September 29, 2011 Washington Monument Engineers

glatt · 09-28-2011, 02:10 PM

On August 23, an earthquake hit the Mid-Atlantic region. It was fairly big by East Coast standards, and it caused moderate damage to the Washington Monument. The Monument is basically just a bunch of blocks stacked on top of one another, reaching 555 feet high, and is not really designed to withstand earthquakes. It has been closed since the earthquake for safety reasons and a perimeter around the base is now fenced off.

The National Park Service is hoping to re-open the monument one day, but first it must inspect each and every block and joint on the exterior. The mortar between the stone blocks is relatively soft compared to the blocks themselves and much of the mortar between the joints fell out during the quake. With winter coming, the worry is that water will get into the damaged joints, freeze, and damage the blocks even more.

Enter the "difficult access team" from engineering firm Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates. These 4 engineers, hired by the NPS, are repelling down each face of the monument, cataloging the damage and doing emergency weatherization.

I just had to take a walk over there on my lunch hour and snap some pictures. There were around 100 people doing the same thing.

We need to zoom out a little for some perspective.

Here you can see one of the engineers actually working on the joint under a broken marble block.

Undertoad · 09-28-2011, 02:23 PM

Nicely done sir!

"We've secretly replaced George's safety harness with new Folger's Crystals... let's see what he thinks!"

BigV · 09-28-2011, 02:36 PM

those blocks look like they're the same proportions as a domino, a large rectangle, relatively thin for its area.

glatt · 09-28-2011, 03:04 PM

Yeah, it's pretty amazing none of them fell off during the quake. I guess they are wedged in there pretty tight.

I really could have used a pair of binoculars, but one thing I could see was that each one of these guys had a bucket clipped to them. I think they were removing loose mortar chunks and putting them in their bucket to bring them inside and down the stairs rather than drop them to the sidewalk below.

Also, they had dropped ropes down the sides of the monument, but for some of them, the ropes didn't reach the ground and were a good 50 feet from the ground. Not much use. Although now that I think of it, the ropes were also looped inside the windows just below them, so maybe there was enough slack there to account for reaching the ground.

HungLikeJesus · 09-28-2011, 05:35 PM

You know, I've never really paid attention. What's the Washington Monument used for? Is that how we communicate with the space aliens?

ZenGum · 09-28-2011, 08:29 PM

No capital city is complete without a generous supply of giant dicks.

CaliforniaMama · 09-29-2011, 07:14 AM

Wow! Great pics!

My first impression was "Cool, we have our own pyramid."

Then I wondered how in the world they got the ropes on the top of the point. That was some lassoing job!

glatt · 09-29-2011, 07:46 AM

There was a short article in the paper this morning. Some interesting tidbits:
-of the 4 engineers, there were 2 men and 2 women
-they carried iPads containing all the relevant data from the big renovation done about a decade ago
-they carried digital cameras to document everything, (and I saw them taking each other's pictures.)
-they carried rubber mallets for tapping on each block to listen for any hollow sounds that might indicate hidden cracks
-they also had a small collection of trowels and other masonry tools

Sundae · 09-29-2011, 09:01 AM

I wouldn't do that job for all the money in the world.
It's making my flesh creep just looking.

Fascinating though. Great thread, Glatt.

infinite monkey · 09-29-2011, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HungLikeJesus

You know, I've never really paid attention. What's the Washington Monument used for? Is that how we communicate with the space aliens?

Me neither. Can you walk inside anything?

infinite monkey · 09-29-2011, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sundae

I wouldn't do that job for all the money in the world.
It's making my flesh creep just looking.

Fascinating though. Great thread, Glatt.

I would. If I'd been born with gumption and mettle, I could've pursued such a career. I love heights, I love thrilly stuff, I'm fearless, I have good eye/hand coordination.

I bet they make beaucoup bucks, too.

Diaphone Jim · 09-29-2011, 11:04 AM

Good job! I can't remember an IOTD actually generated by an IOTD'er.

I've been there and wore myself out walking DOWN the stairs.

"Not really designed to withstand earthquakes." What an understatement.

I'm amazed it did, but there has to be more than just "stacking" involved.

Happy Monkey · 09-29-2011, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sundae

I wouldn't do that job for all the money in the world.
It's making my flesh creep just looking.

I could hardly stand the inside of the Capitol dome. I can't imagine the outside of the Monument.

