Greetings!

We count our blessings every single day, but now is the perfect time to give thanks to all of you who have made this a wonderful year for us. As we approach our 15th anniversary, we greatly appreciate your business and support, and wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving.
 
Trivia Contest
 
LAST MONTH'S ANSWERS:
 
What are the facades of these buildings made of?
 
 1) The dome over the U.S. Capitol 

Cast Iron.

Despite the exterior surface articulation and coffered interior which make the Capitol look like a classical masonry dome, the dome is made of cast iron ribs which are clad in cast iron sheets painted white. It is possible to use cast iron here since domes work in compression. If it were a tower, wrought iron would have had to have been used. 

2) The Empire State Building 

The steel structure is clad with granite, brick and limestone. Incidentally, since this is steel and not iron, it is significantly taller than any wrought iron structure in the world.
 
3) The Sydney Opera House 

Prestressed Concrete.

This is another example of the structural material being 'expressed'. The shells of the opera house would be extremely difficult to construct out of anything but concrete. They are very thin, so the concrete is 'prestressed' which means that the concrete is poured over sagging steel cables. When the concrete cures, the cables are pulled tight, exerting an upward force to counteract gravity. You have to be careful when transporting a prestressed concrete panel because if you turn it upside-down, the force from the cables would work downward instead of upward and the panel would crumble.


4) Taj Mahal 

Marble
 
This is mind-blowing if you think about it. Usually a thin layer of marble is applied over a structure of brick or cheaper stone, even back then. This thing is pure white marble all the way through.
 
THIS MONTH'S QUESTIONS:
 
1. It is generally agreed that the first "skyscrapers" were built in Chicago and New York in the late 19th century.

Which of these was NOT one of the factors contributing to their early development?
 
a) Desire of managers and clerks to be in city centers
b) Rise in land values in city centers
c) Constraints on outward growth of business districts
d) The availability of new building technologies


2. In the later part of the 19th century, Chicago and New York saw the rise of centralized districts where business, financial and legal transactions took place. In both cities, the districts could not expand outwards. In New York, the business district grew up on the island of Manhattan, which limited its extent.

Which of the following features was a major constraint in Chicago?
 a) Dockyards
 b) Grain storage
 c) Stockyards
 d) Railway tracks

3. Up to the middle of the 19th century, the traditional method of supporting large structures was to drive clusters of log piles into the ground. For skyscraper construction, alternatives were developed, such as "pyramidal piers", "floating rafts" and "caissons".

What was a caisson?
a) Metal cylinder filled with concrete
b) Grid of iron rails set in concrete
c)  Layers of concrete
d)  Log piles topped off with a layer of concrete
 
The first person to answer all three correctly will receive a $20 gift card to Yankee Candle. Send answers to: drubino@costpro.net 

 
Thanks again . . .
 Traveling Light Cover
 
Because last month's historical article went over so well, we 'dug up' some more construction history.
 
Baalbeck (Baalbek)
 
We continue to marvel at ancient construction with a visit to Baalbeck (Baalbek); a city in the Bekaa Valley of modern-day Lebanon renowned for its magnificent and well preserved Roman temple ruins. Once, these world famous ruins attracted huge crowds of tourists, but now a trip to Baalbeck is arduous and dangerous.
The massive multi-level platform at Baalbeck is believed by some scientists to be one of a few prediluvial sites to survive the flood. After becoming a Roman colony under Augustus in 16 B.C., Romans desecrated the site for three centuries to build opulent temples to their own Gods. The largest Roman temples ever built are at Baalbeck, not Rome. The Romans built a colossal ensemble of three temples, courtyards, and an enclosure using some of the most massive stones ever quarried.
At the south entrance to the site is the quarry where the stones used in the temples were cut. One enormous block, considered the largest hewn stone in the world, still sits where it was cut almost 2,000 years ago. Named the "Stone of the Pregnant Woman", its dimensions are over 70ft x15ft x 13 ft. This huge stone weighs approximately 1,000 tons - almost as heavy as three Boeing 747 jets.
Upon entering Baalbeck the eye is immediately drawn to the six Corinthian columns of the Great Temple of Jupiter rising over 70 ft skywards. Mounted on a podium 23ft above the Court, these six columns and their entablature, decorated with a frieze of bulls' and lions' heads connected by garlands, indicate the vast scale of the original structure. The Temple complex encompasses four sections: the monumental entrance or Propylaea, the Hexagonal Court, the Great Court and finally the Temple of Jupiter itself, where the six famous columns stand. One of the most impressive Temples in Baalbeck, it measures 288ft x157ft and stands 42ft above grade.  It is reached from the podium by a monumental stairway. Roman emperors traveled 1,500 miles to make offerings here to their gods and receive oracles on the destiny of their empire.

The Podium itself is built of some of the largest stone blocks ever hewn. On the west side of the podium is the "Trilithon", a group of three gargantuan stones. It was decided to furnish the temple with a monumental extension of the podium. According to Phoenician tradition this must consist of no more than three layers of stone, thus initiating the cutting, transportation and setting in place of the largest and heaviest cut limestone blocks of all time. Not only did the 42 ft high wall have to comprise just three courses of stones, but aesthetics also required the middle blocks be cut to a length four times their height, yielding a volume of up to 15,000 cubic feet per block. The largest and most precisely cut stone at the Trilithon may weigh in at over 1,500 tons. The largest cranes in the modern world would have difficulty in lifting, let alone moving, these massive limestone blocks, and yet there they sit.
Technically, the builders of Baalbeck found a way to do it, three such blocks of the middle layer are set in place, but in terms of time they did not succeed - the podium remains unfinished. None the less, the awe inspired by those three blocks ensured Baalbeck was known for a long time primarily as the site of the three stones, the Trilithon. Some tourists can only believe that the placement of these gigantic building blocks was extra-terrestrial handiwork.
 
"Wow, kudos to Chris for a great article.  For some reason, I thought you were the author/historian/world traveler. Shame on me for underestimating Chris.  (Yes, pun intended!)" -- From Bobbi Ciarfella