The façades and walls of many historic buildings are damaged due to movements in the foundations or deterioration of their load-bearing structures, resulting in cracks or fissures in the visible elements. In some cases, these fissures or cracks compromise the building’s stability.
To solve this problem, it is important to have an engineer carefully analyse the materials and select the appropriate repair mortars for the affected element. Structures tend to move at the weakest points, and locating these points is key. Only in this way is it possible to “stitch” a crack and allow, in addition to small expansions, movements to continue without causing dangerous or perceptible openings. Because, although it may not seem like it, façades and structures move daily due to sun exposure, temperature changes, wind and even regular use.
Traditionally, this stitching is done with small reinforcements that allow the formation of minimal cracks that go unnoticed. Once the appropriate material has been selected, the cracks are stitched with these reinforcements to keep the openings practically unnoticeable.
With the advent of new materials, solutions have evolved. Fibreglass reinforcements are increasingly replacing steel, as they are stronger and more elastic. In addition, they allow smaller diameters, which makes them easier to fit between bricks or masonry, and better adapted to cracks and small holes.
By Jorge Laguna, head of the structures section of Amusement Logic’s Architecture Department.
