Patrick Loughran Boeken

Concrete and stone are often perceived as everlasting materials, yet they can develop issues over time. These problems are not always as catastrophic as the roof collapse at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport in 2004; they can also manifest as gradual changes that affect both the aesthetics and structural integrity of buildings. Factors contributing to these changes include efflorescence, thermal stress, weathering, leakage, and corrosion. The text delves into how to prevent common types of damage, systematically analyzing instances of deterioration in modern architecture worldwide. It provides strategies to mitigate risks, featuring notable structures like Finlandia Hall in Helsinki, Parco della Musica in Rome, and the Vontz Center for Molecular Studies in Cincinnati. Through eight chapters, the book elucidates various types of damage, supported by illustrative examples, offering insights into maintaining the longevity and safety of concrete and stone constructions.

Problems in construction have existed for as long as architecture itself has enclosed our spaces. Particularly in glass structures there have been some catastrophic problems in recent years. It would seem that modern architecture with its complex technologies and ingenious details is especially prone to defects. For this very reason, this selection of examples includes such renowned projects as John Hancock Tower in Boston, Galeries Lafayette in Berlin, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and the Bibliothèque de France in Paris. The book can be seen as a catalogue of facade failure modes, examining defects due to water leakage, corrosion, incompatibility of materials, insufficient redundancy, climatic influences, wear and tear of materials etc. Each chapter is devoted to a particular form of damage, illustrating it with examples, and concluding with strategies to avoid repetition of defects. Patrick Loughran, architect and engineer, has been working in the design of building facades in Chicago since 1994.