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Preserving Historic Glazed Architectural Terra-Cotta

Jeffrey Havelin, P.E.


Course Outline

The purpose of this (One-Hour) course is to provide Architects or Professional Engineers with a fundamental understanding and technical knowledge associated with the preservation and repair of Historic Glazed Architectural Terra-Cotta.

Glazed architectural terra-cotta is one of the most prevalent masonry building materials found in the urban environment today. Popular between the late 19th century and the 1930s, glazed architectural terra-cotta offered a modular, varied and relatively inexpensive approach to wall and floor construction. It was particularly adaptable to vigorous and rich ornamental detailing.

This course provides a short history of Historic Glazed Architectural Terra-Cotta in America. It also surveys basic preservation and documentation issues facing owners of buildings with Historic Glazed Architectural Terra-Cotta. It addresses common causes of deterioration and presents repair, restoration, and protection options.

This course is based entirely on the web version of the National Park Service Preservation Brief 07 which is entitled “The Preservation of Historic Glazed Architectural Terra-Cotta” 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 preserving Historic Glazed Architectural Terra-Cotta.


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

This course addresses common causes of deterioration and presents repair, restoration, and protection options for buildings with Historic Glazed Architectural Terra-Cotta.


Course Introduction

This Course will discuss some of the major deterioration problems that commonly occur in historic glazed architectural terra-cotta, methods of determining the extent of that deterioration and recommendations for the maintenance, repair and replacement of the deteriorated historic material.


Course Content

This course is based entirely on the web version of the National Park Service Preservation Brief 07 which is entitled “The Preservation of Historic Glazed Architectural Terra-Cotta” as published by the National Park Service- U.S. Department of the Interior.

The link to the course materials is as follows:

Preserving Historic Glazed Architectural Terra-Cotta

(http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/briefs/brief07.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.


Course Summary

Today, many of this country's buildings are constructed of glazed architectural terracotta. However, many of these are in a state of serious deterioration and decay.

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 deterioration and protection options for buildings with Historic Glazed Architectural Terra-Cotta. Glazed architectural terra-cotta was, in many ways, the "wonder" material of the American building industry in the late 19th century and during the first decades of the 20th century.


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.