08-23-05 | News

Retaining Wall Collapses in NYC

A 150-foot section of a 600-foot retaining wall collapsed onto the Henry Hudson Parkway in New York City, sending officials and residents into a frenzy.

 

A massive mound of dirt, rocks, trees and debris cascaded down onto one of the main north south routes out of New York City, just before rush hour. Just after 4 p.m. as thousands of motorists were starting their drive home, the wall gave way, blocking the six-lane highway and burying parked cars, but causing no injuries. The retaining wall, originally built 97 years ago, is privately owned. The residents of the building right on top of the wall said they’d been concerned about a suspicious bulge and their contracted engineers were set to meet with the Department of transportation to discuss the problem the following day. However, the city maintains that it’s not their responsibility. The early hypothesis is that water damage caused the collapse, but a full investigation will have to wait until the debris is fully cleared.

Brick Stands Up to the Big Bad Wolf and Hurricanes

The three little pigs, safe inside the brick house.

Intuitively we knew the third little pig had the right idea when he built his house out of bricks. Still, people like to quantify such matters. A study sponsored by the Brick Industry Association (BIA) and conducted at the Wind Science and Engineering Research Center at Texas Tech University demonstrated that a 7.5-foot long 2×4 flying through the air at 25 mph would penetrate a home built with vinyl or fiber-cement siding (not to mention the first piggy’s straw home). To penetrate a brick home, however, that 2×4 would have to reach 80 mph, said the study.

A wood 2×4 was used because wood framing in home construction is expected to become airborne in hurricane winds.

The test revealed that at 34 mph, the 2×4 bounced off brick veneer with no damage to the interior wall. At the same speed, the 2×4 penetrated the vinyl or fiber-cement sided wall, with more than five feet of the timber passing through the interior wall. The tests were said to represent weather that would generate wind speeds between 100 and 140 mph.

The tests were the second phase of a two-year study conducted by the BIA on the impact resistance of typical residential wall construction to wind-blown debris.

For more info, visit www.bia.org

Brick Company in Georgia Continues Mining Operation

Cherokee Brick & Tile Company recently received zoning approval that was needed to keep the company in business. The company has been manufacturing brick in Macon and Bibb County since 1877 and needed approval to continue mining alluvial clay from property it owns. Because the property lies in the flood plain of the Ocmulgee River, there was opposition from environmentalists about allowing the mining operation. Kenneth Sams, president of the company, said, “(The wetland permit) has been looked at and studied by every organization. Contrary to what some people may say, we love this land and will be good stewards of it.”

The proposed mining land is completely owned by Cherokee Brick and will not be accessible by any public roads, according to the commissioner?EUR??,,????'???s staff report. Actual mining activities will take place over time in areas of 25 to 35 acres.

Source: The Telegraph

New Laser Method for Brick Engraving

The new laser-engraving techniques, developed by an Acme Brick Company engineer, make the entire brick-engraving process easier and more cost-efficient than older sandblasting techniques.

Acme Brick Company has found a way to utilize lasers for engraving brick. This newly patented method of brick engraving replaces the traditional sandblasting technique, which is the industry standard. Acme engineer, Mike Young, developed the new technique over a two-year period.

According to a report in Masonry Magazine, the laser process produces a highly detailed engraved brick with the depth and look of traditional engraved brick. Very detailed text and logos can be applied onto the brick using this laser process. The process applies very high heat onto the brick surface and changes the affected surface to a black, glass-like material. The laser is set on a pre-determined path using specific software that was developed for the application.

The new laser procedure has made the ordering process easy and cost-efficient too. All customers need do is use the new laser engraved brick order entry/production program. The information is automatically converted into a laser output file when requested by production personnel. This minimizes the labor needed to record the information that will be engraved on the brick and that means the entire process is done in a more timely matter. Customers are able to have their individual brick delivered much faster than with the older method. Also, with the sandblasting method, the only way to save money on orders was to engrave a large number of bricks at a time. With the laser procedures, engraved bricks are produced as they are ordered.

To learn more, visit www.acmebrick.com