Facades of Manhattan Apartment Buildings from the 1902–1915 Period. II: Life Cycle Prediction
Publication: Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 35, Issue 3
Abstract
The 3,500 apartment buildings erected in New York City between 1902 and 1915 form a typology characterized by similarities in structural and architectural solutions. About 87% of these buildings are still standing and are home to about half a million people. To predict the remaining life of facades of this typology, the author rated the condition of 171 masonry facades. For each surveyed building, a timeline of repairs since 2006 was constructed. The data collected—condition ratings, type of material, and area of ornamentation allowed analysis of the deterioration of various materials as they have been interacting in the same facade. The sample included 74 facades subject to mandated periodic inspections. The results of these inspections performed by others provided additional points of control. The condition ratings and the 13-year timeline of activities were used to predict the remaining life of the facades in terms of rate of repairs. Deterioration developing in stone and terra-cotta ornamentation is the main concern. Corrosion of steel anchoring the ornaments was found to be the main factor determining the deteriorations’ critical path.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The author thanks Ramona Loftis and Salvatore Vicari, who helped organize the data.
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Published In
Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 35 • Issue 3 • June 2021
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 20, 2020
Accepted: Oct 20, 2020
Published online: Apr 8, 2021
Published in print: Jun 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Sep 8, 2021
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