Mo-Sai

Last updated

Mo-Sai is a method of producing precast concrete cladding panels. It was patented by John Joseph Earley in 1940. The Mo-Sai institute later refined Earley's method and became the leader in exposed aggregate concrete. The Mo-Sai Institute, an organization of precast concrete manufacturers, adhered to the Mo-Sai method of producing the exposed aggregate precast concrete panels.

David Taylor Model Basin, 1946 David Taylor Model Basin - exterior view, c. 1946.jpg
David Taylor Model Basin, 1946

A pivotal development in this technique occurred in 1938, when the administration buildings at the David Taylor Model Basin were built with panels used as permanent forms for cast-in-place walls. This was the first use of the Mo-Sai manufacturing technique produced in collaboration with the Dextrone Company of New Haven, Connecticut. Working from this background, the Dextone Company refined and obtained patents and copyrights in 1940 for the methods under which the Mo-Sai Associates, later known as Mo-Sai Institute Inc. The Mo-Sai Institute grew to include a number of licensed manufacturing firms throughout the United States.

Buildings featuring Mo-Sai panels include the Columbine Building in Colorado Springs (1960), Prudential Building in Toronto, Ontario, Canada (1960), Denver Hilton Hotel (now the Sheraton Denver) in Denver, Colorado (1960), Los Angeles Temple (1956), Equitable Center in Portland, Oregon (1964), the Hartford National Bank and Trust Hartford, CT (1967) and the PanAm Building in New York City (1962).


Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Concrete</span> Composite construction material

Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement that cures over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most widely used building material. Its usage worldwide, ton for ton, is twice that of steel, wood, plastics, and aluminium combined.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portland cement</span> Binder used as basic ingredient of concrete

Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world as a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar, stucco, and non-specialty grout. It was developed from other types of hydraulic lime in England in the early 19th century by Joseph Aspdin, and is usually made from limestone. It is a fine powder, produced by heating limestone and clay minerals in a kiln to form clinker, grinding the clinker, and adding 2 to 3 percent of gypsum. Several types of Portland cement are available. The most common, called ordinary Portland cement (OPC), is grey, but white Portland cement is also available. Its name is derived from its resemblance to Portland stone which was quarried on the Isle of Portland in Dorset, England. It was named by Joseph Aspdin who obtained a patent for it in 1824. His son William Aspdin is regarded as the inventor of "modern" Portland cement due to his developments in the 1840s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autoclaved aerated concrete</span> Lightweight, precast building material

Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) is a lightweight, precast, foam concrete building material suitable for producing concrete masonry unit like blocks. Composed of quartz sand (SiO2 with impurities), calcined calcium sulfate (CaSO4, a.k.a. plaster of paris), lime (CaO), cement, water and aluminum powder, AAC products are cured under heat and pressure in an autoclave. Invented in the mid-1920s, AAC simultaneously provides structure, insulation, and fire- and mold-resistance. Forms include blocks, wall panels, floor and roof panels, cladding (façade) panels and lintels.

Oldbury Wells School is a coeducational secondary school located in Bridgnorth, England. having 800 pupils, 122 of whom are in the sixth form. The school's motto is "Aspire, Enjoy, Achieve.".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Precast concrete</span> Construction product produced by casting concrete in a reusable mold

Precast concrete is a construction product produced by casting concrete in a reusable mold or "form" which is then cured in a controlled environment, transported to the construction site and maneuvered into place; examples include precast beams, and wall panels for tilt up construction. In contrast, cast-in-place concrete is poured into site-specific forms and cured on site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stone veneer</span>

Stone veneer is a thin layer of any stone used as decorative facing material that is not meant to be load bearing. Stone cladding is a stone veneer, or simulated stone, applied to a building or other structure made of a material other than stone. Stone cladding is sometimes applied to concrete and steel buildings as part of their original architectural design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shrine of the Sacred Heart</span> Church in D.C., United States

The Shrine of the Sacred Heart is a Roman Catholic parish established in 1899 in the Mount Pleasant/Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington D.C. The parish church is a large domed Byzantine structure modeled after the Cathedral in Ravenna, Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polychrome Historic District</span> Historic house in Maryland, United States

