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News and Insights on the Masonry Repair and Maintenance of Institutional, Commercial, and Condominium Buildings in
Eastern Massachusetts
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Volume 12 No. 4
October 2020
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In our Case Study article, we discuss another Abbot large masonry repair project involving 14 interconnected 4-story office buildings in the Kendall Square section of East Cambridge, MA. In our Masonry 101 tutorial, we describe efflorescence, its effects on masonry structures, and potential prevention methods.
We trust that you will benefit from the information provided in this publication. If you have any comments or questions, or would like an estimate on a masonry repair project, we can be reached by telephone at 617-445-0274 or at our web site at www.abbotbuilding.com.
Sincerely,
Abbot Building Restoration Company, Inc.
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Case Study
Abbot Nears Completion of Large Masonry Repair Project on Cambridge Office Buildings
Abbot is nearing completion of a masonry repair and waterproofing project involving 14 interconnected four story occupied office buildings located at 25 First Street in the Kendall Square section of East Cambridge, MA. The buildings consist of solid, multi-wythe brick exterior walls with precast and granite windowsills and steel lintels.
Abbot was invited to a bidding process via its previous working relationship with Elements Management (Hopkinton, MA), the engineering company for the project, and was awarded the job following a comprehensive review by the bid committee.
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The Davenport Building, East Cambridge, MA
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The project was to be initiated in early 2020. However, the work was postponed due to the uncertainty about the landscape due to the onset of the coronavirus. The project was resurrected in August when construction restrictions were lifted in the City of Cambridge and, because the building was virtually empty with most people working from home, the management company reasoned that this would be the most opportune time to get the work done.
The scope of work primarily involved miscellaneous waterproofing and repairs of the exterior facades of the buildings, including:
- Brick replacement
- Brick and sill repointing
- Granite sill crack repairs
- Selective EIFS repairs
- Façade and window sealant replacement
The most challenging aspect was to erect a fully enclosed scaffolding to provide access for Abbot to cut and point a large chimney stack rising 80 feet above the roof. Due to the mass of the scaffolding, the management company hired a structural engineer (BMC Engineering, L.L.C., Wakefield, MA) to design a steel platform fabricated out of a series of I-beams for the scaffolding to stand on to evenly distribute the weight.
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Masonry 101
Efflorescence
Efflorescence is a powdery crystalline deposit of salts often visible on the surface of concrete, brick, stucco, or natural stone surfaces. It occurs when water leaves behind salt deposits on the masonry surface. The word efflorescence means "to flower out" in French, but this type of flowering leaves an unattractive whitish residue behind.
Recurring efflorescence tends to be a sign of a larger water management issue. Efflorescence requires moisture to mobilize the salts and work its way out to the visible surface, so if you've got efflorescence, you've got a source of water ingress.
Ways to remove efflorescence depend on the surface and the composition of the salts. One method is to use a dry brush. For some salts, you can simply wash them away with a hand brush, mild detergent, and a water rinse. Power washing is another option, depending on the surface. However, cleaning efflorescence from a masonry surface is a treatment rather than a cure.
The best way to avoid dealing with efflorescence is to prevent it from happening in the first place. To minimize these issues, such preventive measures as incorporating a silica/alumina product into the mixture, installation of a vapor barrier, and application of a sealant or coating over the surface can be used.
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Abbot Building Restoration Co., Inc.
28 Allerton Street, Boston, MA 02119
Tel: 617-445-0274 · Fax: 617-445-0277
www.abbotbuilding.com
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