The Nebraska State Capitol: Restoring A Landmark

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THE NEBRASKA STATE CAPITOLRESTORING A LANDMARK

A BVH Architects PublicationForeword by Robert C. Ripley, AIA

The Nebraska State Capitol is the result of a nation-

wide design competition won by New York Architect

Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue in 1920. The choice of

Goodhue was daring and dramatic, and his design

was certainly innovative. The building was the na-

tions first statehouse design to radically depart from

the prototypical classical form of the nations Capitol.

Constructed in four phases over ten years from 1922-

1932, the building, with furnishings and landscaping,

was completed at a cost just under the $10 million

budget and was paid for when finished. As many

as 100,000 visitors a year climb the monumental

north staircase; drawn there not only because it is

home to Nebraskas Unicameral, but also because

it is internationally significant as an example of civic

architecture, harmony of the arts and landscape

design.

Restoring A Landmark documents the 14-year effort

to preserve and restore the exterior of the Nebraska

State Capitol. The project team of the owner, ar-

chitects, consultants, contractors and craftsmen

reflect on their role in the re-construction work.

Photographic images and architectural drawings

highlight the original construction of the Capitol

and capture the extensive work done to restore and

preserve this great landmark for many generations

to come. This book serves as both a record of the

restoration process and a visual commentary on

the level of stewardship that will insure the future

preservation of this icon.

RESTORING A LANDMARK

US $29.95

RESTORING A LANDMARK

A BVH PublicationForeword by Robert C. Ripley, AIA

THE NEBRASKA STATE CAPITOL

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Produced by Omaha Books, a division of Eventive Marketing LLC

Omaha, Nebraska

All Rights Reserved

Copyright 2013 Bahr Vermeer Haecker Architects

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or

by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior consent

from Bahr Vermeer Haecker Architects

First Edition

ISBN 978-09788429-8-7

Printed in the United States of America by Taylor Specialty Books

Project Director: Kristine Gerber

Research:

Jim Handeland, Bahr Vermeer Haecker Architects

Matt Hansen, AIA, Office of the Capitol Commission

Tom Kaspar, AIA, Office of the Capitol Commission

Karen Wagner, Capitol Archivist, Office of the Capitol Commission

Photography:

Bahr Vermeer Haecker Architects Archives

Nebraska State Historical Society Archives

Nicholas Goodhue

Office of the Capitol Commission, Nebraska Capitol Collections

Tom Kessler Photography

Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. Archives

Writing: Robert Fell

Captions: Dan Worth, AIA, FAPT, Senior Principal, Bahr Vermeer Haecker Architects

Design: Mark Bacon, AIA, Associate, Bahr Vermeer Haecker Architects

Additional Support:

Dan Worth, AIA, FAPT, and Katie Tauer, Bahr Vermeer Haecker Architects

Robert C. Ripley, AIA, Capitol Administrator, Office of the Capitol Commission

Foreword

History PreambleNebraska Capitols Competition and Selection The Nebraska State CapitolWonderCompetitorsArchitectCommissionTransition

Investigation PreambleElements of StudyTeamworkScope DefinedConsultant

The WorkPreamblePrecision ScaffoldingEngineeringCleaning and TuckpointingCraftsmenTower Pressure Relief JointsEvacuationNorth EntranceEast and West EntrancesSouth EntranceFifth Floor15th Floor Buttresses and Deck14th Observation Level and WallsDome, Thunderbirds, and The SowerThe Sower14th Floor Elevator Vestibule & TurretsTower Window GlazingVisionCopper RoofsForesightCost and Years

The TeamThe TeamBVH ArchitectsWJE AssociatesMajor Contributors

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

01 | The richly ornate domed ceiling and fifth floor gallery at the Rotunda of the Nebraska State Capitol. A wonderful example of the harmonization of art and architecture found throughout the building.

01 | The richly ornate domed ceiling and fifth floor gallery at the Rotunda of the Nebraska State Capitol. A wonderful example of the harmonization of art and architecture found throughout the building.

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Bertram Grosvenor Goodhues largest and most important work, the Nebraska

State Capitol, is his greatest contribution to early 20th century American architec-

ture. Although he did not live to see its completion, Goodhues desire to design

and build using the best materials and craftsmanship is well documented during

his four years on the project prior to his death in 1924. An overriding sense of

responsibility to preserve and restore Goodhues landmark building guided the

project team for the Nebraska State Capitol Masonry Restoration Project. It was

a 14 year (1996-2010) planning and re-construction effort.

A preservation philosophy was initially adopted to evaluate all marginally

damaged building stone and finish material for preservation repair and re-use.

This preservation approach, utilizing quarry matched stone from the original

construction era, assured the best stone color and texture match.

Specifying the best quality design and re-construction necessitated extensive

field and laboratory testing of materials and procedures to insure a quality re-

sult. Great care was given to provide damage protection for existing building

materials and finishes adjacent to active construction areas.

The project team of consultants, general contractor, sub-contractors and owner

representatives developed a remarkably candid, forthright and open relation-

ship. This collaboration also assured Nebraska taxpayers the full measure of

their investment.

Since the Capitols completion in 1932, this restoration project has done more

to insure the future preservation of this architectural icon than any other work

undertaken on the building. This effort to restore and rebuild the exterior fa-

cade of the Capitol, coupled with routine on-going maintenance, will provide

protection from the elements so this great landmark can be enjoyed for many

generations to come.

Robert C. Ripley, AIA, Capitol Administrator, Nebraska State Capitol

FOREWORD

7HISTORY1

02 | The Tower; taken from the origi-nal 1927 construction documents.

03 | North elevation rendering of the design submitted by Bertram Goodhue of New York as part of the firms architectural competition entry for the Nebraska State Capitol.

9Nebraskans are blessed to have a State Capitol that has been judged

from its beginning as a world-class architectural achievementan endur-

ing monument.

Designed by Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, the building stands tall on the

flat Nebraska landscape, towering above the Great Plains.

When a new and lasting Capitol was envisioned for the state early in the

20th century, the Nebraska Capitol Commission instructed the architect

who won the design competition to reflect the character of the people

of Nebraska.

The design is an interpretation of the states character, and what Goodhue

created has rung true for generations. Nebraskans admire their Capitol.

The ideals expressed in this landmark building have helped form the vi-

sion of Nebraskas lawmakers and citizens from statehood through the

21st century.

HISTORY: PREAMBLE

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The new structure in Lincoln was to be Nebraskas fifth seat of government since the first

territorial Capitol was occupied in Omaha in 1854.

The first territorial Capitol was on Ninth Street, between Farnam and Douglas streets, in

Omaha, just above the west bank of the Missouri River. It may have been Omahas best

brick building at the time, two-stories tall and measuring a meager 75 by 33 feet. The ter-

ritorial offices occupied the second floor.

The second territorial Capitol, also in Omaha, was erected just three years later, atop a

hill overlooking the young city that dominated Nebraskas political landscapethe site of

todays Omaha Central High School. It was designed in the Federal style by St. Louis ar-

chitect William Rumbold. While he would have placed columns on the front of the building,

these were discarded for a small dome dictated by Territorial Governor Mark W. Izard, who

soon could be heard to boast that he designed the entire structure.

There was bitter wrangling over where the capital would be located when statehood

was granted. Finally the new state legislature moved the capital to Lincoln, where a four

square-block site of the upstart city was set aside for the first statehouse. By November

of 1867, an ungainly building of Nebraska limestone measuring 160 by 70 feet was rising,

dominated by a 120-foot-tall tower. Seven years after that, it was described as being in

danger of falling down.

Another State Capitol, the second on the site, was planned in 1879 and designed by Chi-

cago architect William H. Wilcox. It was built in stages. Portions of the new building were

constructed as additions to the existing structure. By 1889 the old structure was razed and

a new central section connected the new additions and it was judged far more attractive

than its predecessor. However, just 10 years later, Nebraskas second State Capitol had

proven itself to be far too small and haphazardly built. At the turn of the century, talk had

started about the need for a new grand structure to house state government.

HISTORY: NEBRASKA CAPITOLSThe 65-year path that led to an enduring Nebraska Capitol is littered with mistakes and hasty choices.

04 | A woodcut engraving of the first territorial Capitol of Nebraska, erected in Omaha in 1854

05 | The second Nebraska territorial Capitol erected in Omaha in 1857-58.

06 | The first State Capitol of Ne-braska erected in Lincoln in 1867-68.