The Polychrome Historic District is a national historic district in the Four Corners neighborhood in Silver Spring, Montgomery County, Maryland. It recognizes a group of five houses built by John Joseph Earley in 1934 and 1935. Earley used precast concrete panels with brightly colored aggregate to produce the polychrome effect, with Art Deco details. The two-inch-thick panels were attached to a conventional wood frame. Earley was interested in the use of mass-production techniques to produce small, inexpensive houses, paralleling Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian house concepts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earthquake-resistant structures</span> Structures designed to protect buildings from earthquakes

Earthquake-resistant or aseismic structures are designed to protect buildings to some or greater extent from earthquakes. While no structure can be entirely impervious to earthquake damage, the goal of earthquake engineering is to erect structures that fare better during seismic activity than their conventional counterparts. According to building codes, earthquake-resistant structures are intended to withstand the largest earthquake of a certain probability that is likely to occur at their location. This means the loss of life should be minimized by preventing collapse of the buildings for rare earthquakes while the loss of the functionality should be limited for more frequent ones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack R. Janney</span> American engineer (1924–2006)

Jack Raymond Janney, born in Alamosa, Colorado, was a U.S. structural engineer and an innovator in the understanding of structural behavior and a recognized leader in the investigation of structural collapses. Janney's love of mathematics and science spurred his decision to become an engineer, and in 1942, he enrolled in the College of Engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder. After only one semester, Janney left college and enlisted in the Navy where he became a decorated pilot during World War II.

Spancrete is an American manufacturer of precast concrete products and machinery. Spancrete produces precast, prestressed concrete products that are used in commercial, industrial, institutional, residential and multifamily construction projects in the Midwest and Southeast. The company also manufactures and sells hollowcore extrusion machines that are used to produce precast concrete internationally.

John Joseph Earley was the son of James Earley, a fourth generation Irish stone carver and ecclesiastical artist. A skilled artisan, architect, and innovator in the use of concrete Earley is best known for the invention of the Earley Process, a technique also known as polychrome, architectural or mosaic concrete.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Types of concrete</span> Building material consisting of aggregates cemented by a binder

Concrete is produced in a variety of compositions, finishes and performance characteristics to meet a wide range of needs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prefabs in the United Kingdom</span>

Prefabs were a major part of the delivery plan to address the United Kingdom's post–Second World War housing shortage. They were envisaged by war-time prime minister Winston Churchill in March 1944, and legally outlined in the Housing Act 1944.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geopolymer cement</span>

Geopolymer cement is a binding system that hardens at room temperature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John J. Earley Office and Studio</span> Historic house in Washington, D.C., United States

John J. Earley Office and Studio is a historic home at 2131 G Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C., in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood.

Construction 3D Printing (c3Dp) or 3D construction Printing (3DCP) refers to various technologies that use 3D printing as a core method to fabricate buildings or construction components. Alternative terms for this process include "additive construction." "3D Concrete" refers to concrete extrusion technologies whereas Autonomous Robotic Construction System (ARCS), large-scale additive manufacturing (LSAM), or freeform construction (FC) refer to other sub-groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kolbjørn Saether</span> Norwegian-American structural engineer

Kolbjørn Saether P.E., M.ASCE was an American structural engineer in the City of Chicago for 47 years. Saether dedicated his life to engineering and was known as a leader in his field. He was a past director of the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois and was the organization's president from 1980 to 1981. During his career he developed innovative engineering solutions for skyrise building construction that are now part of the Chicago skyline, published theoretical insights to enhance the state of the art in structural engineering, and patented novel techniques to advance the art of building construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Double tee</span> Type of load-bearing structure

A double tee or double-T beam is a load-bearing structure that resembles two T-beams connected to each other side by side. The strong bond of the flange and the two webs creates a structure that is capable of withstanding high loads while having a long span. The typical sizes of double tees are up to 15 feet (4.6 m) for flange width, up to 5 feet (1.5 m) for web depth, and up to 80 feet (24 m) or more for span length. Double tees are pre-manufactured from prestressed concrete which allows construction time to be shortened.

Eugene G. Groves (1883–1967) was an American architect of Denver, Colorado. He was responsible for the design of civic and educational facilities throughout Colorado over a career spanning five decades.