News & Events
APTI Annual Meeting (October 11-16, 2011)
Courtney Murdock will attend the Association for Preservation Technology International annual conference scheduled for October 11-16, 2011 in Victoria, British Columbia. The conference theme is Heritage on the Edge: Sustaining Buildings, Landscapes and Communities. Of particular interest are talks on mortars, protective treatments, cleaning methods for graffiti removal, and energy efficiency/codes.
AMT Labs Begins State of the Art Air & Water Leakage Testing - 2011
AMT Labs has begun a new test program to simulate the performance of various air barrier materials and accessories. The state-of-the-art test chamber uses wall and window assembly mock-ups to find and correct the weak spots in the building envelope that permit costly, destructive air and water leakage before construction begins.
A wall and window assembly mock-up is constructed and tested in specific pressures. By applying air pressure differentials across the specimen in stages, the air barrier and system components may be evaluated as to their specific air leakage.
The test chamber at AMT Labs was designed by PROSOCO/BEI and built for full scale testing, component and product design evaluation. The chamber demonstrates the durability and effectiveness of many construction component installation methods. AMT Labs uses the information gathered from the test chamber to prove product performance and evaluate design details. The test chamber is designed to test up to structural failure, or 1.5 times the design limit. This feature sets AMT Labs apart from other testing laboratories.
The chamber provides "0" extraneous air leakage, pressures to over 60 PSF, 20 IWC (positive or negative) or 200 mph wind speeds. The spray rack is designed to maintain 6 inches rain/hour. Safety and efficiency features have been carefully incorporated to allow ease of operation in a wide variety of testing conditions. Clear portals provide visual monitoring of the test specimen during testing and allow for photo documentation. The laboratory test report includes photo documentation, description and drawings of test specimen, description of test procedure, and test results. Contact AMT Labs for more information.
Concrete & Cast Stone in the 21st Century Conference (March 29-30, 2008)
AMT Labs Project Testing Director Courtney Murdock will attend the Concrete & Cast Stone in the 21st Century: Design, Preservation and Care of Contemporary and Historic Architecture Conference. The conference is being held in Cambridge, Massachusetts on March 29-30, 2008 and is sponsored by Technology and Conservation, the MIT Department of Architecture - Building Technology Program, and the Historic Resources Committee, Boston Society of Architects/AIA. Courtney will be giving a presentation on the AMT Labs evaluation of the Ennis House Textile Block. The presentation will discuss test methods and test results of the laboratory analyses of this Frank Lloyd Wright creation. Courtney will also be presenting a poster at the conference, which will showcase the Ennis House Textile Block laboratory testing.
APTI Annual Meeting (November 3-7, 2007)
Courtney Murdock will attend the Association for Preservation Technology International annual conference scheduled for November 3-7, 2007 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Conference sessions, workshops and tours of cultural sites such as Fort San Cristóbal will explore this year's conference theme -- Old World Technologies Adapting in the New World. Three sessions of particular interest are on the topics of mortar and masonry construction, brick, and the effects of climate on historic materials. The APTI web site has additional information. www.apti.org
How to Choose the Correct Cleaning Approach for Your Masonry Building (January 10, 2007)
The Rocky Mountain Masonry Institute seminar will focus on building cleaning and how to identify various types of soiling. Presenter Courtney Murdock will discuss the different types of chemical cleaners and how to choose the right one. A brief overview of laboratory test methods and how lab testing can help will be included.
APTI Annual Meeting (September 13-16, 2006)
Courtney Murdock and Fran Gale will attend the Association for Preservation Technology International annual conference scheduled for September 13-16, 2006 in Atlanta, Georgia. Conference sessions, training workshops and tours of local cultural sites will explore this year’s conference theme – Crossroads in Heritage Conservation: When Modern Meets Historic. Of particular interest are the sessions on conserving innovative materials and technologies that include presentations on weathering steel, terra cotta, curtain walls and textile block concrete. The APTI web site has additional information www.apti.org
Advanced Cemetery Monument Conservation Workshop (July, 2006)
During July, 2006 AMT Labs Technical Director Fran Gale participated in the Advanced Cemetery Monument Conservation Workshop conducted by the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Workshop topics included stone monument cleaning, adhesive repairs, repointing mortar joints and lime wash coatings. During this five day workshop, participants worked on complex, multi-stage monument repairs in the American Cemetery in Natchitoches. Representatives from the National Park Service, the Veterans Administration, State Historic Preservation Offices and private conservation organizations attended the workshop. Fran Gale demonstrated cleaning techniques for workshop participants and provided instruction in assessing and documenting deterioration conditions.
University of Southern California Summer Session (July 17-18, 2006)
AMT Labs Technical Director Fran Gale provided instruction at the USC Summer Session in Los Angeles on July 17-18, 2006. Fran’s sessions included class room lectures on Architectural Materials Conservation and Understanding Deterioration. Students participated in an on-site training activity during which they documented existing conditions of a circa 1920 USC building. The session also included a site visit to the Breed Street Shul in downtown Los Angeles. Additional information about this Save Americas Treasures project is on their website http://www.breedstreetshul.org
Advanced Cemetery Monument Conservation Workshop (July 10-14, 2006)
This five day hands-on workshop provides an opportunity for participants to learn by working on complex and multi-stage monument repairs. The workshop will cover stone monument cleaning, adhesive repair, color-matched fills, historic lime stucco, lime mortar brick masonry and lime wash. The workshop will be held in Natchitoches, Louisiana at the American Cemetery on July 10-14, 2006. AMT Labs Technical Director Fran Gale will guide participants in assessing and documenting conditions and will demonstrate cleaning techniques.
http://www.ncptt.nps.gov/(S(m5bmwu45kulqcj312fvqmpf5))/default.aspx?m=260
Southwest Cemetery Monument Conservation Workshop
Fran Gale will participate in the NCPTT’s Southwest Cemetery Monument Conservation Workshop, scheduled for September 26-28, 2006 in Virginia City, Nevada. This workshop will combine lectures and demonstrations with hands-on training at historic Silver Terrace Cemetery. Additional information is on the NCPTT website http://www.ncptt.nps.gov/
Building Cleaning Workshop (May 19,2006)
The Washington, DC Chapter of the Association for Preservation Technology sponsored a Building Cleaning Workshop on Friday May 19, 2006, in Baltimore, Maryland. The workshop provided an in-depth knowledge of alternative methods for cleaning and surface preparation of building facades, monuments and historically significant structures. Presenters explained these methods through presentations and hands-on demonstrations.
AMT Labs Technical Director Fran Gale began the program with an overview of building cleaning. She discussed the importance of laboratory and field testing to understand the nature of the substrate as well as the soiling that will be removed. Fran also reviewed chemical cleaning and provided an update on new products.
http://www.aptdc.org/cleaning_seminar/apt_cleaning.htm
Clay Bricks in the 21st Century Conference (March 25-26, 2006)
AMT Labs Technical Director Fran Gale attended a conference on Clay Bricks in the 21st Century: Design, Preservation and Care of Contemporary and Historic Architecture. Organized by Technology and Conservation, the MIT Department of Architecture - Building Technology Program, and the Boston Society of Architects, the conference was held in Cambridge, Massachusetts on March 25-26, 2006. The Clay Brick conference focused on properties of clay bricks and the effects of environmental conditions, new developments in manufacturing and fabrication operations and in construction techniques, strategies for identifying historic bricks and evaluating brick deterioration, and procedures for replicating historic brick. Fran Gale and Courtney Murdock presented a poster on the value of laboratory testing in cleaning and protecting brick.
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