07 | The second State Capitol of Ne-braska erected in Lincoln in stages from 1879 to 1889.

08 | Rendering from Goodhues office of the proposed east and west entrances.

09 | Rendering from Goodhues office of the proposed courtyard designs.

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HISTORY: COMPETITION and SELECTIONAn economic depression and World War would pass before Nebraskas legislators were able to address the ever more urgent need for a new and defining Capitol. Finally, on Feb. 20, 1919, Governor Samuel McKelvie signed into law a bill that established a Capitol Commission to plan and manage construction of a new Statehouse, and provided for a new, dedicated statewide property tax to pay for it.

The new commissioners turned to one of Nebraskas most respected architects, Thomas

R. Kimball, to provide professional guidance. Kimball had himself designed what nearly

a century later stands as one of the states landmarks, the Roman Catholic St. Cecelias

Cathedral in Omaha, and several other admired buildings. A graduate of Massachusetts

Institute of Technology, Kimball was president of the American Institute of Architects when

the selection of an architect for the Capitol was planned. He developed the procedures for

a national competition and had the stature to attract a national jury of three distinguished

and independent architects to select the winning design.

Kimballs competition didnt place many boundaries on the contesting architectural firms.

The Capitol was to be the outward sign of the character of its [Nebraskas] people. It was

to encompass their respect for its traditions and history, their belief in its importance and

worth, and their love of its fair name.

A grassroots call for the Capitol to be a monument to World War Is fallen Nebraskans was

also expressed to the competitors.

The judging by the panel of distinguished architects was blind. They selected a design

that the jury said was as free from binding decisions as it is from prejudice. Given their

description, it may not have been a surprise to them that they had chosen a man who had

no academic training in architecture, Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue of New York.

Nebraskans were immediately taken with the design. As original and appealing as it was,

the Commission was doubly taken with Goodhue. He was the only entrant to have staged

the construction in phases so that the state government wouldnt have to be in rented

space for the better part of a decade. He would save the state an estimated $500,000.

Goodhue knew his limits. Because his working relationship with the Capitol Commission

was strong, with considerable interplay, solutions were arrived at mutually and they were

consistently constructive. An example: when Goodhue was struggling to find the thematic

words needed for the entrance to the building, he asked for help. The Commission saw

that he received the advice and guidance he

required from Hartley Burr Alexander, a philoso-

phy professor at the University of Nebraska

Lincoln. But Alexander became much more

than a writer of inscriptions. While he wrote

the thematic wording throughout the exterior

and interior of the building, he also gave voice

to Nebraskas tastes and standards in many

other aspects. For example, Capitol sculptor

Lee Lawrie had placed wings on the bison at

the Capitol steps. Alexander protested that

such art had no precedent in Indian or Plains

lore, and the wings were removed.

Together, Goodhue, Alexander and Lawrie share

credit for the highly original Capitol exterior.

10 | Construction photograph showing the first phase of the new Nebraska State Capi-tol being constructed around the second State Capitol; view looking southeast.

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HISTORY: THE NEBRASKA STATE CAPITOL

He designed a square and placed a cross within it which created four interior courtyards

able to provide additional light and ventilation to building offices. At the center of the cross

he placed a rotunda with an interior space soaring 112 feet.

The tower reaches upward 400 feet and has working offices within it, an unusual and ef-

ficient feature. At the 14th level are four observation decks, 250 feet above the plains. They

surround the Memorial Hall, an octagon placed atop the square tower as a monument to

Nebraskans who have fallen in battle. Above the octagon is a drum decorated with brightly

colored tiles in a thunderbird pattern.

The building is topped by Lawries 19-foot-tall sculpture, The Sower, standing atop a

dome of gold tiles, representing the sun.

Ground was broken for the Capitol April 15, 1922, a task performed not with turned shovels

of earth, but with a team of horses pulling a prairie plow at the hand of Governor McKelvie.

In December 1924, the first phase of construction was complete and the old Capitol was

vacated and razed in 1925. The remainder of the 437 by 437-foot three-story base then

was completed. The 400-foot tower was constructed beginning in 1928. Most of the build-

ing was complete in 1932. In the two years that followed, the grounds that surrounded the

building and formed gardens within the courtyards were landscaped. Nebraska landscape

architect Ernst H. Herminghaus designed the grounds and gardens in the Beaux-Arts style.

The original building budget was $5 million. However, during early construction, the Capitol

Commission increased the budget to $10 million. In the end, the final completed cost of

the building was $9.77 million. No debt was incurred.

Goodhues design made good use of the four-square-block site that the city of Lincoln had provided for the Capitol.

11 | Goodhues design called for the new building to be built on pil-ings supporting a modern concrete foundation system to prevent the structural issues that plagued the earlier Capitols.

12 | The Sower as it is being unloaded from its shipping crate and hoisted to the Capitol dome in April of 1930. Lee Lawrie designed The Sower and all of the sculpture of the building.

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13 | Stone carvers tooling a capital to be placed atop columns in the north entrance Vestibule.

14 | Construction photo showing the steel tower framing emerging from the second floor. Note the Foyer and north Vestibule beyond.

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WONDER

In 2007, on the 150th anniversary

of the American Institute of Archi-

tects (AIA), the Nebraska Capitol

was voted 67th on a list of the top

150 examples of Americas favor-

ite architecture.

In 1948, a poll of 500 American

architects ranked the Nebraska

Capitol the Fourth Architectural

Wonder of the World.

Regardless of rank, as many as

100,000 visitors a year climb the

monumental north staircase,

drawn there not only because it

is home to Nebraskas elected

officials, but also because it is a

significant example of American

art, landscape design and civic

architecture.

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15 | Photo looking up toward the Rotunda domed tile ceiling.

To select an architect for the

Capitol a two-stage design com-

petition was held. Three design

proposals were chosen from the

first stage which was open only to

Nebraska architects. The second

stage included the three Nebraska

competitors and the designs of

seven nationally recognized ar-

chitectural firms.

COMPETITORS

Nebraska:

Ellery L. Davis, Lincoln

John Latenser & Sons, Omaha

John and Alan McDonald, Omaha

National:

H. Van Buren Magonigle, New York

Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, New York

John Russell Pope, New York

Tracy and Swartwout, New York

McKim, Mead, and White, New York

Bliss and Faville, San Francisco

Paul P. Cret and Zantzinger, Borie & Medarie, Philadelphia

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16 | Nebraska State Capitol Competition entries.

McKim, Mead, and WhiteH. Van Buren MagonigleJohn Russell Pope

ARCHITECT

17 | Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue

Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue was

born in Connecticut in 1869. His

leading contemporaries had at-

tended Ivy League schools and

studied the Beaux-Arts architec-

tural tradition in Paris.

Goodhue had no such education.

Instead he began as a draftsman

where his talent shone through.

While his contemporaries were still

in college, he was made a partner

at Cram and Wentworth in Boston

at the age of 22.

Ralph Adam Cram became Good-

hues principal collaborator. Cram,

just six years older, became known

as the most militant advocate of

Gothic Revival architecture in the

United States. In their partnership,

Cram expressed theory and Good-

hue translated the ideas to drawn

form.

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Yet, the relationship was more complex because Goodhue was being pulled

in a different direction by the influence of contemporaries, including Frank

Lloyd Wright.

His standing among architects rose with his design of the Panama-California

Exposition buildings in San Diego, CA, now the museums and concert halls

of Balboa Park.

In 1914, he formed his own firm. He designed the Rockefeller Chapel at the

University of Chicago, and the National Academy of Sciences Building in

Washington, D.C. The Washington, D.C., commission was marked by an

often stormy relationship with that citys MacMillan Commission and it was

while he was dealing with them that he submitted his competitive entry for

the Nebraska State Capitol.

In his entry, he stripped away many of the columns and cornices associated

with the Beaux-Arts style which his contemporaries included. And such was

the final choice faced by the judges: architecture based on tradition like the

design of John Russell Pope of New York, or architecture based on innova-

tion. With Goodhue, they got both.

After his selection, Goodhue worked well with Nebraskas Capitol Commis-

sioners and their advisor, Thomas Kimball. Working together, their decisions

improved the finished building, rather than compromising it.

As the first phase of construction was nearing an end, in 1924, Goodhue died.

He was 55. Significant work was left to be done.

Many architectural historians view the Nebraska Capitol as expressing the

transition from the Beaux-Arts style to the modernists such as Walter Gropius,

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier. Certainly, it contributed to the

age of the skyscraper.

