Many early concrete buildings in the United States are threatened
by deterioration. Effective protection and maintenance are the
keys to the durability of concrete. Even when historic concrete
structures are deteriorated, however, many can be saved through
preservation projects involving sensitive repair (see figs. 14a-c).
or replacement of deteriorated concrete with carefully selected
matching material. Successful restoration of
many historic concrete structures in America demonstrates that
techniques and materials now available can extend the life of
such structures for an indefinite period, thus preserving significant
cultural resources.
Concrete Repair and Restoration. ACI Compilation No. 5. Detroit:
American Concrete Institute, 1980. Reprint of Concrete International:
Design & Construction. Vol. 2, No. 9 (September 1980).
Condit, Carl W. American Building: Materials and Techniques from
the First Colonial Settlements to the Present. Chicago: University
of Chicago Press, 1968.
Hime, W.G. "Multitechnique Approach Solves Construction Materials
Failure Problems." American Chemical Society. Vol. 46, No.
14 (1974).
Huxtable, Ada Louise. "Concrete Technology in U.S.A."
Progressive Architecture. (October 1960).
Onderdonk, Francis S. The Ferro-Concrete Style. New York: Architectural
Book Publishing Company, Inc., 1928.
Perenchio, W.F., and Marusin, S.L. "ShortTerm Chloride Penetration
into Relatively Impermeable Concretes." Concrete International.
Vol. 5, No. 4 (April 1983), pp. 34-41.
Pfiefer, D.W., Perenchio, W.F., and Marusin, S.L. "Research
on Sealers, Coatings and Specialty Concretes for Barrier Films
and Layers on Concrete Structures." Proceedings of the RILEM
Seminar on the Durability of Concrete Structures Under Normal
Outdoor Exposure, Hanover, Federal Republic of Germany, March
2629, 1984.
Pfiefer, D.W. "Steel Corrosion Damage on Vertical Concrete,
Parts I & II." Concrete Construction. (February 1981).
Prudon, Theodore. "Confronting Concrete Realities."
Progressive Architecture. (November 1981), pp. 131137.
Ropke, John C. Concrete Problems, Causes & Cures. New York:
McGrawHill, 1982.
Sabnis, Gajanan, ed. Rehabilitation, Renovation and Preservation
of Concrete and Masonry Structures. ACISP85. Detroit: American
Concrete Institute, 1985.
Acknowledgements
This Preservation Brief was prepared under contract with the National
Park Service by William B. Coney, Senior Architect for Wiss, Janney,
Elstner Associates, Inc. in Northbrook, Illinois. The author would
like to thank others who aided in the research and writing of
the Brief: William F. Perenchio, Thomas L. Rewerts, Rexford L.
Selbe, John Fraczek, and Bruce S. Kaskell, all of Wiss, Janney,
Elstner Associates, Inc. Architects Gordon D. Orr, Jr., and Robert
A. Bell provided information on the restoration of Milton House
and Unity Temple, respectively. Barbara M. Posadas, Department
of History, Northern Illinois University, lent her considerable
editorial skill to the entire Brief. Tony C. Liu, James R. Clifton,
and Michael J. Paul of the American Concrete Institute Committee
364, reviewed and commented on the manuscript, along with Lee
H. Nelson, H. Ward Jandl, Kay D. Weeks, Sharon C. Park, and Michael
J. Auer of the National Park Service. Washington, D.C. September,
1987
This publication has been prepared pursuant to the National
Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, which directs the Secretary
of the Interior to develop and make available information concerning historic
properties. Technical Preservation Services (TPS), Heritage Preservation
Services Division, National Park Service prepares standards, guidelines,
and other educational materials on responsible historic preservation treatments
for a broad public.
"Preservation of Historic Concrete" an Historic Preservation Brief
