Since its inception, the program has offered more than 3,000 attendees over 100 opportunities to learn about the many facets of this work.  Our lunch and learn seminars are our way of giving back and of providing a nexus of education about the art and science of exterior restoration.

Expansion joints:  the basics.

The November 29 AIA-accredited seminar was presented by Rick Gore, a representative of Situra, Inc., a globally recognized leading supplier of waterproof expansion joints for roofing and waterproofing applications.  During his fascinating presentation, attendees learned about the role of expansion joints in architectural engineering.

Paul Millman, PE, founding principal of SUPERSTRUCTURES, opened the presentation with introductory remarks.  He noted that expansion joints do a lot of heavy lifting in the building envelope.  There are multiple, conflicting requirements which must be met by them to fulfill their crucial role.  One of these is to fasten together adjacent materials, helping them resist such natural factors are wind pressure and gravity.

The problem inherent in this arrangement is that different materials have different properties and expand and contract at different rates.  Their dimensional tolerances vary and so, they respond to external pressure differently.

Expansion joints, most importantly, are charged with keeping the weather outside, where it belongs.  Their role in waterproofing buildings is a pivotal one.

Mr. Millman pointed out that in NYC, roofs are small, compared to some of the buildings SUPERSTRUCTURES has worked on, including hospitals and airports.  These larger roofs have different movement issues, requiring careful consideration of the role of expansion joints.

Mr. Gore’s hour-long presentation included information about calculating joint movement and identifying common problems.  He made it clear that the role of expansion joints in exterior restoration is key, so analyzing different ways of waterproofing them is a priority in the project planning and design phases.

Sharing the wealth.

Thanks are due Rick Gore for sharing his extensive knowledge of expansion joints with us at our November 29 lunch and learn seminar.  SUPERSTRUCTURES was pleased to welcome participants from all over the city, including representatives of the City University of New York and Columbia University.  Also represented were the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, NYC Housing Authority, and numerous other City agencies.

SUPERSTRUCTURES is proud to share the wealth of knowledge our company houses with those in related sectors, in need of solid expertise for their restoration and preservation projects.  Since 1981, we’ve realized thousands of projects all over NYC, gathering experience and expertise to benefit the needs of the continuing health of the city’s buildings and infrastructure.

SUPERSTRUCTURES Engineers + Architects.

SUPERSTRUCTURES is where exterior restoration has been perfected as a union of art and science.  A building’s exterior is the face it shows the world.  Preserving that face is a large part of what we do, scientifically and with artistic sensitivity to the heritage of the building in question.

We’re proud of the work we do to preserve the architectural riches of our city.  Call us to discuss your exterior restoration needs and discover NYC’s most acclaimed experts.