1. WHEN IT’S TIME FOR AN ANCHOR TEST Anchor manufacturers publish a dizzying array of data about their fasteners’ capacity in various substrates under various conditions. It’s often the structural engineer’s task to identify the most appropriate anchor for the …
We always joke in the office about finding “magic goo” on the outside of a building. Invariably, a well-meaning Owner or maintenance person finds a caulking gun or bucket of some unknown material to smear on to the outside of …
By Jonathan Stevens, Assoc. A.I.A., LEED AP Fire escapes have always been a fascinating part of architectural history, not only for their number one priority of protecting and saving human life, but also as a beautiful expression of design, functionality, …
By Robert G. Wilkin, P.E. CBI recently completed a project to recoat the stone on a 200-year-old mill building. The project was designed under the requirements of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, so the recoated stone needed to match its previous …
By Craig E. Barnes, P.E., SECB Last week we left you thinking about what the bump in the road is for building owners to hire architects or engineers to perform regular façade inspections: cost and competition. From my experience, most …
By Craig E. Barnes, P.E., SECB Every engineer in the world must be aware that a piece of a building that falls from above may have disastrous results to passersby below. It goes without saying that those cities in the …
By Jeff S. Barnes Summer is upon us and thoughts have turned to sunny days at the beach, driving around with the windows down and the music up, vacations, and the 4th of July. The summer also brings heat, humidity, …
By Robert Wilkin, P.E. There are three types of mortar mixes for masonry wall construction: Site mixed Portland cement, lime and sand Premixed and bagged Mortar Cement Premixed and bagged Masonry Cement Site mixed mortar is the traditional preference for …
By Stephen A. McDermott Unfortunately, reviews of masonry façades are seldom performed. The execution of exterior masonry wall repairs is often times only triggered as a result of water infiltration into a habitable space. The Brick Institute recommends a periodic …
by Caitlin Daniels and Jenna Kotarski CBI has been providing design services for the Pine Street Inn since 1998. CBI has completed a full array of projects, big and small, for the Pine Street Inn’s block-long site that spans from …