Undertoad · 09-29-2011, 11:28 AM

The only other IOTD I remember taken by one of us was

http://cellar.org/showthread.php?t=7543

Whale Penis, by staceyv

jimhelm · 09-29-2011, 12:44 PM

nice job, glatt

09-28-2011, 02:10 PM	#1
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	September 29, 2011 Washington Monument Engineers On August 23, an earthquake hit the Mid-Atlantic region. It was fairly big by East Coast standards, and it caused moderate damage to the Washington Monument. The Monument is basically just a bunch of blocks stacked on top of one another, reaching 555 feet high, and is not really designed to withstand earthquakes. It has been closed since the earthquake for safety reasons and a perimeter around the base is now fenced off. The National Park Service is hoping to re-open the monument one day, but first it must inspect each and every block and joint on the exterior. The mortar between the stone blocks is relatively soft compared to the blocks themselves and much of the mortar between the joints fell out during the quake. With winter coming, the worry is that water will get into the damaged joints, freeze, and damage the blocks even more. Enter the "difficult access team" from engineering firm Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates. These 4 engineers, hired by the NPS, are repelling down each face of the monument, cataloging the damage and doing emergency weatherization. I just had to take a walk over there on my lunch hour and snap some pictures. There were around 100 people doing the same thing. We need to zoom out a little for some perspective. Here you can see one of the engineers actually working on the joint under a broken marble block.

09-28-2011, 02:36 PM	#3
BigV Goon Squad Leader Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Seattle Posts: 27,063	those blocks look like they're the same proportions as a domino, a large rectangle, relatively thin for its area. __________________ Be Just and Fear Not.

09-28-2011, 05:35 PM	#5
HungLikeJesus Only looks like a disaster tourist Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: above 7,000 feet Posts: 7,208	You know, I've never really paid attention. What's the Washington Monument used for? Is that how we communicate with the space aliens? __________________ Keep Your Bodies Off My Lawn SteveDallas's Random Thread Picker.

09-28-2011, 08:29 PM	#6
ZenGum Doctor Wtf Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Badelaide, Baustralia Posts: 12,861	No capital city is complete without a generous supply of giant dicks. __________________ Shut up and hug. MoreThanPretty, Nov 5, 2008. Just because I'm nominally polite, does not make me a pussy. Sundae Girl.

09-29-2011, 07:14 AM	#7
CaliforniaMama I wonder . . . Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: The Left Coast, a pretty good place to be. Posts: 1,278	Wow! Great pics! My first impression was "Cool, we have our own pyramid." Then I wondered how in the world they got the ropes on the top of the point. That was some lassoing job! __________________ Take time for silence. You never know what you might hear.

09-28-2011, 02:23 PM	#2
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Nicely done sir! "We've secretly replaced George's safety harness with new Folger's Crystals... let's see what he thinks!"

09-28-2011, 03:04 PM	#4
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	Yeah, it's pretty amazing none of them fell off during the quake. I guess they are wedged in there pretty tight. I really could have used a pair of binoculars, but one thing I could see was that each one of these guys had a bucket clipped to them. I think they were removing loose mortar chunks and putting them in their bucket to bring them inside and down the stairs rather than drop them to the sidewalk below. Also, they had dropped ropes down the sides of the monument, but for some of them, the ropes didn't reach the ground and were a good 50 feet from the ground. Not much use. Although now that I think of it, the ropes were also looped inside the windows just below them, so maybe there was enough slack there to account for reaching the ground.

09-29-2011, 07:46 AM	#8
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	There was a short article in the paper this morning. Some interesting tidbits: -of the 4 engineers, there were 2 men and 2 women -they carried iPads containing all the relevant data from the big renovation done about a decade ago -they carried digital cameras to document everything, (and I saw them taking each other's pictures.) -they carried rubber mallets for tapping on each block to listen for any hollow sounds that might indicate hidden cracks -they also had a small collection of trowels and other masonry tools

09-29-2011, 09:01 AM	#9
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	I wouldn't do that job for all the money in the world. It's making my flesh creep just looking. Fascinating though. Great thread, Glatt. __________________ Life's hard you know, so strike a pose on a Cadillac

09-29-2011, 11:04 AM	#12
Diaphone Jim Junior Master Dwellar Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Northern California Posts: 2,122	Good job! I can't remember an IOTD actually generated by an IOTD'er. I've been there and wore myself out walking DOWN the stairs. "Not really designed to withstand earthquakes." What an understatement. I'm amazed it did, but there has to be more than just "stacking" involved.

09-29-2011, 11:28 AM	#14
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	The only other IOTD I remember taken by one of us was http://cellar.org/showthread.php?t=7543 Whale Penis, by staceyv

09-29-2011, 12:44 PM	#15
jimhelm a beautiful fool Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: 39.939705 Posts: 4,504	nice job, glatt __________________ There's a Shadow just behind me. Shrouding every step I take. Making every promise empty, pointing every finger at me. _tool

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