materials.
Learning Objective
This course will specifically review and provide an understanding of the methods, procedures, and benefits of Repointing Mortar Joints in Historic Masonry Buildings:
- Evaluation of the laboratory analysis of mortar;
- Vapor permeability;
- Wet-chemical analysis method;
- Gas collection analysis method;
- Thin-section microscopy testing;
- ASTM C 1324-96 "Test Method for Examination and Analysis of Hardened Mortars"; and
- Cleaning the Repointed Masonry.
Intended
Audience
This course would be very informative for Architects or Professional Engineers that are involved with historic buildings and structures.
Benefit to the Attendees
Although specifically intended for historic buildings, the guidance provided by this course material is also appropriate for other masonry buildings as well.
Course Introduction
The objective of this course is to raise the knowledge level and help develop sensitivity to the particular needs of historic masonry, and will help assist architects, engineers and historic preservation consultants working cooperatively with historic building owners.
Course Content
This course is based entirely on the web version of the National Park Service Preservation Brief 02 which is entitled “Repointing Mortar Joints in Historic Masonry Buildings” as published by the National Park Service- U.S. Department of the Interior.
The link to the course materials is as follows:
Repointing Mortar Joints in Historic Masonry Buildings
(http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/briefs/brief02.htm)
Please click on
the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your
study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the
file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target
As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience
any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some
applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.
Note: The web versions of the Preservation Briefs differ somewhat from the printed versions. Many illustrations are new, captions are simplified, illustrations are typically in color rather than black and white, and some complex charts have been omitted.
Course Summary
The primary role of the consultant is to ensure the life of the building, a knowledge of historic construction techniques and the special problems found in older buildings is essential. The consultant must assist the owner in planning for logistical problems relating to research and construction. It is the consultant's responsibility to determine the cause of the mortar deterioration and ensure that it is corrected before the masonry is repointed.
Quiz
Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.
DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.