Whatever the architectural explanation, this can be said: Goodhue studied the

character of Nebraskas citizens and translated it into a monument for the ages.

COMMISSION

Nebraska created the Capitol

Commission in 1919, through the

passage of the Mears-Tracewell

bill in the Legislature, for the pur-

pose of creating the third and

present State Capitol.

Records show a Capitol Commis-

sion that was fully engaged with its

architectural consultant, Thomas

Kimball, and the designers and

builders of Nebraskas landmark

Capitol. Members when the build-

ing took shape were:

Samuel McKelvie, Governor,

who served as Commission

Chair

George Johnson, State

Engineer, who served as

Commission Secretary

William F. Hardy, First Con-

gressional District Repre-

sentative, a Lincoln furniture

dealer

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Walter Head, Second Congressional District Repre-

sentative, an Omaha banker

William H. Thompson, Third Congressional District

Representative, a Grand Island judge

Governors served two-year terms at the time the Capitol

was being built, so several served as Commission Chair:

Samuel McKelvie, Charles Bryan, Adam McMullen and Arthur

Weaver. State Engineer George Johnson resigned during

the construction and was succeeded by Roy L. Cochran.

The Nebraska Capitol Commission was statutorily restruc-

tured in 2004, and is chaired by the Governor. Other new

members are the Speaker of the Legislature, the Supreme

Court Chief Justice, the Dean of the University of Nebraska-

Lincoln College of Architecture, the Director of the Nebraska

State Historical Society and three members appointed by

the Governor to represent each of Nebraskas congressional

districts.

18 | Fifth floor colonnade look-ing toward the Rotunda.

TRANSITION

When Bertram Goodhue and his

team designed the Capitol, it was

a time of transition in American

architecture. Not only was the

Beaux-Arts style with its obligatory

domes, columns and pediments

passing from fashion, but the age

of structural steel-framing and

electricity for building-wide light

and power, were having consider-

able influence on building form.

The steel-framed skyscraper,

pioneered by New Yorks Flatiron

building in 1902, was at the time

a relatively recent innovation. The

Empire State and Chrysler build-

ings were yet to be designed.

His selection of tiles for the golden

dome, a feature he subjected to

testing at his offices, remains an

enduring choice. The decision to

use large sheets of copper with

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soldered joints as the building roof was not as successful. Soldering

repairs at seams was nearly a full-time job.

His decision to designate Indiana Limestone for the buildings exterior

cladding has stood the test of time. His selection of limestone was made

over the objections of a vocal group who wanted to use a less-costly

material such as brick.

The Capitols foundation of horizontal reinforced concrete beams span-

ning between vertical pilings set on bedrock have stood the test of time.

His decisions to phase construction and to place offices in the soaring

tower were innovations that helped a cost-conscious state balance its

accounts.

His use of extensive clerestory windows and interior courtyards for

added light was a significant design success, and his designation of

bronze for monumental window frames is enduring.

In a nod to the presence of the recently introduced telephone, he de-

signed floor ducts throughout the interior to carry non-electrical wires

(and, today, fiber optics), a feature that has helped keep the building

modern and functional.

He devised a below-grade loading dock to maintain the beauty of the

structure from every side, and it continues to be used.

Goodhue was not the only architect or engineer at the Capitol who would

find that a choice that initially appeared appropriate did not stand the

test of time. In the 1970s, sandblasting was used to clean the limestone

building surface. Although it was common practice at the time, it was

a misguided decision, destroying the original finish of the limestone

surfaces and actually improving the environment for algae, mold and

other organic matter to take root.

19 | North faade of the Ne-braska State Capitol as taken from Centennial Mall.

INVESTIGATION2

20 | Repelling was a technique used during the 1995 investigation to provide close-up inspection of the dome and drum of the Capitol. 29

21 | Another technique to provide close-up inspections was the use of swing stages on all tower facades.

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INVESTIGATION: PREAMBLE

In 1995, Bahr Vermeer Haecker Architects (BVH), a Nebraska firm with offices in Lincoln and Omaha, was selected to evaluate the deteriorating condition of the Capitols exterior and recommend corrective actions. The BVH team included Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE) of Chicago as consultants and corroborators in the endeavor.

Problems had begun to develop with the Capitol limestone even before the building was complete. Archives contain letters between the Capitol Commission and the Goodhue Associates regarding cracks as early as 1929.

In the 1940s, the first remedial repairs were made to the buildings ex-terior. Again in the 1960s and in 1973, cracks had been patched and the surface sandblasted.

However, there had been no extensive study of the underlying cause of the various cracks and leaks.

22 | BVH developed a computer model of the entire Capitol during the investigation phase. This drawing of the north elevation denotes the terminology used during the project to identify the various components of the building.

DOME

DRUM

TANK ROOM PROMENADE LEVEL

OCTAGON

TURRETS

TOWER SHAFT

CLERESTORY ROOFS

ROTUNDA WINDOWS

BASE ABOVEPROMENADE DECK

TOWER

BASE BELOWPROMENADE DECK

TURRET WALLSOBERSERVATION LEVEL

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INVESTIGATION: ELEMENTS OF STUDYThe elements under study and analysis by BVH and WJE, top to bottom, included these findings:

The dome

The tiles of the dome were mostly in good shape, with a few hairline cracks in some of

them. However, expansion joints were failing and water was beginning to enter the build-

ing through them.

The drum and the octagon that the drum and dome sit upon

Where the drum and the dome intersect, significant problems were identified. Cracks had

developed as movements were unequal because of the properties of the different materials.

The four turrets and the 14th floor observation decks

The walls of the observation decks were beginning to expand and lean. Many cracks had

developed in the limestone that was backed by clay brick and infiltrating water was caus-

ing expansion. The four turrets, similarly, had cracks that allowed large amounts of water

to infiltrate the underlying material.

The tower exterior

At least 400 spallspits in the limestone surface of the towerwere observed. Thousands

of cracks in the blocks were mapped, and hundreds more cracks in mortar between the

blocks were identified. A study of cracks recorded during previous patching and those

existing in 1995, provided evidence that the cracking was accelerating.

Algae and micro-organisms had taken root across the surface of the building causing

unsightly dark streaks to appear.

The fifth floor exterior decks

The underlying masonry substrate was often wet and deteriorating.

Transepts roofs and the quadrants roofs

There are approximately 2.5 acres of copper roof on the Capitol. Some of the copper

sheets used in construction were exceptionally large, and heat and cold induced move-

ments that caused buckling and other damage. Sandbags were being used to hold down

a portion of the east side of the southeast quadrant roof because the roof fasteners had

failed or were missing.

23, 24 | The WJE Difficult Access Team provided close-up inspections of de-terioration of the dome tiles and thun-derbird mosaic drum.

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The two-story base of the building above the terrace

The problems here were an echo of the tower problems. There were multiple cracks, mortar that was separating, and

algae, mold and mildew were growing. Interior courtyard walls manifested the same problems as the exterior walls.

The base of the building below the terrace

There were fewer problems at the base of the building. Goodhue had specified pilings on bedrock linked together with

reinforced concrete beams that formed a firm and enduring base for the massive weight of the building.

The four entrances

At the north entrance, the striking carved limestone bison wing walls were out of alignment and stone was cracking.

Stairs were leaking, and water was not draining properly from the steps. The arches at the east and west ends of the

porte cochere at the ground floor north entrance, and the limestone parapet walls that top them, included displaced

and misaligned stones. On the west arch, the keystone had a significant crack.

At the south entrance, the stairway leading to the promenade deck had displaced granite treads and limestone walls.

Four retaining walls flanking two service drives were leaning noticeably, particularly within the first 27 feet nearest the

building. Clay brick backing the limestone blocks on the staircase walls had swelled, pushing stones out of alignment.

Water was not draining properly from beneath the stair treads.

At the west entrance, the seven limestone blocks forming the arch above the entrance were all so severely cracked

that they required replacement.

At the east entrance, the staircases leading to the promenade deck were deteriorating, with granite stair treads out

of alignment. The railing wall and the seven arch stones below it were all in need of repair, or in the case of the arch,

needed replacement.

There were more than 9,000 cracks and fractures; 6,300 cracked stones, 1,500 mortar cracks, and 1,200 blocks of

limestone that had portions that had broken away (spalls and delaminations). Using original drawings and computer

software, every stone was numbered and deficiencies were listed where they occurred, stone by stone. Invasive

studies were conducted, removing the outer Indiana limestone, or copper roofing, to view the condition of underlying

materials and the extent of water leakage.

