Hamilton County Courthouse
Scope of Work
Exterior Brick Stone & Masonry Repair
Location
Aurora, NE
History
Built and completed in 1895
Designed by William Gray
Completion
This project is currently underway.
The Challenge
The Hamilton County courthouse exhibited many areas of deterioration. Berggren Architects was retained to do a thorough assessment of the exterior of the courthouse as well as the bandstand which was constructed over the boiler house serving the courthouse. The focus of the assessment is largely on the condition of the original masonry for both structures. the courthouse was constructed of Colorado Red Sandstone, red face brick and red terra cotta.
The east and west entry steps, originally stone, were replaced with concrete many years ago. Explorations will be made to determine if any original materials still exist and if those materials are reusable.
There are twenty-four stained glass windows which originally provided natural daylight for the vaults of the courthouse. They have been blocked off with panels of Colorado Red Sandstone currently appearing as decorative niches. Our assessment will determine the possibility of revealing the windows to the public.
The Strategy
To properly make the assessments, Berggren Architects hired Digital Sky to assist photographically, utilizing drone access to all elevations at all heights. While this was happening, our team took photographs of the first-floor elevation and gathered measurements from the bandstand. We then inspected interior plaster damage and identified the best locations for excavations to expose the foundation as well as gathered mortar samples from various locations. Samples were taken from sandstone masonry, brick masonry, and terra cotta masonry construction of both the courthouse and bandstand. These mortar samples were then prepared and sent to a lab in Scotland for analysis leading to the original formula for each type of masonry installation.
Excavations confirmed a significant amount of moisture that exists in the ground around the courthouse. We also documented that the courthouse was constructed on a crushed stone leveling bed approximately 8 inches deep. This practice was common for larger commercial buildings. The leveling bed absorbs the weight of the massive structure slowly as it is being constructed. This practice virtually eliminates any distress due to settling in the future.
We have documented all of the masonry flaws visible via the drone and close examination at a grade level. Our construction documents illustrate which stones must be replaced and those which can be repaired utilizing commercial patching materials or traditional dutchman patches.
The project is currently underway.
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Our Process
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