Thesis: Luo

Thesis: Jingyi Luo

Architectural Concrete Vulnerability and Climate Change: I.M. Pei’s National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the Everson Museum of Art

Reinforced bush-hammered concrete is an important material in 20th-century architecture. As it ages, its vulnerabilities have become more urgent with climate change. Despite its historical importance, research on the climate impacts on reinforced bush-hammered concrete remains scarce. This thesis examines two contemporaneous concrete buildings designed by I.M. Pei in different climate zones to assess the impact of climate change.

A view of the Everson Museum of Art in Syracsue, New York (Ezra Stoller/ESTO).

A view of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado (Tom Ross).
The study aims to (1) evaluate surface recession rates since construction, (2) predict carbonation rates considering changing climatic variables using available carbonation models and climate projections from 1967-2099, and (3) analyze the combined effects of these factors in the anthropogenic era. This research offers quantitative evidence of climate change's impact on reinforced bush-hammered concrete, underscoring the importance of monitoring surface recession and carbonation depth in conserving such historic buildings and developing predictive models.
Historic photos of the bush-hammering process at the Everson Museum of Art (Rockwell News Bureau).

Bush-hammered texture at NCAR and the Everson Museum of Art.

Thesis: Jingyi Luo

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