25, 26 | Organic growth was widespread over the limestone exterior of the Capitol including the tower and the base of the building. The 1970s sandblast-ing campaign produced an environment that helped the algae flourish.

27 | Close up photo of one of the hundreds of spalls in the Indiana Limestone faade. Rusting and ex-panding ferrous metal anchors caused the limestone to crack and fall away.

28 | Vertical cracks in the tower faade were at-tempted to be patched in the mid-1970s by smearing an epoxy compound over the crack. Determining what caused the cracking was one of the biggest issues of the restoration project that lead to the reconstruction of the pressure relieving joints at seven floor levels of the tower.

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TEAMWORK

Everything clicked.

Dan Worth, Senior Principal in

charge of the Nebraska State

Capitol restoration project for

Bahr Vermeer Haecker, Architects

(BVH) used that expression to sum

up the teamwork experienced by

participants.

Historical preservation has been

Worths life work since the Ne-

braska native and University of

Nebraska-Lincoln graduate com-

pleted his architectural studies

including a year of special study

of restoration in London.

Prior to Worths role at the head of

the restoration, BVH had conduct-

ed several architectural projects

on behalf of the Nebraska Capitol.

BVH was a natural choice because

of its long history with the building.

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29 | Dan Worth, AIA, FAPT, (left) was the BVH teams project manager. He is inspecting the tower restoration work with the states project admin-istrator Mike Rindone (center) and Curt Fulton, Mark 1 Restorations foreman (right).

It was evident to Worth that forensic engineering was needed to determine why

the face of the structure was deteriorating at an accelerated pace.

It is an overused phrase, but the Capitol was at a tipping point, Worth recalls.

BVH chose to partner with Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. because,

Worth said, We wanted a world-class expert involved in the forensics for a

world-class structure.

While Worth oversaw the project, the day-to-day duties for 10 years fell to Jim

Handeland of BVH. As Handeland eased into retirement, he was succeeded the

final three years of the project by Dennis Klawonn, who had himself been the

Nebraska State Architect prior to enjoying a private-sector career in architecture.

Worth ranks the Nebraska Capitol high on his list of favorite buildings, noting

that it represents the State and our culture in a remarkable way.

Like successful art of any kind, every time you visit you come away with a new

insight, he said.

30 | Charles DeVries, Capitol staff, making an inspection opening in the 14th floor observation level faade. Inspection openings allowed the project team to examine and confirm the underlying conditions of the exterior wall systems.

31 | The mortar used in the construction of the Capitol was extremely hard and tenacious. This photo shows a stone removed from the Capitol faade. The mortar was stronger than the brick back-up, consequently pulling off the face of the brick while removing the stone.

30 31

41

A report prepared by BVH and WJE on the exterior condition of the Capitol, the Nebraska

State Capitol Masonry Restoration Structural Repair and Restoration Project report, was

submitted to the State of Nebraska Department of Administrative Services (DAS), State

Building Division in June 1996. From this initial study and report was crafted a plan of action

that would restore the condition of the Capitol and assure it of many additional decades

of performance.

The plan for the exterior restoration of the Nebraska State Capitol, developed by BVH and

WJE, along with the DAS State Building Division, was enthusiastically embraced by the

Nebraska Unicameral, funded, and set into motion in July 1997.

In October 1998, Mark I Restoration Company of Dolton, Illinois, was awarded the contract

to complete the first three phases of the Nebraska State Capitol Masonry Restoration Proj-

ect. The initial phases carried the work through 2002. Over 12 years, a five-phase program

devised by BVH and WJE was carried out:

Phase 1: Restore the north entrance, the main approach to the Capitol.

Phase 2: Restore the tower, dome and drum. Perform conservation and stabilization of

The Sower atop the dome.

Phase 3: Restore the tower and the four turrets at the 14th floor level. Perhaps most

important for the future of the building, redesign pressure relief joints at each

floor level. The face of the tower required tuckpointing, crack repair, damaged

stone replacement, cleaning, replacing glass and re-glazing windows.

Phase 4: Replace the copper roofing.

Phase 5: Restore the building base.

Just as there had been no celebration when the Capitol was finally completed in 1932,

there was no widespread notice beyond informing the Legislature when the monumental

task of preparing one of the worlds architectural treasures for another century of service

was complete.

The pages that follow show how Bahr Vermeer Haecker Architects with Wiss, Janney,

Elstner Associates, Inc. planned and supervised this historic preservation.

INVESTIGATION: SCOPE DEFINEDThrough the detailed inspection, testing, research and analysis by BVH and WJE, both the scope of the problems was quantified and the causes defined.

43

32 | Computer generated drawing of an interior courtyard faade. Every stone was inspected and the drawings indicate the type of distress such as cracks, spalls, staining and displacement.

33 | An example of the field notes generated by the BVH/WJE inspection team. This information was entered into the CAD drawing database.

34 | Extensive archival research was performed by the BVH/WJE team as part of the investigation phase of the project. The Nebraska State Capitol archive contains a wealth of information on the design and construction of the Capitol, including original design drawings from Goodhues office, along with the construction documents and correspondence between the architect, owner and contractors. This information was invaluable to the project team throughout the restoration process.

32

33

34

CONSULTANT

Preservation is a process, says

Stephen J. Kelley, the lead con-

sultant on the Nebraska Capitol

project and a principal of Wiss,

Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.

(WJE) of Chicago.

The restoration process for the

Capitol employed the conservation

approach, which Kelley sees as to

only intervene if it will make the

building last.

For Kelley, the project lasted 14

years, not 12, because he led the

two-year diagnostic work that re-

sulted in the Nebraska Legislature

authorizing the restoration.

This was a pinnacle project in my

career, recalls Kelley.The whole

team bought into the compelling

story of the Nebraska Capitol, the

idea that the pioneers set out to

45

35 | Steve Kelley of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. atop the Capitol dome next to The Sower.

build something greater than themselves. And they did.

It never left our sight that this building is the product of pioneers

who were the grandfathers of Nebraska, he said.

Kelley was hands on in assessing conditions on the Capitol

exterior, and his WJE associate Tim Crowe helped lead the pro-

cess on the site in Lincoln from beginning to end.

One of the key diagnoses was to identify the composition of

the mortar that was used and to prescribe an enduring replace-

ment. Tests revealed the exceptional hardness of the mortar, a

well-intentioned decision by the original builders which would

add to the stress on the face of the structure. That mortar was

ground out of the cracks between stones and replaced with a

better choice.

It was clear from the start that the client, contractor and ar-

chitectural firms were not looking for the quick fix but the right

fix, he said.

THE WORK3

36 | The entire tower and dome, in-cluding The Sower, were covered in scaffolding during the first two phases of restoration work. This view is looking east along Lincoln Mall at the west faade. 47

37 | Panoramic view of the north entrance as the stairs and bison walls are being restored. Complete disassembly and reassembly of the stairs and bison walls was part of the restoration work that took place at this building element.

49

The investigation and analysis by Bahr Vermeer Haecker Architects and Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. pin-pointed the causes of the 9,000 cracks and fractures that had developed in the Capitols exterior limestone and mortar, and pointed to solutions.

The cause of most of them was ineffective pressure relief joints caused by a decision to bond the limestone facing to the clay brick backing using a mortar that was stronger than the limestone itself. When pressure occurred, some-thing had to give, and it was the limestone that was failing under the stress.

The Nebraska Capitols tower was designed relatively early in the history of skyscrapers. Although Goodhue consulted with H. G. Balcom, who later engineered New Yorks Empire State Building, neither may then have fully understood the stresses borne by a limestone-on-steel structure.

The 1995 study team found corrugated lead pressure relief joints had been placed in the limestone at each floor level of the tower, but the joints did not extend through the brick backing. They studied the mortar used and found it extremely hard and tenacious.

They examined the roofs and pavers used on the balconies and decks and found other choices made by the Capitols original design team that were not surviving the test of time. Among the most important was the choice of clay bricks to back the limestone. Throughout the building, moisture was causing the clay to expand and push the limestone

out of alignment. Infiltrating moisture, broken and missing fasteners, and corroding drains were also threatening the buildings interior.

Some evidence of leaks didnt need to be discovered by detective work. When the wind blew rain during a storm, water from deteriorating roofs was leaked into the legisla-tive chamber.

