Group10 - Long Life:

WeatheringLucas Flaa & Sean Ryan & Patricia McKissack & Rene Gloria

What is Weathering?

Weathering is the disintegration of rock

and the physical and chemical

breakdown of rock and minerals on the

earths surface.

Weathering leads to erosion witch

removes soil and rock and moves it

from location to location altering

riverbeds, digging canyons, and

dissolving limestone to form caves.

Weathering can lead to various issues

to a structure overtime but with proper

designs weathering can be used to

ones advantage.

Types of Weathering

Freeze Thaw: Common in rocks, water seeps into the cracks of rocks and after the water freezes the cracks expand. Over time the freeze thaw will repeat and can eventually break the rock apart.

Exfoliation: Common in warm areas. Sun shines on the rocks and expand during the day. At night they cool and contract, overtime flakes of rocks begin to fall off.

Chemical: AN alteration to the chemical composition of a rock due to a reaction commonly due to acidic water dissolving the rock. Can be seen in limestone turning it into a limestone pavement.

Biological: Caused by living things. Roots of trees can tear the ground or buildings apart, but can also keep dirt and rocks in place preventing erosion.

How can we prevent weathering?

Weathering can break down materials in a variety of ways. To prevent

weathering from happening, we must first know how it is being caused.

Physical

Caused by Water

Caused by Wind

Biological

Caused by Living Organisms

Chemical

Caused by Gasses

Caused by Minerals

Sometimes, physical weathering and chemical weathering can be simultaneous.

Ex: Acid Rain

How can we prevent weathering?

Nearly all building materials are affected by weathering.

In order to prevent your building materials from breaking down, you must

understand how the material is most likely going to be broken down

(physically or chemically) and then use techniques that stop it from

happening.

Examples:

Brick is a naturally porous material. Because it is porous, wind, water, and roots

can easily work their way into a brick wall and slowly break it down.

Steel and copper are metals that experience and chemical change and will

either rust or patina. If used for structure, the material will slowly loose its structural

integrity.

If not properly design or cared for, glass will break under a variety of

circumstances: strong winds, cracks that wind and rain can worsen, or even

manufacturing defaults affected by weathering.

How can we prevent weathering?

Some design solutions to combat weathering include:

Carefully select and use durable materials that will withstand weathering

Coat materials in protective layers

Shape your design to direct wind and water away from your structure

How can we prevent weathering?

Ex. Galvanization is the process of applying a protective zinc coating to

metal in order to prevent weathering such as rusting.

How can we prevent weathering?

Ex. Using a self-cleaning glass that has a photo-catalytic and hydrophilic

coating on its surface will help to shed water and prevent any possible

penetration through the surface of the glass.

Design Advantages of Weathering

Aged look in design.

Strengthen materials

Requires less maintenance

Cost effective

Aged Look

Stronger Materials

Rust serves to protect weathering steel from further corrosion.

Barrier seals the steel against elements that caused them to rust in the first

place.

Less Maintenance

Bridges built with Corten steel have been known to last up to 120 years with

minimal maintenance.

Cost Effective

Weathering steel does not require paint

which can be a huge added cost.

Cor-Ten Steel

Cor-Ten steel is a type of steel that is allowed to be rusted overtime creating a patina that will last and develop over time.

The steel will never completely stop rusting, eventually the rust will protect the tell beneath and slow the process

Stein Library uses Cor-Ten steel to help the building mimic a look of a geode. A natural rock that has a rough outside but a beautiful crystalline inside.

Cor-Ten steel represents the rough outside of the geode

The steel honeycomb on the north side represents the crystal structure on the inside

Vertical Gardens and Ivy

Vertical gardens give buildings a unique look and can

provide fruits and vegetables to consume.

Ivy can create patterns on the sides of buildings to enable it

to combine with nature.

Solar Ivy is solar panels that are scattered on the facades of

buildings that replicates the look of ivy in nature

sources

http://www.geography.learnontheinternet.co.uk/topics/weathering.html

http://www.corten.com/frequently-asked-questions.html

http://www.tboake.com/SSEF1/weathering.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_glass_breakage

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanization

http://www.pilkington.com/north-america/USA/English/products/bp/bybenefit/selfcleaning/how+it+works.htm