When was capitol dome completed

A previous restoration in was no longer holding up. More cracks were showing up and pieces of cast-iron were falling off the building. It is certainly important; you can hardly turn on a TV or any media anywhere in the world without seeing the Capitol in the background.

It is the symbol of our country, so we wanted to do everything possible to make it successful, to deliver for the American people. It is their building after all. Many years ago my team said we have cracks and deficiencies, by the time it reached over 1, cracks it was time to intervene.

We were losing too much historic material. Congress understood how important it was and quickly funded the restoration work. Before the work started, the office of the Architect of the Capitol AOC completed a pilot phase where they did a complete retrofit on a small section of the cast-iron dome.

We found deficiencies and other cracks that were hidden. This enabled us to test our repair techniques and measure effectiveness and production rates and to make subsequent estimates and plans.

The contract was awarded in and work started in , with the closing of the Rotunda for a few weeks to add netting to protect visitors and art from falling debris. Then a one-acre staging area was set up at the northwest corner of the Capitol. The next step was to build the scaffolding; this included 52 miles of scaffold piping on 25 levels with two miles of decking, around the exterior of the dome. Repairing the many cracks in the cast iron was a complicated process. First pits with no cracking were filled with epoxy.

Then, since cast-iron cannot effectively be welded in situ, a system called lock-and-stitch was used to repair the cracks. It involved drilling holes along the length of the crack and inserting steel pins with heads that slightly overlap, creating a watertight seal. The heads are broken off creating a smooth surface, and then steel locks are inserted across the cracks to strengthen the seal and pull the metal edges together.

Most of this work had to be done at night so the noise would not disrupt the Capitol. In addition, the cast-iron ornament required quite a bit of work. It dates back to the fifth century in China and it was used to build a monastery as early as BC.

In , the first cast-iron building was built in the UK. In the U. Louis County Courthouse and the U. Capitol dome was completed during the Civil War, without the use of electricity or power tools. The entire Tholos balustrade just below the Freedom Statue, smaller items such as grape clusters and acorns, and larger pieces such as column capitals and antefixes were removed and repaired.

The largest ornaments removed were the 36 in. There were also 72 giant acorns that were dis-assembled, abrasively blasted, and repaired or replaced. Hundreds of individual pieces were repaired, including the scores of individual pieces in each of 4-ft. Thousands of pounds of cast iron in the 9-million pound dome, as well as 5, to 7, stainless steel fasteners were ultimately replaced. Skip to main navigation Skip to main content. Print Materials Brochures International Translations.

Timeline of Congress and the Capitol Prologue - - - - - - Present Epilogue. Breadcrumb U. The Capitol Dome. Pedestal Designed by sculptor Thomas Crawford, the cast-iron pedestal is painted to match the bronze of the statue. It is encircled with the motto, "E Pluribus Unum," which means "Out….

Tholos Topping the dome, this temple-like structure houses lights that shine only when Congress is in session. The observation platform at the base of the tholos is approximately…. The Apotheosis of Washington Constantino Brumidi's fresco was created by applying pigment to fresh plaster laid in sections on a bowl-shaped canopy suspended feet above the rotunda floor.

Not dated but photo taken about Marble cutters work the monoliths. Construction at U. Capitol, Capitol, including African American workmen with a column named in the photograph to recognize Abraham Lincoln's election as president on November 6, Participants and crowd at the first inauguration of President Abraham Lincoln, at the U.

Capitol on March 4, Lincoln is standing under the wood canopy, at the front, midway between the left and center posts. His face is in shadow but the white shirt front is visible. The scaffolding at upper right was being used in construction of the Capitol dome. Northeast view of the Capitol Dome, still unfinished on June 28, Washington, DC, in April of or A bird's-eye view of the Smithsonian Institution building in the near distance with the Capitol building in the background. Bird's-eye View of the Capitol on December 15, Capitol Dome restoration, early October Deterioration and wear is visible on the facade as scaffolding is erected that will reach, and eventually cover, the entire Capitol Dome enabling restoration work.

Restoration work takes place in the space between the Capitol's interior and exterior domes. A conservator works on restoring a painting in the Senate reception area at the US Capitol on September 28, in Washington. A protective canopy in place above the Rotunda in May of Stone Damage on the Senate Extension. A worker removes bird wire and anchors from the Progress of Civilization pediment. Scaffolding erected during the final painting phase of the Dome Restoration Project, in December of