Armed with this new understanding of both the growing damage that was occurring and a comprehensive solution, BVH and WJE developed alternative scenarios and projected costs. The scenarios ranged from five to 12 years in length.

Informed of the urgent need for action in 1998, the Nebraska Legislature almost unanimously embraced an eight-year plan enthusiastically.

Governor Ben Nelson signed on to the legislation and Gov-ernors Mike Johanns and Dave Heineman continued to approve the annual appropriations, albeit in amounts too small to complete the project in eight years, due to state economic conditions.

A nationwide search for a contractor to perform the estimated $8 million in restoration work on the Capitol was conducted with unusual detail. Candidates past projects were visited coast to coast and evaluated. Finalists were required to visit the Capitol and grind out mortar to fully understand the difficulty of the task they were being invited to perform.

THE WORK: PREAMBLE

PRECISION

Throughout the Capitolinside

and outsideBertram Goodhue

infused his architecture with the

arts.

Goodhue and artisans who as-

sisted him incorporated a very rich

array of symbols.

All of the creative teams intentions

are captured in drawings that have

been stored and cared for in the

Capitol archives.

Goodhue employed a team of

gifted architectural draftsmen

who drew the details of the de-

sign, including the walls, arches,

domes, balconies and courtyards

of the building.

Quarry records detail every stone

that was cut and fabricated for the

Capitol facade. Part of the legacy 38

51

of the Nebraska State Capitol Exterior

Restoration Project was to use the origi-

nal construction stone shop drawings to

develop a computerized (CAD) database.

The database provided a background on

which architects could map every crack,

mortar separation and spall.

Repairs that had been made on hundreds

of the cracked stones in previous years

were mapped as well, allowing the plan-

ning team to calculate the growing pace

of deterioration that was occurring.

The original Capitol drawings are a form

of artwork of their own, conveying the

commitment to excellence of the creative

team who developed a structure that

has become a monument for the ages.

38 | Detail of the northwest corner of the north pavilion.

39 | Detail of the north Capi-tol entrance.

40 | Detail of the bison wall at the north entrance stairs.

39 40

41

42 42

53

THE WORK: SCAFFOLDINGRappelling gear, swing stages, rolling scaffolding and binoculars are a few of the tools used by architects and engineers examining the Capitol exterior.

To assess the domes condition, a trained observer examined each of the ceramic tiles

while rappelling. His harness was attached to the Capitol beneath the feet of The Sower.

Swing stages were hung off the sides of the building to examine the tower. At the base, a

rolling scaffold was employed.

When it became time for the winning contractor, Mark 1 Restoration Company, to begin to

restore the tower, that company devised an innovative system of scaffolding which would

become part of the Lincoln skyline for three years. Instead of fully surrounding the Capitol

tower with scaffolding, they elected to build a 13-story scaffold at each of the four corners.

Swing stagesmovable devices associated with window washing on tall buildingswere

used to support workers in the areas between the fixed corner scaffold.

This innovation saved millions of dollars in scaffold rentals and was a factor in awarding

the work to Mark 1 Restoration.

Above the 14th floor, fixed scaffolding fully surrounded the octagonal Memorial Hall, the

tower drum and the dome. Because that scaffolding was in place, the sculpture atop the

CapitolThe Sowerwas evaluated, cleaned and refinished. This meant extending the

scaffolding another 50 feet skyward.

41, 42, 43 | As part of the innovative scaffolding system design, tower scaffolding was positioned at each of the corners of the tower, with access stairs at opposite corners. Swing stage platform scaffolding was also used on all four facades of the tower. This scheme saved millions of dollars over the restoration period.

ENGINEERING

While Bertram Goodhue knew

he wanted to include a 400-foot

towera skyscraperas part of

the Nebraska State Capitol, not

many architects and engineers

were certain of the most durable

methods of building them.

In New York, where Goodhue had

located his firm, the trend-setting

Flatiron building had been com-

pleted for a few years, but such

landmarks as the Chrysler build-

ing and the Empire State Building

were, as yet, not designed.

One fact architects and engineers

knew that the general public may

not know is that over time the steel

frame of a skyscraper shortens.

The use of a steel framed tower

was not Goodhues first choice.

He preferred a design where the

55

44 | A 1928 construction photo of the Nebraska State Capitol looking southeast.

stones bore the weight; however, engineers advised him

such a tall structure would not endure using that method.

Once committed to a steel frame with an Indiana lime-

stone face, he did consult the leading engineer at that

time, H. G. Balcom, who would later engineer the Empire

State Building.

The two agreed on how to place the clay brick backing

for the limestone surface, yet for reasons not known,

expansion joints placed in the tower limestone to allow

for steel shortening and weather-induced expansion

and contraction were not extended through the clay

brick backing.

When the decision was made to bond the clay bricks to

the limestone using mortar harder than either the brick

backing or the stone facingno doubt in an effort to

build the strongest building possiblecracking of the

limestone was set in action.

2 3

45, 46, 47 | Various techniques for cleaning the lime-stone faade were investigated to kill and remove organic growth. Tests samples were performed and viewed under high power magnification to ascertain the effectiveness along with evaluating the impact upon the stone surface.

45

47

46

57

THE WORK: CLEANING and TUCKPOINTING

More surface patching was done in the 1960s and again in the mid-1970s. Now, through

the 1995 examination, the cause of these cracks and spalls was identified. With a solution

identified that would prevent further cracking, a more comprehensive program of limestone

repair, along with the investment it required, could be justified.

The entire Capitol was tuckpointed, a difficult task because the joints were filled with a

mortar mixture that had become very hard. Nevertheless, every joint was ground out and

re-filled with a new mortar mix that is softer, still matches the color of the Capitol exterior,

and is able to move with the natural expansion and contraction of the wall.

At the same time, the hundreds of cracks in the limestone blocks were repaired. To close

many of them, small holes were drilled a few inches apart along cracks and small tubes

were inserted to inject epoxy until it began to ooze out along the crack. Then the tubes

were cut at the surface. This technique both reattached the stone pieces and removed the

tendency for water to be wicked into the small cracks.

A second technique used when many of the stones didnt lend themselves to epoxy mend-

ing was Dutchman repairs. Some spalls, for example, exposed iron pins and anchors used

in original construction. In these areas, Dutchman repair meant cutting out a piece of the

limestone and replacing it with an all-new matching piece of Indiana stone which was

bonded using epoxy.

A regrettable decision to sandblast the Capitol in the 1970s facilitated the growth of organic

materials. While it was well-intentioned, sandblasting the limestone destroyed the original

finish of it, causing a pitted surface. The tiny pits caused by the process trapped moisture

and provided water that the organic material needed to grow.

Removing the organic material was a two-step process. First, the algae, mold and mildew

was killed. To do this, a biocide treatment was administered. It was a simple process that

began with power washing; then saw the application of biocide with a scrub brush, and

finally used the power washer to rinse away the solution.

While cracks and breaks along mortar lines had been noticed in the Capitol exterior as early as the late 1920s, the first general repairs were not undertaken until the early 1940s.

With the organic material killed, the actual cleaning could take place. Two similar methods were em-

ployed on the upper and lower parts of the building. First a French-pioneered technique was used

called Facade Gommage, which translates to erase facade. The patented technique employed

low pressure to apply a dry mineral-based micro-abrasive, the consistency of talcum powder. This

removed the algae and lessened the pitting of the stone, returning the surface to something closer

to the original texture.

Later, another patented system called the ROTEC VORTEX Cleaning System by Quintek was used.

It similarly used low pressure air and a micro-abrasive powder. Tower restoration began in 1998 and

workers moved downward, tuckpointing and cleaning the building, until the base was completed in 2002.

48 | Workers tuckpointing an upper wall area of an interior courtyard.

59

01 | Apelles sum esedi dolorerit eni omnis alignam num laborru ntemolorest,

02 | Apelles sum esedi dolorerit eni omnis alignam num laborru ntemolorest,

49 | As part of the restoration work, all the stone mortar joints were carefully ground out and tuckpointed. Over 22 miles of joints were replaced during the restoration.

50, 51, 52, 53 | A preservation approach was taken to save and reuse as many cracked and damaged stones as possible during the restoration project. This sequence shows a stonemason performing a repair to a stone by doweling and epoxying a stone back together prior to reinstallation into the wall.

50 51

5352

61

54, 55, 56 | An epoxy injection technique was utilized to repair hundreds of cracked stones in the Capitol walls. This sequence of photos shows a mason injecting epoxy into a stone, allowing repairs to be made economically without the need to remove and replace stones.

