In 2014, the limestone cladding on the exterior of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum building was exhibiting an unexpected amount of deterioration. It was determined by the client that the cause of the deterioration appeared to be freeze-thaw on both the exterior and interior surfaces of the limestone panels.
Bowman performed 3D scanning and recordation to establish a system of measuring, documenting and monitoring surface loss, cracking, efflorescent growth, and alignment changes over time on the exterior surfaces of the limestone facades. Established and documented survey target controls for future work, created a 3D baseline scan of the limestone facades, monitored changes over two years to determine the rate of weathering, and produced a deformation study on the four selected limestone locations.