Terra Cotta Repairs pt.2

Steel was put in terracotta per code and performance specifications....and it was effective - but has steel degrades it increases in volume and splits the unit.

Here's where it gets tricky....once terracotta breaks technically it no longer meets building code minimum standards. He noted that when it cracks it is somewhat indeterminate whether it is safe/unsafe, and that repair campaigns are challenging because the broken material is never "restored" to the minimum standard and the highest factor of safety when the building was built. He noted that repairs, patching, pinning, etc. are not performance based and that over time they will fail. DOB likes to see restorations that meet minimum standards.

Most compelling was that without restoration to a minimum standard owners will continue to be shocked by repair costs.

COMPLIANCE & ENFORCEMENT

Mr. Lynch noted that FISP is grounded in Compliance. Every 5-years building owners are performing compliance inspections to safe minimum standards under the following formula:

Complying a building under a C of 0 to Some Specification to ensure it meets minimum standards per Code.

THOUGHTS

I thought it was inciteful that DOB had an understanding of how staggering ALT2 (repetition of repairs) and repair costs are for Building Owners.

At the end of the day, FISP is here to stay.....therefore, strategy, assessment and project analysis are so important so that owners can make repair decisions that have true longevity and avoid costly repair repeats.

SOURCE: https://www.centerforarchitecture.org/video/historic-terracotta-stabilize-restore-or-replace-

05-07-2018/