51

53

54

55

56

CRAFTS

MEN

57 | Don Seefeldt, vice president of Mark 1 Restoration Company, the restoration contractor for the Nebraska State Capitol.

When the Capitol had been re-

stored, Don Seefeldt, vice presi-

dent and project manager for Mark

1 Restoration, had spent more

than half of his professional life

on the 12-year project.

Seefeldt, like Nebraska native Mike

Breen who spent nine years on

the project, six of them as super-

intendent, counts the restoration

project in Lincoln as an enduring

highlight of his career. Breen over-

saw the work of nearly 40 restor-

ers during part of the work on the

tower, and almost 100 over the life

of the project.

The buildings historical signifi-

cance made it a privilege to work

on, and there arent a lot of resto-

ration projects that continue over

12 years, Seefeldt said. But the

reason the project is memorable

63

58 | A stone mason tools the beveled rusticated joints of re-placement stones at the west entrance.

is the tremendous teamwork among the owner, the architects and the contractor.

Every decision was based on what was best for the Capitol.

Seeing teamwork continue consistently for a 12-year project is virtually unheard of,

Seefeldt said. Mark 1 has restored such landmarks as Chicagos Wrigley Building

and Tribune Tower, and the Kansas State Capitol.

A third individual, Lou Perschke, Mark 1s initial superintendent who retired during

the course of the project, was a key member of the early collaboration, Seefeldt said.

Sequencing and reorganizing the work to maximize efficiency and minimize cost was

one of the contributions made by the Mark 1 Restoration team. Another was carry-

ing out the decision to only enclose the corners of the tower with scaffolding while

designing special swing stages to bridge the space between. The invention was a

major engineering challenge, but it saved millions of dollars over other proposals.

Without a doubt, the project was one of the most unique that our company was

ever involved with, and it was a textbook example of owner-architect-contractor

cooperation, Seefeldt said.

59 | Typical repair detail for pressure relief joints at the Capitol taken from restoration construction documents.

60 | Detail of a pressure relief joint at the tower after repairs have been made, prior to rein-stallation of the limestone.

59 60

65

THE WORK: TOWER PRESSURE RELIEF JOINTS

The steel frame of tall buildings shrinks over time.

To allow for the shrinking steel frame, pressure relief joints ring the Capitol tower at each

floor. However, original building methods employed by the architect and contractor made

the joints inoperable from the time of the initial construction.

Pressure relief joints in the limestone face of the building were not extended through the

clay brick backing. Also, very hard mortar was used to affix the limestone to the brick

backing. When the frame of the building contracted over time, something had to give, and

it was the limestone.

During construction, courses of limestone facing were placed on steel shelves that were

attached to the building at each floor line. At the seven floor levels on the central tower

where expansion joints had been originally built in the limestone facade, craftsmen removed

three courses of stone and the clay brick backing, setting them on the scaffold for easy

retrieval. The original pressure relief joints were rebuilt by extending the pressure relief

joint through the brick backing.

Weather protection was added in the form of lead flashing, a compressible rubber joint

backer, and sealant on the face of the improved pressure relief joint.

The rusted steel anchor straps that tie the limestone to the building frame were replaced

with bronze straps that would not be subject to rust or expansion, should moisture again

penetrate the tower face.

An analysis of the towers construction showed that cracks and spalls (parts of limestone facing breaking away) were caused by unrelieved pressure on the limestone, and by expansion of rusting steel anchoring straps.

61 | The pressure relief joints were re-paired at seven floors of the Capitol tower. This photo shows where stones had been removed and temporary cov-ers installed prior to repairs being com-pleted.

62 | Masons removed three courses of stone, two above and one below, at the pressure relief joint in order to make the necessary repairs.

63, 64, 65, 66 | Restoration work be-ing completed at pressure relief joints. Work included priming and painting of structural steel spandrels, installa-tion of lead flashings, bronze pins and straps, and the reinstallation of stone and expansion joint materials.

61

62

67

64

6665

63

EVA

CUAT

ION

Many workers in the Capitols

high-rise office tower have

said they treasure the the qui-

et atmosphere and stunning

views.

When pneumatic hammers

began removing courses

of limestone to revise the

pressure relief joint system

throughout the tower, workers

quickly reversed their opinion

of their work environment. It

shook. It was noisy. Some of

the tools sounds approached

levels that federal officials as-

sociate with hearing loss.

It was decided to close the

tower temporarily and use

the opportunity to make inte-

rior repairs on several levels

where renovation had never

been conducted.

69

67 | Restoration work underway at the tower.

Some of the renovation involved

plaster and paint repair. Other

activities were more critical.

For fire suppression, Goodhue

specified there to be two large

water tanks at the top of the

building in a space above the

Memorial Hall and beneath the

Capitols golden dome. Upon

the urging of the State Fire Mar-

shal, a fire sprinkler system was

installed.

With the tower work completed,

office workers were returned

from their temporary offices in

other parts of the Capitol, or lo-

cations in downtown Lincoln.

Once again, the Capitol tower is

prime office space.

68

69

71

70

71

THE WORK: NORTH ENTRANCE

The walls framing the staircase were clearly taking on moisture. Limestone blocks were

moving out of alignment. The granite steps had lost their mortar bed and their support

was eroding.

In response to the BVH/WJE study, wing walls exhibiting Lee Lawries distinguished buf-

falo sculptures were dismantled and the clay brick backing was removed. Each stone was

marked as to location so that it would be returned correctly. New concrete backing was

poured in place and the stones were re-installed using new bronze pins and strap anchors.

Sheet lead flashing was installed and weep holes were included to eliminate water buildup.

The stair treads were removed and the concrete substrate was repaired. Waterproofing

material was laid and the granite treads were reinstalled.

Throughout the Capitol where stones displaying sculpture or inscriptions had been dam-

aged, special efforts were made to keep the original carving intact. Bronze dowels or pins

and strap anchors were installed to hold stones bearing carving together. As in other parts

of the building, epoxy was used to repair the stone and seal out water.

The porte cochere at the north entrance is bracketed by parapet walls above arches on the

east and west sides. Both parapet walls were disassembled and rebuilt. A new limestone

keystone was quarried, cut and installed on the west arch, because it was so badly cracked.

The restoration included new waterproofing on the deck surface adjacent to the parapet

walls, and copper counterflashing at both walls as a further protection against water dam-

age. Beneath joints in the capstones, edge-to-edge copper flashing was installed.

The restoration work on the Capitol began at the north entrance, the one commonly used by visitors. At the time of the 1995 inspection, the approach to the main entrance to the Capitol was still impressive. Yet there was also another impression: that cleaning and repair was badly needed.

68 | Workmen carefully disas-semble the granite steps at the north entrance stairs.

69 | Each piece of stone was catalogued and carefully stored while repairs to the structure were made.

70 | The original soft and deteri-orated brick masonry core walls were removed and new concrete walls were constructed at the bison walls.

71 | Deteriorated concrete was removed and new concrete treads were poured at the north stairs.

72 | Section detail of the north entry stairs from the restoration construction drawings.

73

73, 74 | Workmen carefully rein-stall the bison wall stones and granite treads over the new concrete structure at the north entrance.

73

74

7575 | Detail of a restored bison wall at the north entrance.

76, 77, 78 | The east and west entrances of the Capitol suffered from severe water infiltration and signifi-cant deterioration from freeze-thaw action. De-icing salts spread on the stairs and decks were leaching through the entrance assembly and were deposited at the underside of the concrete stair structure forming stalactites and efflorescence at the limestone walls.76

77

78

77

THE WORK: EAST and WEST ENTRANCES

There was extensive new stonework to be completed.

Restorers knew that the secret of extending the life of the repairs would be to decrease

the damage caused by water infiltration.

As at the north entrance, the process began with dismantling the granite stairs and lime-

stone railing, salvaging as many of the original stones as possible.

When stones were beyond repair, new ones were cut at the Indiana site where the original

building limestone was quarried. Because the quarry was still in operation and the vein of

buff limestone which Goodhue specified had not been exhausted, a close match was found.

Once a waterproof membrane was installed atop the foundation of the granite stair treads,

some re-engineering was undertaken to remove water from beneath the granite walking

surface. Small channels were formed in the concrete beneath the granite to allow water

that leaked behind the steps to escape through an internal storm drain system.

