Teira cotta, or baked earth, has been used in construction since ancient times. Terra cotta was widely popular in the United States and Canada from the late nineteenth century through the 1930s, and is enjoying a renaissance today in many preservation as well as new construction projects. Terra cotta is a durable and serviceable building material if properly manufactured, installed, and maintained. The key to insuring the serviceability of terra cotta is a thorough understanding of its characteristics, cause of deterioration, and methods of evaluation and addressing distress. This paper focuses on the research, investigation, and repair design of terra cotta. Before the hands-on inspection is undertaken, preliminary historical and technical research can provide helpful information to understand the building construction and nature of the problems. Techniques and tools for investigation can include sounding of the terra cotta, the creating of inspection openings, laboratory testing of the original building materials, and a hands-on survey of all areas of the building facade. After the construction details and material characteristics are understood and the causes of distress evaluated, the design for repairs and maintenance can proceed. Issues such as design alternatives, substitute materials, scheduling and sequencing of the work, cost estimating, and specifying new materials are addressed.
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