Marble Facade Failure

Amoco corp acknowledging one of the costliest blunders in its 100 year history said monday it will strip its headquarters tower of its cherished marble skin and replace the weakening snow white.

Marble facade failure.

Marble is a metamorphic rock that. Clad with nearly 6 000 tons of carrara marble imported from italy the facade lasted less than 15 years before requiring replacement. Façade failure due to thermal hysteresis the failure of the amoco building in chicago serves as arguably the most infamous example of thermal hysteresis. Distressed marble panel investigation and granite reclad design after routine inspection of the building s facade revealed cracking and bowing of the marble panels amoco sought an expert to investigate the nature and extent of the damage and to develop solutions to restore the facade s structural and aesthetic integrity.

Testing has shown that stoneply does not suffer the problem of thermal hysteresis. Problems with marble cladding can include bowing expansion loss of strength cracking and even detachment from the building. Suffering a similar fate the chase lincoln first bank of rochester new york had to strip its 27 story headquarters of its carrara marble skin in a job that took three years to complete. Intent scope and purpose this glossary is intended to be used only as an educational tool by those interested in visual inspections of facade conditions.

Here we will address the cause of and solution to hysteresis and marble facade failure. If you are involved with a natural stone cladding or facade project that needs restoration or you are an architect engineer owner. Derives from the transformation of. In the usa buildings in several states have had problems.

Constructed as the headquarters for standard oil of indiana in 1974 the building changed names along with the company in 1985 to become. The glossary does not include any guide as to the impact of the various listed conditions on the public. The problem with marble facades is not limited to one climate or one type of marble. The marble façade on hotel t erraza in ljungby sweden clad with a swedish dolomitic marble is now facing a renovation of about 1 5 million us due to deterioration 共 bowing and cracking 兲.

Nyc buildings glossary facade conditions for educational purposes only 1. A building clad in marble panels atten tion to fabrication detailing and signs of distress can make the difference between a minor repair project and complete wall system failure. The strength of an aluminum backing fully adhered to the stone with aviation epoxies eliminates the weaknesses inherent in traditional thin veneer marble applications by providing the flexural strength needed for exterior stone cladding. In europe there are building facades with bowed marble slabs from both the cooler climates of finland and denmark to the warmer climates of portugal and spain.