The walls that flanked each staircase had been damaged by moisture buildup, just as at the

other entrances. Each stone was removed, marked for reinstallation, and cleaned. Then,

using new poured concrete for backing, each stone was locked in place at its original loca-

tion using bronze pins and strap anchors.

Above the entrances, water had infiltrated all seven arch stones and caused them to crack.

The old stones were trucked to the Indiana quarry so that exact copies could be cut. New

stones were quarried, cut and installed.

The cycle of the Great Plains four seasons had exacted a heavy toll on the buildings east and west entrances.

79 | At both the east and west entrances, the seven large L shaped limestone arch stones had cracked due to freeze-thaw action and required replacement.

79

80, 81, 82 | The east and west entrance stair walls and treads were reconstructed using reinforced concrete substructures. New Indiana limestone arch stones were cut to match the original cracked stone units and set back into the entry arches. Once the entrances were reassembled, new wa-terproof membrane was applied over the stair and landing structures to prevent moisture penetration.

80

82

81

83, 84 | Once installed, the new limestone arch joints were tooled to match the existing heavily rusticated joints of the adjoining stones.

85 | View of the restored east Capitol entrance.

83

84

81

85

86 | The restoration of the south Capitol entrance required the removal of some ex-tremely large granite slabs. Special cranes were required to carefully lift these heavy stones to allow the stairs and retaining walls to be demolished and reconstructed.

83

THE WORK: SOUTH ENTRANCE

Two ramps descend from the street level to the Capitol basement on the south side of the

building. They are a Goodhue innovation that facilitates deliveries to a loading dock while

allowing the building to be viewed from all sides without visual distraction.

Twenty-seven feet of the limestone-clad retaining walls closest to the building were lean-

ing and had deteriorated. To restore them, concrete walls were poured on both sides of

the ramps near the loading dock. Then, a system of steel tie rods were bored through the

ground between the ramps and anchored to prevent the walls from moving outward. Finally,

the walls were re-faced with the limestone blocks that had been removed.

A pair of staircases on the south side led from ground level to a promenade that circles the

building just below the second level. The staircases were reconstructed using poured-in-

place concrete for both the stairs and the interior of the adjacent walls.

As at other entrances, an internal trench drain system and waterproof membrane was

installed to remove water should it enter the area behind the granite treads. Between the

poured steps and the granite treads, a waterproof barrier was installed.

The limestone blocks that had been removed were reinstalled or replaced.

Helping to finance the Capitol restoration was a $500,000 grant from Save Americas Trea-

sures, a program of the National Park Service. The grant was specifically for restoration

of the south entrance.

The south entrance to the Capitol showed damage equal to the other entrances; however, there was far more to repair there than on the east or west entrances.

87 | View of the east service ramp under reconstruction.

88, 89 | Similar to the east and west en-trances, the south entrance stairs were severely deteriorated and were care-fully disassembled and reconstructed utilizing a new reinforced concrete substructure.

88

89

85

90, 91 | Sections of the retaining walls leading to the basement loading dock required reconstruction. These pho-tographs show the concrete formwork and resulting new concrete retaining wall at the east ramp.

90

91

92 | A cross section drawing detail of the south en-trance taken from the BVH/WJE restoration construc-tion documents. The view is looking north towards the arched entrances to the basement loading dock. Shaded areas denote the extensive areas of work required to the retaining wall and stair systems.

87

93, 94, 95 | After the new con-crete retaining walls and stair structures were constructed, the original limestone units, granite stair treads and land-ings were reinstalled.

96 | View of the restored south Capitol entrance.

93

9594

89

96

97, 98, 99 | The fifth floor balconies also required extensive reconstruction due to water infiltration and resulting deteriora-tion. This required careful disassembly of the balcony walls that included carved limestone figures.

100 | The fifth floor balcony walls contain engaged sculptural figures designed by Lee Lawrie. Under the balconies are large arched clerestory windows which bring light into the five-story Rotunda space.

97 98

99

91

THE WORK: FIFTH FLOOR

Following BVH/WJE plans, restoration included more than cleaning and re-installing existing

materials. New solutions were developed and applied to remove long-standing problems.

To begin, the pavers were removed and the walls of the parapets were disassembled.

Clay brick that backed the parapet walls was replaced with more durable concrete bricks.

Where stucco had been used to surface the balcony parapets, bricks were used to replace

it. The original quarry tile pavers on the balcony deck were replaced with a different roof

system. New quarry tile was fused to concrete forming roofing pavers and then reinstalled

on plastic supports over a waterproof membrane. By using this newer technique, water

drains away quickly, and future generations can easily remove the tiles and access the

balcony deck structure to make repairs, should it ever become necessary.

The fifth floor balconies form a portion of the Capitol roof. At this level, quarry tiles were set in concrete above what was intended to be a watertight roof.

100

101, 102 | Workmen are shown constructing the formwork and placing of concrete into the forms for the new roof paver system. This system success-fully gave the historical appear-ance of the original design with the benefits of giving the Capitol staff access to make future roof repairs easily.

103, 104 | The soft and absor-bent clay brick cores of the parapet walls were removed and replaced with new concrete masonry cores. The limestone veneer was then reinstalled.

105 | View of a restored fifth floor balcony.

101 102

104103

93

105

106, 107, 108 | When masons cut the mortar joints of the stones at the 15th floor buttresses they almost fell out of the faade. No anchoring system had been installed from the stones to the backup materials.

109 | Special lifting devices were designed to hoist the buttress stones to allow the restora-tion work to be completed. This photo shows one of the rigs ready to move stones onto the scaffolding.

106 107 108

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THE WORK: 15TH FLOOR BUTTRESSES and DECK

However, when workers erected scaffold around the exterior of the Memorial Hall in the

summer of 2000, they found stones that were significantly displacedone was 1 inches

out of alignment. The threat of stones falling away was so severe that most other tasks

were suspended and workers were assigned to complete restoration on the buttresses

before winter.

A small opening was made in each buttress by removing limestone blocks. Then, clay brick

was removed from the interior and replaced with concrete brick.

Bronze straps were added to tie the sides of each buttress together, preventing future

displacement of the limestone blocks. Finally, each buttress was tuckpointed.

While the octagon clerestory window frames are made of durable bronze, the glazing

was in need of restoration, and broken glass was in need of replacement. New glass was

manufactured specifically to match Capitol samples taken from the Memorial Hall. While

the texture varied slightly from the original 5/16-inch-thick glass, the glass factory, Urobo-

ros Glass of Portland, Oregon, produced a near-perfect color match. While many of the

unbroken glass window panes were cleaned and reinstalled, enough replacement glass

was produced to replace all 504 panels in the octagon should it ever be needed.

Finally, the limestone above the 14th floor was cleaned of algae. This included the exterior

of the tank room, a space containing two large water tanks, intended for fire suppression,

above the Memorial Hall.

In 1995, inspectors had detected no serious problems with the eight buttresses that extend from the 15th floor deck upward to delineate the thunderbird murals, ending at the base of the dome.

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THE WORK: 14TH OBSERVATION LEVEL and WALLS

The 1995 examination team found the observation decks on each of the Capitols four sides

to be in fair condition. The walls were leaning, because water was infiltrating the clay brick

backing and some limestone was cracked.

Restorers closed the observation decks while work was underway.

Stones were evaluated and either cleaned of the clay brick backing and returned to their

original location, or replaced.

Repair of the stones was the preferred method, and epoxy injections salvaged many of them.

The eight-sided Memorial Hall forms the center of the 14th level, and it is surrounded by

the observation decks.

The surface of the four observation decks that surround the Memorial Hall were replaced

with quarry tile pavers before being reopened for public use.

Visitors to the Nebraska Capitols public observation decks take one of two tower elevators that reach to the 14th floor. After visitors exit the small elevators, they are presented with an eagles view of Lincoln and the far-reaching Plains.

110, 111, 112 | Deteriorated quarry tile was removed from the observation level deck and new concrete roofing pavers were installed over a new waterproof membrane. This was the same type of system installed at the fifth floor balconies and gives the historic appearance along with ease of maintenance.

113, 114 | Scaffolding was ex-tended around The Sower allowing the sculpture to be inspected and restored.

115 | A detail of the Thunder-bird-themed tile panel below the dome prior to restoration.

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THE WORK: DOME, THUNDERBIRDS, and THE SOWER

Most of the tiles were found to be in good condition, they just needed decades of grime

and mineral deposits removed. The restoration work principally consisted of washing the

colored tiles with detergent while using a soft brush.

