Nineteenth century concrete in Seguin, Texas: construction materials & techniques

dc.contributor.advisorGale, Frances R.
dc.contributor.advisorHolleran, Michael
dc.creatorHunter, Sarah Bethen
dc.date.accessioned2014-09-12T20:03:19Zen
dc.date.accessioned2018-01-22T22:26:25Z
dc.date.available2018-01-22T22:26:25Z
dc.date.issued2014-08en
dc.date.submittedAugust 2014en
dc.date.updated2014-09-12T20:03:19Zen
dc.descriptiontexten
dc.description.abstractThis investigation centers on early concrete technology used in Seguin, Texas, during the mid-19th century. Over the course of fifty years, more than ninety concrete structures were built in Seguin. Over the last century, these have dwindled to twenty extant structures. Much of the previous Seguin concrete era research has focused on the historical narrative and architectural description. This study aims to answer questions that previous research has not — it investigated the raw materials used in making Seguin’s concrete. The results provide new information about the Seguin concrete structures, providing guidance for their long-term maintenance. The materials analysis uses instrumental techniques such as scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and x-ray diffraction to determine the chemical composition and crystalline structure of the cement binder from several extant structures in Seguin. Gathering both qualitative and quantitative data for the binder allowed us to identify the raw materials used in the concrete and better understand the construction methods. Studying the materials and methods increased our understanding of these historic structures and will inform future preservation efforts.en
dc.description.departmentArchitecture, School ofen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2152/25872en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.subjectArchitectural conservationen
dc.subjectScanning electron microscopyen
dc.subjectHistoric concreteen
dc.subjectSeguin, Texasen
dc.subjectX-ray diffractionen
dc.subjectGravimetric analysisen
dc.subjectMaterials analysisen
dc.subjectCementen
dc.subjectHistoric preservationen
dc.titleNineteenth century concrete in Seguin, Texas: construction materials & techniquesen
dc.typeThesisen

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