Internal Strengthening of Historic Clay Brick Masonry Pump Houses in New Orleans

Lecture on Historic Masonry: Diagnostics and Repair

We have stabilized masonry structures that are out-of-plumb by as much as fourteen inches! We have stabilized walls from which you could literally remove the brick with your hands. Generally speaking, if we can keep the wall stable and safe while we work, we can stabilize the wall.

Fabric anchoring systems use expansive sock containments around an anchor in order to allow for targeted injection and resulting bond to the surrounding masonry. These anchoring systems create a mechanical lock in addition to material bond, giving the most security possible. Masonry Solutions International has been working with fabric anchorage systems for nearly 20 years and continues to develop new and exciting products for heritage masonry anchoring.

Certainly, if there is a good barrier of masonry behind the tuck pointing, normal tuck pointing is acceptable. Of course, if tuck pointing is done properly per the Preservation Briefs it is not an inexpensive proposition. We have seen major tuck pointing efforts that were very expensive, and at the end, the owner still needed to inject the wall to stop the water infiltration. Conversely, if the existing joints are fair to good, injection may heal the wall and stop the water without tuck pointing. Let me leave you with this; putting a ½” to an inch of mortar, with questionable bond strength and some shrinkage may reduce some water infiltration temporarily, but it is similar to painting your tooth when you experience a cavity. Eventually, the tooth will require correct repair.