An examination of the tile grout showed it to be in fair condition. It was determined that it

would be best to regrout all joints. Where bands of steel were used as an arched structure

to hold the shape of the dome beneath the tiles, expansion joints had been installed. These

joints were in need of repair.

The area that caused the restoration team greater concern was where the tiles came in

contact with the limestone used to frame the top of the drum. Here, the differing movement

of the dome tiles and the limestone was causing some of the tiles to break.

The solution: the workers ground out the joints between the stone and tile, and replaced

the mortar with material that would allow expansion and contraction without further dam-

age to the tiles.

The golden appearance of the Capitol dome and the bright blue, red and yellow colors of the thunderbird patterns that decorate the drum beneath it are achieved by using colored tiles.

115

TH

E S

OW

ER

The Sower, a 19-foot-tall, nine-

ton bronze sculpture by Lee Lawrie

that was placed atop the Capitol

dome in 1930, had been silently

casting grain across the Great

Plains for more than eight decades

and weathering was beginning to

show.

Mayda G. Jensen, who led a team

to restore the sculpture, said she

treasures her time spent with The

Sower and its 13-feet bronze

base.

Her satisfaction comes from a

combination of recognizing the

dynamic nature of the sculpture

itself, experiencing the challeng-

es of working 400 feet above the

ground, and being aware of the

high visibility of the sculpture to

Nebraskans.

For two months, she and her team

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116 | Conservator Mayda Jen-sen at work restoring the sur-face of The Sower.

117 | A detail of the The Sower atop the dome after restoration.

(made up of her husband Rob, Jeremy McManis and Les Bruning) rode

elevators and climbed to the 50-foot extension of scaffolding that circled

the monumental sculpture. On occasion, buffeting winds or passing thun-

derstorms would drive them off the scaffold.

The team inspected the sculptures interior structure and found it sound.

Then, they gently cleaned the bronze, reapplied an even layer of patina, and

coated it with a lacquer sealant and paste wax.

While we thought it would be solitary work, Mayda said, we actually found

we had many visitorsas many as 250as people climbed up to have their

photos taken with The Sower far above the Plains.

The sculpture restoration was not included in original plans for the Capitol

restoration; however, it became clear that the presence of the scaffold would

provide an opportunity that might not occur again for decades.

Grants totaling $30,000 from Save Outdoor Sculptures, an arm of the

Smithsonian Institution supported in part by the Target Foundation, and

matching funds from the State Department of Administrative Services,

Building Division, funded restoration which was not included in the original

scope of the project.

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119

120

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THE WORK: 14TH FLOOR ELEVATOR VESTIBULE TURRETS

Very large stones, some weighing nearly a ton, are shaped to form the tops of the decora-

tive turrets.

Joints between these stones were the source of considerable leaking. The mortar between

the turret stones had cracked allowing water to enter the clay brick backing. As water

entered through the cracks, swelling of the backing had occurred, pushing some of the

stones out of alignment.

Despite their weight, each of the stones were removed from the four turrets, swung onto

the 250-foot-high scaffolding, and stored there while a new base was prepared for them.

Deteriorated copper sheeting was removed and replaced with lead sheeting. Stones were

then returned, tied together with bronze pins and strap anchors to maintain positions.

As the square tower of the Capitol rises past the floor of the octagonal Memorial Hall, four turrets top its corners.

118 | Detail of a turret prior to restoration.

119 | Installation of sheet lead flashings at a turrent.

120 | Replacing the turret cap stone after reassembly of the turret.

121 | View looking down from the Tank Room/15th floor level over the top of the restored northeast turret.

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THE WORK: TOWER WINDOW GLAZING

Rows of clear glass are set in operable bronze frames. To maintain the uninterrupted verti-

cal lines, black Cararra glass is installed over the building floor structure.

Decorative arches and diagonal muntins can be seen upon closer inspection. These are

created by false muntins, metal rods attached to the window frames.

The restoration team heard office workers reports of whistling sounds as air passed through

weatherstripping that had been added to the windows. They saw window putty, cracked

glass and muntins hanging partially detached from the frame.

During the restoration project, a program was completed that included replacing broken

window glass, reglazing the windows and reattaching the muntins.

The glass selected was Krystal Klear, a -inch-thick iron-free product.

From a distance, the tower windows provide much of the vertical thrust of the tower designed by Bertram Goodhue.

122, 123, 124 | Close-up details of the bronze tower windows during restoration showing deteriorated sealants, cracked glazing and damaged muntins.

125 | A bronze window drawing detail taken from the BVH/WJE restoration construction documents.

125

VISION

When Harry Tompkins was a

younger man, he walked past the

Nebraska Capitol each day, ob-

serving and admiring the story it

told.

Tompkins majored in English liter-

ature at the University of Nebras-

kaLincoln and his father was an

architect, factors that helped him

develop an interest in the building

and its symbolism.

After establishing Palace Glass

Co. in his native Lincoln in 1981,

he formed a long-term relationship

with the architects who manage

the building and are tasked with

its preservation.

Palace Glass is a regional special-

ist in stained, etched, beveled and

kiln glass; and the Capitol uses

several types of art glass in light

fixtures as well as windows.

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126 | Panoramic view up the tower faade.

Unable to find a manufacturer for the glass that is used in the

clerestory windows of the Memorial Hall, Capitol architects

asked Tompkins to take on the task of having new glass

manufactured to replace the many panes that had broken

over the years.

Accepting the challenge, he located Uroboros Glass of

Portland, Oregon, and enlisted that firm to take on the task

of producing the specialized thick, textured amber panes as

part of the Capitol Masonry Restoration Project.

For me, the Capitol is a unique piece of art, and with my

dad an architect, I feel it is important to preserve it, he said.

You dont see many buildings with meaningful symbols for

an agriculture-based state.

It is important to maintain what we have from the past,

Tompkins said, because eventually we all become the past.

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109

THE WORK: COPPER ROOFS

Originally, poured gypsum formed the base structure for the roof. Todays system is built on

two-inch by four-inch treated boards with rigid insulation between them. Plywood decking

is placed on the sleepers to form a solid foundation for the new copper roof. Two systems

lay atop the plywood decking. First, there is a layer of rubber membrane that serves as an

ice and water shield. It is topped by a layer of 20-ounce copper which overlays the full roof.

Architects found that the 70 existing roof drains were not able to adequately drain the roof

so they added 52 more. At some locations they found the roof lacked the slope needed

to adequately direct the runoff to the drains, so they built shallow rises called crickets to

redirect the flow. Inside the Capitol, flexible connections were installed on pipes underneath

the drains to accommodate movement caused by heat and cold.

When the original Capitol roof was completed in the 1930s, the ratio of copper soldered

seam to batten seam roof system was approximately ten to one. When the restoration project

was completed the copper roof system on the building was converted from predominately

a solder seam condition to largely a batten roof system by a factor of two to one.

On roof sections with low slope, solder seam construction was used. On steeper roof slopes,

a system of batten construction was installed. Raised battens every 20 inches running

continuously down slope, had long copper pans installed between them (without solder

seams) providing a roof surface with far fewer solder joints, greatly reducing potential leaks.

To assure a roof capable of providing excellent performance, a program was put in place

to maintain the highest possible standards of soldering. Candidates to perform the work

were required to prove their expertise before being hired. From time to time, an inspector

would cut out a section of soldered seam and inspect it under a microscope.

Copper is excellent roofing material for a monumental building, but it requires careful engineering and precise installation for it to live up to its potential to last 80 to 100 years.From 2007 to 2010, the copper roof of the Nebraska Capitolcomprising a total of 2.5 acreswas not only replaced, but the roofing system itself was re-engineered to assure a century-long life.

127 | The roof plan taken from the BVH/WJE restoration con-struction documents.

128, 129 | Prior to restoration sandbags were used to hold down sections of the old cop-per roof to prevent the copper from lifting during high winds. Roof drains were also severely deteriorated necessitating total replacement as part of the roof restoration scope.

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111

130 | Workers installing treated wood sleepers allowing rigid insulation to be added to the roof assembly.

131 | All flat seems were formed and soldered by craftsmen whose work was of the highest quality.

132 | A view of the Northwest quadrant during installation of the copper batten roof system at the high slope roof areas.

133 | Detail of the high quality details and workmanship found throughout the Capitol roof res-toration.

134 | An example of the copper batten roof system used on the high slope roof areas and the flat soldered seam copper roof system used on the lo